Cable crane systems can offer complete solutions for construction sites in rugged terrain. The LCS Cable Crane Company in Austria has helped to address transport challenges safely within projects, with environmental awareness, increased efficiency, and a reduction in construction costs.
The company has experience of working in different sectors such as hydro power, dam construction, mountain construction sites, bridge and pipeline construction, plus mining cable crane systems.
LCS cable crane systems can transport heavy loads with weights of over 20 tons. Despite long distances and steep slopes, their use is not restricted and can enable quick, safe, efficient, and uninterrupted transportation of machines and materials to the construction site, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Furthermore, cable crane systems can be installed in any terrain, regardless of whether the construction site is located in high mountain ranges, rain forests, at rivers or in other landscapes. Indee they are just as suitable for snowy regions as for hot deserts.
Material transportation
The cable crane systems for material transportation consist of a horizontally tensioned cable to which a crane unit is attached. The crane unit can lift the loads and transport them to any desired position along the track of the system. It is equipped with its own diesel engine and can be easily controlled by the loading and unloading personnel via remote control. The cable crane systems have a:
- Span up to 3000m
- Payload up to 30t
- Lifting Speed up to 1.5m/sec
- Travel Speed up to 7m/sec
- Lifting Height up to 200m
- Steep Terrain up to 70°
As part of the construction of a pumped-storage power plant of the Vorarlberger Illwerke, a heavy-duty cable crane system was installed and operated in the Austrian Montafon from July 2014 to October 2018.
Dams and hydropower plants
In addition to transporting construction materials, machinery, and personnel, cable crane systems also offer a viable, long-term, and cost-effective solution for the construction of dams and hydro power plants.
The system is planned and constructed to run exactly over the predefined route. Depending on the specific project, various types of cable crane systems are used. Parallel or luffing cable crane systems, whose technology LCS acquired from ThyssenKrupp in 2020, enable the coverage of a larger area. This allows any position along the route to be reached.
Crane systems for dam construction and hydro power plants have a:
- Span up to 1650m
- Payload up to 30t
- Travel Speed up to 8.5m/sec
- Lifting Height up to 350m
- Lifting Speed up to 3.5m/sec
- Lowering Speed up to 3.5m/sec
The parallel cable crane systems for the construction of the Deriner Dam in Turkey had a lifting height of 280m due to the large dam height. With a span of 740m and three parallel cranes it was possible to successfully realise the project.
Penstock construction
As with dam construction, the cable crane system for penstock construction is assembled exactly above the planned route. Thus, they not only follow the given terrain, but also horizontal bends in the route of the penstock. Furthermore, they adapt ideally to the environment and effortlessly overcome steep terrain, rocky ground or inaccessible areas.
Over a length of 3000m, the system can precisely load and unload materials of up to 30 tons at any point along the route. A powerful LCS cable crane system was installed for the restoration of a penstock at the Obere Sill hydropower plant near Innsbruck, Austria, which was located directly under the famous Europa Bridge, one of the largest bridges in Europe.
Cable crane at tailings dams
For a major project in South America, LCS developed the innovative QXcrane system for personnel safety during maintenance work on tailing dams. This system enables movement within the work area and immediate evacuation in case of danger at the Forquilha III tailings dams in Brazil.
The QXcrane combines the robustness of cable cranes, which transport high loads over distances up to 3km, with the 3D navigation capabilities of SpiderCams used in sports stadiums. This combination increases payload capacity and area coverage.
The QXcrane system can:
- Cover an area with a diagonal of approx. 1000 m, whether square or rectangular
- Transport material of up to 500kg or three persons (125kg each)
- Lower the load or personnel at any point
- Enable safe working within the defined working area and navigation in the 3-dimensional area.
Cable Crane trends
Construction cable cranes offer an ideal solutions for pumped storage projects. They can provide transport and logistical solutions for hard-to-reach areas that are not accessible by roads, as well as enabling the construction of penstocks in remote and inaccessible areas.
