Insulating glass panes installed in St Thomas More Church in Munich

Heavydrive places large, insulated glass elements in steel frames

The church of St Thomas More Church in Munich Sendling-Westpark (Germany) dates back to the 1960s and has been undergoing extensive renovation and conversion since 2021 according to the plans of the architects Westner Schührer Zöhrer. Bavaria-based Heavydrive oversaw for the complicated installation of the triple insulation glass panes.

In order to reduce energy costs, the leaded glass façade is to be protected from the inside by the insulating glass panes. The glazed steel frames can be swivelled like a door, which makes cleaning and repairs easier. Heavydrive supplied the customer with the MRK 144 assembly crane to set the steel doors, which weigh 400 kilograms and are 8.5 metres high. There was just one problem – the installation height was approx. four metres. The MRK 144 mini crane therefore had to be lifted onto the platform by the MRK 195 Heavydrive crane to lift the steel frames into place.

The customer hired an experienced Heavydrive installation team to place the 15 insulation glass elements in the steel frames. The experts first transported all the material to the four metre high gallery using the assembly crane. Each of the 2.8 x 2.6 metre and 530 kilogram panes was then lifted from the glass trestle onto the HDL 600 A transport trolley on the road and transported to the site. The glass panes were then placed in the steel doors on the gallery using the VSG 600 K vacuum suction system and the MRK 144 mini crane with a lifting height of 14 metres.

"This assignment shows the importance of advanced detailed planning with the customer. This enables us to develop the optimum assembly solution and be prepared for any eventuality on the construction site." explains Günter Übelacker, Managing Director of Heavydrive. Within just one day, all 15 panes of insulation glass in St Thomas More Church had been safely installed and the units lifted from the installation level. Further remodelling and renovation work is still ongoing. The church is scheduled to be reopened at the end of 2025. Heavydrive's customer was Erhard Brandl GmbH & CO. KG from Eitensheim near Ingolstadt.

Tags: #StThomasMore #WestnerSchührerZöhrer #Churchrenovation #Insulationglass #BrandlEitensheim #Heavydrive