Mega Engineering: Some Of The Biggest Cranes Around The World

At Crane and Lifting Ltd, we love mega engineering projects and machinery. It is amazing to see the feats of engineering humans are able to accomplice with technology, science and great planning. We have included a list of some of the most fascinating mega machines across the world.

Big Carl - The World’s Biggest Crane

Standing at more than 250m tall, this enormous machine has been used in the construction of Hinkley Point C, a nuclear power station in Somerset, in the UK.

6km of rail track has been laid to transport the beast, requiring 250 trucks worth of power to move the behemoth on its 96 wheels.

The crane can lift up to 5,000 tonnes, which is the equivalent of 1,600 cars, it’s actual weight is unknown, but it is supported by 52 counterweights, each weighing 100 tonnes.

One of the worlds most expensive power plants, Hinkley point C has cost twice as much as the 2012 Olympics and will not be finished until 2025. With more modern methods of creating energy becoming available and innovations in technology happening every year, the powerplant could be outdated within a few years of its completion.

Liebherr Mobile Crane

A lot easier to move than ‘Big Carl’ the Liebherr LTM 11200-9.1 is the most powerful mobile crane ever built. It also has the longest telescopic boom in the world, when fully extended reaches 100 meters. Enormous tyres and a double cab truck allow the transportation of this huge monster, which is able to lift 1200 metric tonnes - nearly 700 cars, which is phenomenal for a mobile crane.

Taisun Gantry Crane

More of a heavyweight than Mike Tyson, the Taison is the worlds largest Gantry Crane. A gantry crane is usually located in docks or shipping yards as they traditionally straddle over the lifting area, which allows for the lifting of enormous weight. Located in the docks of Shandong Province in China, with a lifting capacity of more than 20,000 tonnes, it was designed to lift entire sections of ships and even oil rigs. It holds the official lifting record for the “heaviest weight lifted by crane” picking up a 20,133 metric tonne barge with onboard water ballast.

This list features just a few of the impressive cranes and machines out there. Although we don’t offer cranes quite on the scale of the ones listed above, we can offer great solutions for heavy lifting services including installing, maintaining and repairing all makes and models of crane and heavy lifting equipment. We even provide crane operator training, health and safety training and equipment to ensure safe working at height. Get in touch with our friendly experts for more information today.