Kuiphuis LTM 1400-6.1 debuts with 73-tonne basement lift at home

The precast concrete element, roughly 12 metres long, 4.6 metres wide and 3 metres high, was unusually heavy at 73 tonnes and had to come straight off the transport vehicle and into the construction pit in one movement. With the pit walls closing in on all sides, repositioning the element afterwards was effectively out of the question.

Eleven metres between pit edge and outriggers

The site itself did the crane no favours. The 450-tonne machine had to be set up on raised ground immediately beside the excavation, leaving only around 11 metres between the pit edge and the outriggers. Getting there was no easier: the access route followed a road just 3 metres wide with a tight bend, so compact carrier dimensions and manoeuvrability counted as much as raw capacity.

For the lift, the six-axle crane was rigged with 130 tonnes of counterweight and its telescopic boom extended to 19.8 metres. At a working radius of around 13.5 metres it swung a gross load of 75.2 tonnes, including hook block and rigging, into position.

“The precast foundation had to be moved into its final position in a single lift, without delays or risks to the surrounding area. That is why the entire lifting operation was carefully planned and calculated in advance.”

— Bart Welhuis, operations planner, Kuiphuis Kraanverhuur

Planned in Crane Planner 2.0

Welhuis and his team ran the job through Liebherr’s Crane Planner 2.0 during preparation, comparing crane configurations before settling on the LTM 1400-6.1. The slings were engineered separately using dedicated sling-calculation software, and the client, Liebherr customer support and the operations planning team coordinated closely to keep the lift safe and on schedule.

During the operation the element was slewed from one side of the crane to the other. The VarioBallast system earned its keep here: by adjusting the ballast radius hydraulically, the crew maintained maximum stability throughout and guided the load into its final position under full control.

Confidence from day one

Liebherr backed the debut with operator training and on-site technical support, giving the Kuiphuis operators hands-on experience with the new crane from its very first assignment.

“Even under these changing conditions, the LTM 1400-6.1 delivered an exceptionally good performance. It immediately instilled confidence in the machine among our crane operators and confirmed that this crane is suitable for complex lifting projects.”

— Bart Welhuis, operations planner, Kuiphuis Kraanverhuur

The LTM 1400-6.1 broadens the Kuiphuis fleet for demanding work beyond general construction, including erecting and dismantling tower cranes, wind-energy assignments and moving heavy industrial machinery.