Wilbert tower on deconstruction project

A Wilbert WT 200 e.tronic top slewing tower crane has been used to help with the deconstruction of the Friedrich-Engelhorn building in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

The high rise Friedrich-Engelhorn building is owned by chemical company BASF. The project was organised by AWR Abbruch, based in Weißenthurm, Germany.

To carry out the task the WT 200 has been erected with a 110 metre hook height and configured with a 40 m radius. In this configuration the WT 200 has a lifting capacity of 5.6 tonnes.

For the first stage of the project, the WT 200 will be connected to the building. As the project goes on, the crane will be climbed down to a height of 79 m, a company spokesperson said.

Challenges during the project include limited work space. To overcome this issue, a cross frame with an assembly and supporting surface of 10 x 10 m is being used. Jobs so far for the crane have included lifting around 150 tonnes of waste material a day.

Following the demolition of the building's foyer a second Wilbert WT 200 was assembled on site. The second crane has a freestanding height under hook of 94 m. As the project progresses, the hook height will be reduced to 79 m and then 54 m during the final stage of the project.

The deconstruction of the building is scheduled to be completed by 2014.