Monumental job by Steil

Germany-based lifting and heavy haulage company Steil Kranarbeiten used a Terex AC 200 and AC 350, along with two other cranes, to lift the 35 metre long, 60 tonne observation deck for the Saarpolygon - a large walk-in monument located on the top of the Duhamel spoil pile in Ensdorf.

With accuracy, the cranes placed the steel colossus between the two diagonal elements of the monument, completing the structure that can be seen from miles away.

Frank Nicklas, part of Steil’s field team, said, “The Polygon is a symbol meant to serve as a testimonial to the 250 years of coal mining that in many ways defined the Saar Region. The steel structure, which has a height of about 30 m, represents the history of mining, coal, and steel in the area. We at Steil are tremendously proud of the fact that we got to play a part in erecting this new monument for the Saarland. It’s not something we get to do every day.”

The steep climb up the spoil pile to the work site took the team through narrow, winding roads and forced them to press ahead slowly, the company said. Fortunately, the weather proved to be cooperative and the cranes were able to pick up the steel bridge, which was made by Düren-based steel fabrication company Queck and had been pre-assembled the week before.

If it had rained heavily and the ground had gotten wet, it would have been impossible to carry out the project, Steil said.

Nicklas added, “Communication is crucial when it comes to getting this kind of lift right. That’s why all the signal people and crane operators involved were constantly in touch on the radio.” This was an absolute necessity, as placing the walk-in bridge between the two diagonal steel elements required high precision. A centimetre or two off, and the assemblers working for Leipzig-based assembly company IMO would have been unable to install the bolted joints required between the individual structure elements.

Watch a video of the lift here.