Wolff on new landmark for Frankfurt

Tower crane manufacturer Wolffkran has supplied five Wolff tower cranes to assist on the construction of a new high-rise building, the Taunus Turm, on Neue Mainzer Straße in Frankfurt, Germany.

The first four cranes, two Wolff 355 B luffing cranes and two 180 Bs, were delivered to construction company Züblin, the main contractor for the build. The cranes have a maximum load of 18 tonnes or 28 tonnes when used with either 60 kW (180 B) or 75 kW (355 B) hoisting winches. Lifting speeds are up to 185 metres per minute.

The four cranes are lifting loads of up to 14 tonnes to a maximum height of 170 m. To help increase stability during these tasks, the cranes have been anchored to the building from a height of 51 m upwards, a company spokesperson said.

Challenges for the tower cranes include limited work space due to the location of the site, which is in the centre of Frankfurt. Florian Rehklau, project manager at Wolffkran explains, “The cranes have an extremely limited working radius due to the adjacent high-rises and, in particular, the busy Neue Mainzer Strasse, over which the cranes are not permitted to swing.”

To overcome these challenges the cranes on site are luffing jib type, which allows them to freely swing over one another and to climb independently from each other, a company spokesperson said. In addition, they have a short rear tail swing radius of 7 m.

The fifth tower crane on site is another Wolff 180 B. The crane has been rented out by construction company Ruppert App, which is contracted to build the glass façade on the Taunus Turm.

The 40 storey Taunus Turm will be 170 m tall and will accommodate offices, apartments and restaurants. It is due for completion by mid-2014.