LIEBHERR, the German crane supplier, has deployed new crane-lift technology for the first time at Patrick’s Brisbane Autostrad terminal. The patented jacking system increased the height of a ship-to-shore crane so larger vessels can be accommodated at the terminal.
The crane height was extended from 37.5 metres to 40 metres, which allows it to handle vessels of up to 20 containers wide with a capacity of up to 14,500 TEU.
Patrick Terminals CEO Michael Jovicic said the crane extension project had been a “resounding success”, resulting in significant enhancement of existing infrastructure and a notable increase in capability.
“We are proud to now have two state-of-the-art Liebherr post-Panamax cranes at our Patrick Terminals – Brisbane AutoStrad,” he said.
“These cranes are the largest in the state of Queensland, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will have on our operations and the industry as a whole.”
Liebherr said it had been carrying out lift height extensions for many years, but it patented a new jacking system for lift height extensions.
The operation at Brisbane was the first time the system had been deployed.
The company said one of the key features of the system is that it uses the crane’s end carriage as a solid base for jacking the crane structure, eliminating the need for other equipment.
Also, because the system uses the existing crane structure as a basis for jackings, the loadings are low and carried through the existing crane.
Liebherr said preparation for extending a crane’s height takes several weeks and the system allows the crane to be jacked in position or moved back from the rails for jacking if necessary.
The company said the actual crane raise and the insertion of the extensions can be completed in “a number of hours”.
“The operation is exceptionally quick and the whole process can be completed from as little as four weeks per crane,” Liebherr said.
“Following completion of the project, the jacks are containerised and shipped onwards for their next deployment.”
