Sarens super heavy lifter on test
18 March 2011
The new 3,200 tonne capacity Sarens SGC-120 super heavy lift crane has been assembled and is undergoing testing.
The lattice boom giant, rated at 120,000 tonne-metres, was assembled in Belgium, at the time of writing in mid-March, with 130 metres of main boom. The full 3,200 tonne (plus safety margin) test was scheduled for the first week of April at 118 and 88 m boom lengths. On the shorter boom, full capacity is available to 40 m radius. Capacity is 1,000 tonnes at 80 m radius.
The SGC, which stands for Sarens Giant Crane was designed by Sarens subsidiary Rigging International in the USA with input, especially on the hydraulics design, from Sarens in Belgium. It is designed to meet US and European standards for lift cranes and is CE certified. Applications include refineries, nuclear power plants and mining operations worldwide.
Lifting is done using hydraulic winches, each with 600 kN line pull. Line speed is 20 m/min and there are six winches in total. It runs on four equally loaded bogies and has two slew rings, of 28.4 and 38.3 m diameter. Slewing can be done under load, it can be configured for straight travel, and it can be relocated using self propelled modular transporter (SPMT), Sarens said.
In addition to its lifting capacity and reach, features promoted by Sarens for its new crane include its 43.6 m diameter footprint (to the outside of the mats), low ground bearing pressure (20 tonnes per square metre), flexibility, and low cost for transport and operation. In standard boom configuration it ships in 135 standard containers.
The 3,600 tonne counterweight is contained in 36 reinforced 40 foot containers. To reduce transport cost each of those containers can be filled with 100 tonnes of locally sourced material, for example sand or gravel. A jib up to 90 m will be available.
Sarens operates worldwide with a fleet of more than 1,400 cranes, 14 of which are more than 1,000 tonnes capacity.
