Grove GMK6450-1 dismantles tower crane in central Berlin
MOBI-HUB overcomes an eight-tonne axle-load restriction by removing the crane's main boom for transport. www.manitowoc.com The view from the top: MOBI-HUB combined its engineering excellence with the power and reach of its Grove GMK6450-1 to dismantle a Potain MD 120 tower crane on a highly technical project in central Berlin. German crane rental company MOBI-HUB successfully deployed Grove's strongest six-axle all-terrain crane, the GMK6450-1, to dismantle a Potain MD 120 tower crane in the highly constrained Neukölln district of Berlin. Working on behalf of Wilhelm Banzhaf Krananlagen, the team navigated strict urban transport limitations and tight jobsite dimensions. By utilizing the mobile crane's modular design, MOBI-HUB achieved the heavy lifting capacity required for the complex dismantling operation without disrupting the busy city center. Navigating strict axle-load restrictions The project presented a significant logistical hurdle before lifting even began: the crane had to cross the tracks of the local Berlin metro rail system, which imposed a strict 8-tonne per axle weight restriction. To comply with this limitation, the MOBI-HUB team removed the 60-meter main boom from the 450-tonne capacity GMK6450-1 and transported it separately on a lightweight semi-trailer. Both the bare crane chassis and the trailer safely met the weight limits. Once on site, two smaller mobile cranes assisted in reattaching the main boom, demonstrating the strategic flexibility of the crane's design for demanding urban mobilization. High-capacity lifting in confined spaces Operating within a compact 8.7-meter by 8.5-meter outrigger base, the crane was configured with a 73-meter luffing jib and 115 tonnes of counterweight. This setup allowed the GMK6450-1 to execute heavy lifts at working radii extending up to 72 meters and hook heights of approximately 59 meters. The team systematically dismantled the Potain tower crane, safely lowering major components—including the ballast, counter-jib, and main jib sections weighing up to 9 tonnes—before removing the mast sections in sequence. The crane's MEGATRAK independent suspension and all-wheel steering system further facilitated maneuverability within the tight jobsite footprint. Additional Context: All-terrain cranes and axle load compliance In densely populated urban centers, moving heavy construction equipment is heavily regulated to protect aging infrastructure, such as bridges, underground metro tunnels, and utility vaults. All-terrain cranes with high lifting capacities traditionally struggle to meet standard road regulations, which often cap axle loads at 12 tonnes or even 8 tonnes in restricted zones. Crane manufacturers address this by engineering highly modular machines. Features such as boom removal systems, detachable outrigger boxes, and split counterweights allow operators to strip the crane down to its bare chassis for road travel. The heavy components are transported on standard flatbed trailers and rapidly reassembled on-site using auxiliary cranes or self-rigging mechanisms, enabling maximum lifting power precisely where municipal transport laws would otherwise prohibit access. Edited by an industrial journalist, Lekshman Ramdas, with AI assistance. www.manitowoc.com Powered by Induportals Media Publishing
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MOBI-HUB overcomes an eight-tonne axle-load restriction by removing the crane's main boom for transport.
www.manitowoc.com
The view from the top: MOBI-HUB combined its engineering excellence with the power and reach of its Grove GMK6450-1 to dismantle a Potain MD 120 tower crane on a highly technical project in central Berlin.
German crane rental company MOBI-HUB successfully deployed Grove's strongest six-axle all-terrain crane, the GMK6450-1, to dismantle a Potain MD 120 tower crane in the highly constrained Neukölln district of Berlin. Working on behalf of Wilhelm Banzhaf Krananlagen, the team navigated strict urban transport limitations and tight jobsite dimensions. By utilizing the mobile crane's modular design, MOBI-HUB achieved the heavy lifting capacity required for the complex dismantling operation without disrupting the busy city center.
Navigating strict axle-load restrictions
The project presented a significant logistical hurdle before lifting even began: the crane had to cross the tracks of the local Berlin metro rail system, which imposed a strict 8-tonne per axle weight restriction. To comply with this limitation, the MOBI-HUB team removed the 60-meter main boom from the 450-tonne capacity GMK6450-1 and transported it separately on a lightweight semi-trailer. Both the bare crane chassis and the trailer safely met the weight limits. Once on site, two smaller mobile cranes assisted in reattaching the main boom, demonstrating the strategic flexibility of the crane's design for demanding urban mobilization.
High-capacity lifting in confined spaces
Operating within a compact 8.7-meter by 8.5-meter outrigger base, the crane was configured with a 73-meter luffing jib and 115 tonnes of counterweight. This setup allowed the GMK6450-1 to execute heavy lifts at working radii extending up to 72 meters and hook heights of approximately 59 meters. The team systematically dismantled the Potain tower crane, safely lowering major components—including the ballast, counter-jib, and main jib sections weighing up to 9 tonnes—before removing the mast sections in sequence. The crane's MEGATRAK independent suspension and all-wheel steering system further facilitated maneuverability within the tight jobsite footprint.
Additional Context: All-terrain cranes and axle load compliance
In densely populated urban centers, moving heavy construction equipment is heavily regulated to protect aging infrastructure, such as bridges, underground metro tunnels, and utility vaults. All-terrain cranes with high lifting capacities traditionally struggle to meet standard road regulations, which often cap axle loads at 12 tonnes or even 8 tonnes in restricted zones. Crane manufacturers address this by engineering highly modular machines. Features such as boom removal systems, detachable outrigger boxes, and split counterweights allow operators to strip the crane down to its bare chassis for road travel. The heavy components are transported on standard flatbed trailers and rapidly reassembled on-site using auxiliary cranes or self-rigging mechanisms, enabling maximum lifting power precisely where municipal transport laws would otherwise prohibit access.
Edited by an industrial journalist, Lekshman Ramdas, with AI assistance.
www.manitowoc.com
German crane rental company MOBI-HUB successfully deployed Grove's strongest six-axle all-terrain crane, the GMK6450-1, to dismantle a Potain MD 120 tower crane in the highly constrained Neukölln district of Berlin. Working on behalf of Wilhelm Banzhaf Krananlagen, the team navigated strict urban transport limitations and tight jobsite dimensions. By utilizing the mobile crane's modular design, MOBI-HUB achieved the heavy lifting capacity required for the complex dismantling operation without disrupting the busy city center.
Navigating strict axle-load restrictions
The project presented a significant logistical hurdle before lifting even began: the crane had to cross the tracks of the local Berlin metro rail system, which imposed a strict 8-tonne per axle weight restriction. To comply with this limitation, the MOBI-HUB team removed the 60-meter main boom from the 450-tonne capacity GMK6450-1 and transported it separately on a lightweight semi-trailer. Both the bare crane chassis and the trailer safely met the weight limits. Once on site, two smaller mobile cranes assisted in reattaching the main boom, demonstrating the strategic flexibility of the crane's design for demanding urban mobilization.
High-capacity lifting in confined spaces
Operating within a compact 8.7-meter by 8.5-meter outrigger base, the crane was configured with a 73-meter luffing jib and 115 tonnes of counterweight. This setup allowed the GMK6450-1 to execute heavy lifts at working radii extending up to 72 meters and hook heights of approximately 59 meters. The team systematically dismantled the Potain tower crane, safely lowering major components—including the ballast, counter-jib, and main jib sections weighing up to 9 tonnes—before removing the mast sections in sequence. The crane's MEGATRAK independent suspension and all-wheel steering system further facilitated maneuverability within the tight jobsite footprint.
Additional Context: All-terrain cranes and axle load compliance
In densely populated urban centers, moving heavy construction equipment is heavily regulated to protect aging infrastructure, such as bridges, underground metro tunnels, and utility vaults. All-terrain cranes with high lifting capacities traditionally struggle to meet standard road regulations, which often cap axle loads at 12 tonnes or even 8 tonnes in restricted zones. Crane manufacturers address this by engineering highly modular machines. Features such as boom removal systems, detachable outrigger boxes, and split counterweights allow operators to strip the crane down to its bare chassis for road travel. The heavy components are transported on standard flatbed trailers and rapidly reassembled on-site using auxiliary cranes or self-rigging mechanisms, enabling maximum lifting power precisely where municipal transport laws would otherwise prohibit access.
Edited by an industrial journalist, Lekshman Ramdas, with AI assistance.
www.manitowoc.com
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