Working at great heights
Spectacular projects from Heavydrive's 20-year history
"The greater the height, the bigger the challenge. Wind, confined spaces or long overhangs call for high-performance technology, but also experience and precise planning", explains Managing Director Günter Übelacker. A look at selected projects from the company’s history highlights the wide range of challenges involved in installation work at great heights and demonstrates how Heavydrive delivers safe solutions even under exceptional conditions.
A major milestone was the project involving the construction of the approximately 602-meter-tall Mecca Royal Clock Tower in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The specialized technology developed by Heavydrive was used there. The challenge was to install approximately 400 triangular and trapezoidal glass panels of various sizes on the exterior facade and dome of the skyscraper. Particularly demanding was the installation of glass panels weighing up to 1,800 kilograms at a height of approximately 560 meters. To accomplish this, Heavydrive developed seven different cranes from the MRK series as well as a specialized lifting solution for installation under extreme conditions.
The technical solution included mini-cranes with vacuum suction systems and a specially developed, three-axis manipulator in the form of a walk-in basket attached to a mobile crane. This enabled the installers to precisely position and install the heavy glass panels directly on site using remote control. The design represented a world-first technical innovation and received project-specific TÜV certification. Furthermore, the lifting platform remained permanently installed on the building, so that it can also be used in the future for cleaning the glass facade and replacing damaged panes.
In Poing, near Munich, the company faced an extraordinary challenge. Several large glass panes had to be fitted for the new parish church. Replacing a damaged window on the north-west side of the building proved extremely difficult. The glass element – weighing 1,200 kilograms (2,646 lbs) and measuring 5.7 × 3.2 metres (18.7 × 10.5 ft) – could not be transported up to the façade because an adjacent park did not allow vehicle access. Instead, a mobile crane moved the Heavydrive VSG 2000 counterweight system and the VSG 2000 K MH vacuum suction system across the church building, which is more than 30 metres (98.4 ft) high. On the other side of the building, the broken pane was lifted out under suction and removed. The new pane was fitted in the same way. In total, Heavydrive installed eight façade panes, some of which were fitted beneath building overhangs up to three metres (9.8 ft) deep and flush with the façade. Thanks to the close coordination between the crane operator and the Heavydrive service team, even the replacement of the pane was completed in just three hours.
To the article on transporting glass panels at heights of over 30 meters
The project at the Falginjochbahn gondola mountain station in the Kaunertal valley in Austria demonstrated that it is not only the height of the building but also its geographical location that presents particular challenges. At an altitude of 3,200 metres (10,500 ft), a total of 15 damaged glass panes, each weighing around 150 kilograms (330 lbs), had to be replaced at the mountain station. At this altitude, the lower air pressure significantly affects the operating conditions of vacuum suction systems. An experienced Heavydrive service engineer therefore began by checking the vacuum of the GMG 350 glass robot and adjusting it to suit the altitude. Special suction cups with increased suction capacity had already been fitted beforehand. Following a briefing by the installation team from Pichler Projects, all the panes were replaced safely and efficiently.
Whether beneath widely projecting building eaves, above structures over 30 metres (98.4 ft) high, or at an altitude of 3,200 metres (10,500 ft) in the high mountains: Every construction site places its own particular demands on operators and equipment. For 20 years, Heavydrive has been developing bespoke lifting and installation solutions to meet precisely these challenges. These projects demonstrate that experience, technical innovation and precise planning form the basis for carrying out safe and pinpoint-accurate installations, even under exceptional conditions.
Tags: #Heavydrive #20YearsExperience #GlassInstallation #WorkAtHeight #VacuumTechnology #FacadeConstruction #Mecca #Poing #Kaunertal #PichlerProjects #ProjectReview #Innovation #InstallationTechnogy
