Heavy assignment at the Berlin city palace

Heavydrive is present at the reconstruction of the magnificent building

The former Prussian residence in the heart of Berlin is reconstructed largely true to the original. The complex installation of the heavy, baroque façade elements was carried out by the Donauwoerth-based transport and lifting specialist Heavydrive GmbH. The consignor was Frank Fassaden GmbH & Co.KG in Solms.

For centuries, the Berlin city palace was the central building in historical Berlin up until it was heavily damaged during World War II and the GDR regime did a controlled detonation. Following long debates, the reconstruction of the Berlin city palace was started in June 2013. The historical dome and three baroque façades are reconstructed.

Difficult installation conditions

The challenges of the façade installation were major: Since the ceiling capacity was limited, the lifting device had to be lightweight. At the same time it had to be able to carry as much load as possible in order to safely lift, transport and install the elements of large size and form exact to the millimetre.

Heavydrive’s solution for it was: the GMG 575 with a specially designed suction frame. Just like in the original palace, dormer windows made of wood are now installed during the reconstruction. They are up to 2.10 metres wide and 6 metres high and have a weight of up to 680 kilos. The glass assembly equipment GMG 575 has a capacity of up to 575 kilos and can cover 80 percent of the façade volume. The specially designed frame suctions the elements between the muntins and bars even with projection without a problem. 

Another advantage of the GMG 575: The fully-automatic device is very lightweight and can be operated by one single person. Thanks to the gyro system, the element can always be kept vertically when the main arm goes up and down. A correction of the position with another function is not required. That saves time and money.

The mini crawler crane MRK 86 is used for the heavy elements. In combination with a customer-specific suction system, the glass panes are positioned at a height of up to seven metres.

Clever assembly solutions for every situation

Heavydrive GmbH was involved in the development of the glass assembly equipment GMG 575 from the beginning as engineering and development company of innovative glass handling products (IGHP). “We introduced the GMG 575 about a year ago to the market. It has been number one ever since. The flexibility when used and the safe and easy operation make the GMG 575 so successful“, says managing director Günter Übelacker. 

The glass assembly equipment GMG 575 is also available with other accessory equipment such as forklift teeth, turnaround suction systems or similar. In the large Heavydrive warehouse in Donauwörth, the GMG 575 as well as numerous other practical assembly systems are available for sale and rent. The GMG 575 will be used over a period of 6 months at the city palace in Berlin.