Innovative Liebherr 190HC-L crane during the construction of SKY PARK Tower in Bratislava

Fig. 1: Liebherr 190 HC-L crane on the construction site of the SKY PARK Tower in Bratislava.

An interesting chapter in the field of construction technology is taking place at the heart of the SKY PARK project in Bratislava. KRANIMEX, spol. s r.o., as the exclusive dealer of Liebherr tower cranes in Slovakia, has delivered a unique combination of tower cranes here for the general contractor SKANSKA SK a.s. One of the most interesting specimens is undoubtedly the Liebherr 190 HC-L, which plays a key role in the construction of this complex. This type of crane is not commonly used in Slovakia, but its characteristics have predetermined its use in such a demanding project as the SKY PARK Tower.

The Liebherr 190 HC-L crane is equipped with a folding boom, which allows it to work even on smaller areas and in cramped conditions. During the construction of the SKY PARK tower, there was a problem with the placement of a standard crane, because the tower design limited the possibility of a full 360° rotation of the boom. A crane with a longer fixed boom would simply not be able to turn on the construction site without hitting the tower. That is why the 190 HC-L was ultimately chosen. In addition to the 190 HC-L cranes, the project also uses the Liebherr 150 EC-B and 110 EC-B cranes with a standard boom, each of which has its own specific parameters and tasks.

Specifics of the crane used

But let's quickly take a look at what makes the Liebherr 190 HC-L so unique. First of all, it has a tilting boom, so it can work on smaller areas in tight conditions (such as during the construction of Skypark). Its great asset is precision and performance - it has a boom length of 45 meters and a maximum lifting capacity of 16 tons. In addition, all cranes of this type are among the safest on the market, as they are equipped with modern anti-collision systems that minimize the risk of accidents and ensure safe operation on the construction site. The 190 HC-L crane is also specific for its height; in the final phase of the project, its height under the hook will reach 146.2 meters and the crane will become the dominant element of the entire construction. To ensure the required stability, after reaching this final height, the crane structure will be attached to the building in a total of three places with anchor rods. The crane is built on a robust 500 HC tower system and stands on foundation anchors embedded in concrete. The assembly itself was carried out with the help of a powerful Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 mobile crane with a lifting capacity of up to 500 tons.

Fig. 3: The upper floors of SKY PARK Tower will offer an exclusive view of the Old Town.

Arrangement of cranes on the construction site

The drawing (Fig. 2) shows the deployment of the individual cranes in the final phase of the Skypark construction. The 150 EC-B crane will reach a hook height of up to 144.6 meters with a jib length of 45 meters. It is built on a combination of 500 HC and 256 HC tower systems. This crane will also be mounted on foundation anchors, with the base height again being ensured by a Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 mobile truck crane, which underlines the complexity of the entire operation.

The third in the group, the Liebherr 110 EC-B auxiliary crane with a hook height of 57.7 meters, will be used primarily for logistics and service work, such as unloading material from trucks or distributing it around the construction site. The HC-L main tower crane will ensure the crane's fast and efficient erection.

Fig. 2: Location of individual cranes on the Skypark construction site.

Anti-collision systems for increased safety

Safety is key when working on this complex project, where several tower cranes are located on a relatively small construction site. All three cranes are therefore equipped with modern anti-collision systems that monitor the movement of the individual crane arms and ensure that the arms and hoisting ropes do not collide with each other, which is essential to minimize the risk of accidents and ensure the smooth progress of the construction work.

Fig. 4: Crane assembly using the powerful Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 mobile crane.

A picture of the situation (Fig. 5) on the construction site and the location of the tower cranes can be obtained from the drawing. The circles showing the service zones of the individual cranes intersect in several places; the so-called “bumper zones” are shown in green. For safety reasons, the green zones are defined in the anti-collision system settings as places where the crane is prevented from moving and thus does not allow the operator to simply manipulate the load.

Fig. 5: Location of tower cranes with marking of service and buffer zones.

Conclusion

The SKY PARK Towers project proves that modern construction technologies can overcome even the most demanding challenges. The Liebherr 190 HC-L is just one example of the innovative solutions that KRANIMEX, spol. s r.o. offers its customers. Thanks to this technology, another modern and functional building is being built in Bratislava.

Author: Peter Šubert, Kranimex SK
Photography: Matúš Kotulič,
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