Wolffs bring Berlin shop to life

Nine Wolffkran trolley jib tower cranes have been supplied to help rebuild a historical department store in Leipziger Platz, Berlin.

First opened in 1897, the Wertheim Department Store was the largest department store on the continent until it was destroyed in World War II.

The Wolffkran trolley jib tower cranes, which have been rented by Fettchenhauer Controlling & Logistic (FCL), lift steel girders, concrete components and formwork on the site.

To begin the construction, the cranes were assembled on the two-hectare site according to their height. First to be erected were the ones with underhook heights of up to 86 m. These were assembled on the edge of the site so they could be used to assemble the remaining cranes with underhook heights of 46 to 57 m, which were assembled in the inner area of the construction site.

Due to a subway tunnel running beneath Leipziger Platz, the assembly posed a series of challenges, especially for the three tallest cranes: the 6522.12 with an underhook height of 86 m, the 6031 with an underhook height of almost 80 m and the 7532.12 with an underhook height of 64 m. The movement of the 500 tonne capacity mobile crane used for the assembly of the tower cranes was limited for static reasons. All nine towers were assembled free-standing on foundation anchors.

“It was not possible to tie the upper sections of the cranes to any structures on the construction site,” explained Bernd Soost, Wolffkran branch manager in Berlin. “Our team of engineers and service technicians planned the assembly in great detail and with precision. Despite the complex conditions we were able to assemble every crane in only one and a half days.”

Andreas Fettchenhauer, FCL managing director, said, "We have worked together with the crew from Heilbronn on several occasions. Wolff cranes are known for their efficient transport and assembly characteristics, meaning cost and time savings for us. Besides that, we get all these services from one source – planning, assembly and support. That’s efficiency in every respect.”

The general contractor, under the direction of FCL, for the construction of the site, is Arbeitsgemeinschaft Leipziger Platz Nº 12 (ARGE LP Nº12).