CPA Bulletin

TRAINING: 28 CPA Bulletin > August 2018 www.cpa.uk.net With the price of land and property at a premium, construction and development projects are maximising available space by building closer to site boundaries and to greater heights. Whether it’s a rural construction site or a city centre project, developers frequently require the biggest possible mobile crane for the smallest available space. In 2013, Liebherr responded to this growing need by launching VarioBase®: a unique system enabling each individual crane support to be extended to an arbitrary length with the load moment limiter within the LICCON control ensuring the crane can operate safely. This prevents accidents by human error, both during set-up and when hoisting loads. VarioBase® also increases lifting capacities and extends the working range, and not just on constricted sites. As the success of VarioBase® grew, the next challenge was to make mobile cranes even more versatile. And in 2016 Liebherr launched its VarioBallast® system on the new LTM 1250-5.1 mobile crane. Being able to manually adjust the ballast radii means a larger machine can operate in a smaller site space than was previously possible. The LTM 1250-5.1 can be equipped with 88 tonnes of counterweight in two possible positions: the large 5.58 m radii and the small 4.78 m radii. This equates to an 800 mm difference. Since the 2016 launch, Liebherr has incorporated VarioBallast® into a number of its mobile cranes. In the LTM 1160-5.2 and LTM 1090-4.2, the ballast radius is reduced by using standard mechanically-adjusted ballasting cylinders and lifting the counterweight into the small radii position. The whole process takes place during initial set-up without the need for a rigging crane. In the LTM 1450-8.1, the ballast radius can be reduced or increased with infinite adjustment from 7 m to 5 m using a simple hydraulic swivel mechanism controlled by the operator remotely or from their cabin. Achieving a counterweight radius of 5 m compares to the slewing circle of a mobile crane in the 200 tonne class with the lifting capability of a 450 tonne machine. On the LTM 1450-8.1, the hydraulically-adjustable VarioBallast® complements the VarioBase® system on sites where only a reduced support base is available. Making it possible to put larger cranes with greater lifting capabilities in smaller spaces than was previously achievable could provide the opportunity for larger items to be pre- built at lower levels, thereby reducing the need for prolonged working at height and the frequency of high lift operations. This creates safer working conditions for everyone on and near construction sites. Tight on Space?... Above 3 pictures: Ballast positions at 5m, 6mand 7m radii on the Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 Above: Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 Vairoballast® slewing path