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Large-scale human creations are always fascinating. People have learned to build high-rise buildings, extract fossils from the earth’s interior and accumulate atomic energy. How exactly are global structures built? What controls heavy beams and arches? The matter concerns real heroes – cranes. Consider what the biggest crawler crane in the world is today and how it is used.
The leader among truck cranes
Undoubtedly, the most impressive and powerful truck crane is the German creation named Liebherr LTM-11200-9.1. People call it “Mammoth”. In 2007, the largest crane of this type was listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The main power of the Mammoth is hidden in its arrow, which has eight telescopic sections. These are the largest length indicators in the world that exist today. So that the machine can move and stand firm, it has nine major axles, which are controlled by eighteen wheels.
The cargo with which the crane is most often operated has a weight of 363 tons. The permissible capacity for additional installation of special units is 1,200 tons. The largest wheeled crane is designed to work at a height of 180 meters, but this reduces its capabilities. The maximum load, raised to such a height with the maximally extended arrow, is 1.3 tons.
Technical characteristics of the world’s largest crane
Under the main boom, there is a large system that performs as a counterweight. It is a base weighing 22 tons, on which ten plates of other 10 tons installed. The crane works thanks to a 6-cylinder 240 kW engine. The average speed when driving is 12 km per hour. Despite its powerful capabilities, the crane weighs only 220 tons.
The use of the Liebherr crane
According to the Germans, they often order this machine for large-scale construction in Europe and the Middle East. The biggest problem is transportation. Even on land, at least 20 trucks are required to move all the components. The installation of the crane takes from 8 to 10 hours. In Europe, the largest wheeled crane is widely used for the installation of wind turbines.
The price of such a crane is simply transcendental. Anyone, even the most high-budget project, can hardly afford to buy and transport a high-altitude crane. Therefore, Germans are willing to draw up a lease. This increases the popularity of the unit and makes it more affordable for construction sites in the world.