Liebherr mobile cranes construct research facility: “Only possible with the LTM 1650-8.1”

–      Using Liebherr mobile cranes, Riga Mainz is building a research facility for particle accelerators

–      Mighty pipeline bridges installed with precision in incredibly tight spatial conditions

–      Only Liebherr VarioBallast^® allowed a crane parking spot directly at the building wall

–      “The compact design of the LTM 1650-8.1 ensures additional benefits”

The LTM 1650-8.1 had to be set up directly on the adjacent section of building in order to be able to lift the 87-tonne pipeline bridge onto its reinforced concrete pillars. The ballast radius when swinging was set at 6.40 metres due to the nearby wall and was able to ...

For many years, the construction site of an international research facility in Darmstadt has witnessed mobile and crawler cranes being operated by Riga Mainz GmbH & Co. KG, a company specialising in crane and transport work. Now, mighty media bridges soaring some 20 metres into the air are being constructed around a building. Because of the limited crane parking space immediately adjacent to a building wall, the first module could only be lifted with the Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane. The crucial factor for this was the use of its VarioBallast^® variable ballast device.

… be extended by one metre during the installation of the load thanks to VarioBallast^® in order to achieve the maximum boom radius.

Ehingen (Donau) (Germany), 22 September 2025 – On the major construction site for the international FAIR research facility (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) to the north of Darmstadt, at the heart of which is a particle accelerator, the Liebherr cranes operated by Riga Mainz are a regular site. On the international research project involving numerous countries, media bridges – large pipeline bridges made from steel for the subsequent accommodation of all of the supply lines – were assembled with gross loads of just under 87 tonnes on the outsides of the large facility building. The giant components first had to be transported from the assembly station, some 500 metres away, to the installation site. The team from Riga Mainz took care of this with an SPMT pairing from Scheurle. The ten axle lines carried the 32-metre-long, over eight-metre-wide and five-metre-tall modules safely across the narrow site road.

Safely to the destination on the hook of the LTM 1650-8.1 with superlative precision.

“LTM 1650-8.1 uses the tiniest corner of available space”

Even when the crane was being set up the day before, it became clear that space was tight.

A fully equipped Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 was on standby to lift the first giant component. Because of the local conditions, the 8-axle mobile crane was only able to be set up very close to an adjacent building. There was not enough parking space for the 800-tonne crane originally envisaged for the job by the client. “The installation situation here is incredibly tight”, explained Andreas Webler, Project Planner at Riga Mainz, on the construction site. “The building wall means that this crane location is only possible with the LTM 1650-8.1 We only have a ballast radius of 6.40 metres for the pick-up and swinging of the load. To install the almost 87-tonne gross load at a distance of 23 metres, however, we had to increase it to 7.40 metres. That’s the unique thing about this crane: it can adapt to local conditions and use the tiniest corner of available space.”

“The compact design of the LTM 1650-8.1 makes the crane superbly flexible.” Riga’s project manager Andreas Webler on the construction site in Darmstadt.

“The highly compact support base – we had just 9.60 metres from claw to claw – allows us to build up the crane with full support”, explains Webler. “For me, these dimensions of the support base are a very decisive advantage. The footprint required by this crane, with its load-bearing capacity of 700 tonnes, is almost identical to that of the LTM 1450-8.1. This means that it can handle not just small parking spots, but we also have the option of sending the LTM 1650-8.1 to a job for the 450-tonne model if it’s tied up at another location. This gives our scheduling team maximum flexibility.”

32 metres long, eight metres wide and five metres tall. The media bridge rolls across the terrain on SPMT.

LICCON3 cranes impress

Equipped with a luffing jib and 175 tonnes of ballast on the turtntable, the lifting and assembly on 20-metre-tall reinforced concrete pillars went quickly and smoothly. One LTM 1110-5.2 had taken care of setting up the 24.5-metre-long luffing boom on the large crane in advance. “This mobile crane is our first Liebherr machine with the new LICCON3 control system. And we’ve already ordered more”, reports project planner Webler. “We also recently received one of the first LTM 1100-5.3 cranes. With a width of just 2.55 metres and a basic ballast of 16.9 tonnes with a 12-tonne axle load for on-road driving, it really is fantastic as a setup crane for narrow spatial conditions. It will of course also be used for lots of crane work in halls. LICCON3, together with our in-house CAD planning, offers us many opportunities. We’re able to implement the plans on a one-to-one basis and always guarantee in advance that a crane job can be carried out as planned.”

Thilo Fischer is the man behind the control levers of the SPMT module at Riga Mainz.

The just under 50 machines in the traditional Mainz family-run company’s fleet of mobile and crawler cranes all come from Liebherr. Riga Mainz, however, offers its customers more than just crane work. Specialist and heavy goods transport, the handling and manoeuvring of bridge constructions and specialist projects such as major installation work in refineries are all part of the company’s regular portfolio. To be able to offer all this, the company also has 40 Scheuerle SPMT axle lines, a powerlift tower system with a load capacity of 500 tonnes per tower and numerous transport vehicles.

An LTM 1110-5.2 equipped the 24.5-metre-long luffing boom on the large crane.

The FAIR research facility in Darmstadt marks a milestone in basic global research. As a joint project involving several countries, the facility aims to create new opportunities to learn more about the structure of materials and the development of the universe. The particles are accelerated in the accelerator system to almost the speed of light and subjected to scientific experiments.   

About Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH

Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH is a leading manufacturer of mobile and crawler cranes. Its range of mobile cranes extends from 2-axle 35 tonne cranes to heavy-duty cranes with a lifting capacity of 1,200 tonnes and a 9-axle chassis. Its lattice boom cranes on mobile or crawler travel gear deliver lifting capacities of up to 3,000 tonnes. With universal boom systems and extensive auxiliary equipment, they can be seen in action on construction sites throughout the world. The Ehingen site has a workforce of 5,000. An extensive, global service network guarantees the high availability of Liebherr mobile and crawler cranes. In 2024, the Liebherr plant in Ehingen recorded a revenue of 3.19 billion euros.

About the Liebherr Group

The Liebherr Group is a family-run technology company with a highly diversified product range. The company is one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world. It also provides high-quality, user-oriented products and services in a wide range of other areas. The Liebherr Group includes over 150 companies across all continents. In 2024, it employed more than 50,000 staff and achieved combined revenues of over 14 billion euros. Liebherr was founded by Hans Liebherr in 1949 in the southern German town of Kirchdorf an der Iller. Since then, the employees have been pursuing the goal of achieving continuous technological innovation, and bringing industry-leading solutions to its customers.