Bottrop/Essen, Germany – In a remarkable display of engineering precision and heavy-lift capability, WASEL GmbH successfully completed a major infrastructure project involving the replacement of an aging concrete pipe bridge with a new steel construction. The operation, which took place on the A42 highway between Bottrop and Essen, was powered by two Liebherr LR 11000 crawler cranes, each with a 1,000-tonne lifting capacity.
Mission Highlights:
- Two 220-tonne steel bridge sections lifted in tandem
- Old concrete pipe bridge dismantled safely
- Motorway closure shortened by two days
- Seven Liebherr cranes involved in total
The bridge plays a crucial role in the region’s logistics network, connecting refineries to the Bottrop tank farm by crossing both the A42 highway and the River Emscher. The project was divided into two precise and time-sensitive phases.
Precision Tandem Lifts Offloaded from Ship
The new bridge segments — each 71 meters long, 7 meters wide, and 6 meters high — were manufactured by Schone & Bruns GmbH & Co. KG and shipped via the Rhine-Herne Canal. In a meticulously coordinated tandem lift, two Liebherr LR 11000 cranes, configured in SL11DBV setup with boom lengths of 96m and 84m, unloaded the 220-tonne segments from the vessel and placed them with centimeter accuracy in a designated pre-assembly area.
“Unloading from the ship with such a wide working radius was the biggest challenge,” said crane operator Florian Lauschke. “The cranes worked brilliantly — exactly what we expect from Liebherr.”
Bridge Replacement Completed Ahead of Schedule
In the second phase, one LR 11000 crane was dismantled, transported 1,000 meters via the A42, and reassembled at the installation site with a 72-meter boom. Simultaneously, the old concrete pipe bridge — composed of four segments — was safely dismantled using steel corsets to avoid structural damage during lifting.
The newly assembled steel bridge segments were transported using SPMTs (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters) to the site and lifted directly into position. Remarkably, the entire operation was completed two days ahead of schedule, thanks to the agility and lifting capacity of the Liebherr machines.
“The cranes impressed not only with their capacity but also with how quickly we could relocate and reassemble them,” said Viktor Hein, Project Manager at WASEL GmbH. “We achieved loads of up to 240 tonnes safely and precisely — even without using a ballast pallet.”
Collaborative Planning Key to Success
The entire project involved seven Liebherr cranes, including:
- 2 × LR 11000 crawler cranes
- LTR 1220
- LTM 1230-5.1
- LTM 1250-5.1
- A 100-tonne mobile crane
- A 450-tonne auxiliary crane
Günther Lohaus, Project Manager at Schone & Bruns, emphasized the value of detailed planning: “The goal was to minimize the motorway closure time. With strong coordination, a smart logistics concept, and highly reliable Liebherr cranes, we managed to complete the job ahead of schedule.”
About the Equipment
- Crane Model: Liebherr LR 11000
- Configuration: SL11DBV
- Ballast: 130t central, 250t turntable, up to 450t derrick
- Lifting Capacity: Up to 240t per crane
- Working Radius: Wide span lifts with millimeter precision
A Model for Infrastructure Modernization
This successful bridge replacement sets a new benchmark for infrastructure projects involving large-scale lifting. The collaboration between WASEL GmbH, Schone & Bruns, and Liebherr highlights how strategic planning, engineering excellence, and the right equipment can drastically reduce project timelines and boost public infrastructure efficiency.
