Grove GMK6400 All-Terrain Crane Helps To Build German Power & Heat Plant

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A 450-ton Grove GMK6400 all-terrain crane recently placed a 38.6-ton cover on top of a heat storage container at a new heat and power plant being built in Germany. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

A 450-ton (400-metric-ton) Grove GMK6400 all-terrain crane put the crowning touch on an important part of a new combined heat and power plant being built in western Germany. Crane rental provider BKL (Baukran Logistik GmbH) used the six-axle mobile unit to place a 38.6-ton (35-metric ton) cover on top of a heat storage container at a new plant being constructed on the Ingelheimer Aue landmass on the Rhine River between Wiesbaden and Mainz.

“During this operation, the crane had to lift a heavy load in a relatively confined space. The powerful six-axle GMK6400 crane is an ideal crane for this type of lift,” BKL says. “With the additional self-rigging MegaWingLift strength, our GMK6400 from the Frankfurt BKL fleet can handle enormous loads, which has proven to be a great advantage in placing the cover on the heat storage container.”

Capping The Container

The optional MegaWingLift attachment gives the Grove GMK6400 up to 70% more lifting capacity, the manufacturer says, and up to 400% when used with a luffing jib. It also doesn’t slow down the mobile crane’s expedited setup process. “The GMK6400 arrived well at the site of Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG on the industrial peninsula and could be quickly assembled and disassembled, due to the self-rigging MegaWingLift hoist.”

A BKL operator used the crane to lift the 39-foot (12-meter) diameter dome-shaped cover and place it onto the cylindrical storage container, which is 118 ft (36 m) in height. The container will store waste heat in water from the natural gas-fired plant, and will provide it to the district heating network as needed.

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The optional, self-rigging MegaWingLift attachment gives the GMK6400 up to 70% more lifting capacity, Grove says, and up to 400% when used with a luffing jib. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

The Grove GMK6400

The all-terrain GMK6400, powered by a single Mercedes-Benz engine, has the most load capacity of any six-axle crane, Grove says. It offers reach, capacity, and a small footprint. Its 197-ft (60-m), five-section, full-power MEGAFORM main boom can combine with an optional 259-ft (79-m) luffing jib to attain a maximum tip height of 448 ft (136.6 m). A 210-ft (64-m) fixed jib option offers up to 25 degrees of offset.

The GMK6400 also features five outrigger positions, all-wheel steering by wire, the MegaDrive hydrostatic drive, and the MEGATRAK independent hydro-pneumatic suspension. Its cab can tilt up to 20 degrees, and its top road speed is a respectable 53 mph (85 km/h).

Source: Manitowoc

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