Terex® Demag Cranes Support Tunnel Project


With a Terex® Demag AC 700 and a Terex® Demag AC 650, the crane and logistics service provider CKV-Heavy Lifting & Assembly Ltd. is supporting one of the most elaborate tunnel projects in the world.

At the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey, the Asian and European continents are being connected by means of a gigantic construction project. The project consists of a double-tube train tunnel with a length of 13.6 km and the modernization of 63 km of existing railroad tracks. The Bosporus is crossed in a 1.4 km long, earthquake-proof tunnel that will traverse the straits 56 meters below sea level. At the end of 2006, CKV Heavy Lifting & Assembly Ltd. provided the necessary lifting force for the Yenikapi - Yedikule segment (1,835 meters of tunnel per tube) with three cranes by Terex® Demag.

The task: The assembly of a tunnel-boring machine (TBM) with a length of 106 meters and a total weight of 1,000 tons. A Terex® Demag AC 700, a Terex® Demag AC 650, and a Terex® Demag AC 350 were on location. What was special about this: The AC 350 and AC 650 were lowered into the construction pit 15 meters below for the installation work, since the dimensions and weight of the tunnel-boring machine necessitated its assembly directly at the entry point of the tunnel. As a first step, the AC 650 lowered the AC 350 for the pre-assembly of the smaller components. In a second step, the AC 700 hooked up the AC 650 that carried out the final assembly at the entry point.

Crane configuration and load

Lifting a Terex® Demag AC 650, which weighs a total of 120 tons, is certainly no easy task. Smaller cranes are frequently lifted up, but it's very rare to have such a giant dangling from a hook.

Working in front of a historical backdrop: Not only the implementation is spectacular; the backdrop is impressive as well: In the background lies the "Yedikule Hisari", the famous fortress with seven towers. Built during the reign of Sultan Mehmet II in the 15th century, the fortress was initially used as a treasury, until being converted into a prison just for people of upper status, which was used as such until 1831. Today the fortress is a museum and performance site for open-air concerts.

The AC 700 crane stood parallel to the excavation trench. The AC 650 was driven behind it in reverse. The star-type outriggers in front and back were turned and fixed in a working position. After the attachment, the AC 700 swung the AC 650 over the trench wall and, with a reach of 14 meters, lowered it precisely into its new application area at the bottom of the construction trench.

In order to save weight, mobile cranes have no special attachment points to allow the placement of a sling or lifting hook to lift the crane. But the outriggers are robust and strong enough to attach the hoisting cables. What is particularly crucial here is the crane's center of gravity. It is usually located a little towards the front. That is why during this lift more strain is placed on the front supports than the rear ones. In the front outriggers, the weight was at 45 tons each, with 15 tons each at the rear ones. The use of spreader bars prevented placing excessive lateral strain on the supports.

The Terex® Demag AC 700

With 700 tons lifting capacity, the Terex® Demag AC 700 is the strongest mobile telescopic crane worldwide that can travel with a complete main boom. The 60 m main boom can be carried without exceeding the 12 ton axle load. The enormous increase in the lifting capacity, especially at steep boom positions, is achieved by the Sideways Superlift (SSL) boom suspension system patented by Terex® Demag. Thanks to the star-type outriggers, the system deformation is minimized and excellent lifting capacities can be achieved with an outrigger base of only 12.2 x 12.4 m. Despite its high lifting capacity, the crane is compact, with a carrier length of only approx. 18.60 m, offering outstanding driving features due to its modernized drivetrain. It receives its traction force from a state-of-the-art DaimlerChrysler engine (480kw, EuroMot3) and a fully-automatic ZF TC-Tronic transmission with integrated torque converter. The four drive axles (3+4 and 8+9) have differential locks.

At the construction site, the crane distinguishes itself through its excellent maneuverability: eight axles can be steered, one to five and seven to nine. In addition, an automatic leveling feature is offered. The crane can be configured with a luffing fly jib between 24 and 96 meters. With a few maneuvers, the fly jib can be rearranged into a rigid fly jib with a length between 20 and 50 meters, or, as a lighter system, between 6 and 36 meters. A Terex® Demag AC 700 contains the know-how developed from the production of the AC 1600, AC 500 and the AC 650.

CKV with complete service

CKV-Heavy Lifting & Assembly Ltd, headquartered in Ankara, Turkey, is a full service provider in the areas of logistics and crane operations. The company, founded in the early sixties, now offers its customers an extensive portfolio of telescoping and lattice boom cranes - from 20 t cranes to the largest of the fleet, the 700 t Terex® Demag AC 700. In addition to its activities in Turkey, the company is active in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its tasks include heavy lifting and rigging, heavy transportation, assembly and disassembly and international multi-modal transportations and contracting/ sub-contracting European full logistics companies in their activities in Turkey.

Terex Corporation

Terex Corporation is a diversified global manufacturer with 2006 net sales of approximately $7.6 billion. Terex operates in five business segments: Terex Aerial Work Platforms, Terex Construction, Terex Cranes, Terex Materials Processing & Mining, and Terex Roadbuilding, Utility Products and Other. Terex manufactures a broad range of equipment for use in various industries, including the construction, infrastructure, quarrying, surface mining, shipping, transportation, refining and utility industries. Terex offers a complete line of financial products and services to assist in the acquisition of Terex equipment through Terex Financial Services. More information on Terex can be found at www.terex.com

Contact Information
Terex-Demag GmbH & Co. KG
Christian Schorr-Golsong
Marketing Director
Phone + 49 / 6332 - 83 1738
Email: Christian.schorrgolsong@terex-demag.com

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