Four Liebherr tower cranes will be used in the construction of the 1,000 m high Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, set to be the world’s tallest building on completion.
The German equipment manufacturer has been awarded the order to supply four HC-L series tower cranes for the project. Three of the cranes to be used are of type 280 HC-L 16/28, while the fourth will be of type 357 HC-L 18/32 Litronic. The 357 HC-L is the largest, with the ability to lift up to 18t at a speed of 44 m per minute, at heights parallel to that of the tower.
Current plans provide for the cranes to use jib lengths from between 40 m and 45 m, while the lifting capacities required vary from 11 tonnes to 12t at a radius of 35m.
The three 280 HC L luffing jib cranes will be used to build the side wings of the $1.2 billion Kingdom Tower. They will be anchored outside the building and reach hook heights of around 400 m.
The 357 HC-L crane, on the other hand, will place the top on the building at a height of around 1,000 m.
To reach these heights, the cranes will have to move upwards in several climbing stages, and will be positioned on the tower’s sky terrace or on cantilever platforms mounted outside the building. The cranes onsite will erect and dismantle each other, Liebherr said.