A “Green Giant” Stands Tall In The Adriatic Sea; Zoomlion’s Construction Cranes Support The Construction Of The “Unification Bridge” In Croatia

ZOOMLION’s T7020-12H(IL) tower crane supporting the construction of Pelješac Bridge

For many years, Croats have had to pass through neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach the other end of their territory, Pelješac Peninsula. Today, that is about to change: Pelješac Bridge, spanning the sea between Croatian territory and the Pelješac Peninsula, is under construction. In the “Unification Bridge” Project, 12 of ZOOMLION’s tower cranes and construction hoists are operating efficiently and stably, providing continuous support for the project’s construction.

With an overall length of 2,440 m, Pelješac Bridge is designed as a six-tower single-cable-plane cable-stayed bridge. It will have 13 spans in total and a maximum span of 285 m. The project is estimated to cost around EUR 420 million, with EU funds covering 85% of the construction costs. A consortium of Chinese enterprises led by the China Road and Bridge Corporation won the bidding for the bridge and phase I of its connecting line project. It is the first large-scale infrastructure project to be won by Chinese enterprises in the EU with the support of EU funds. It is also by far the largest transportation infrastructure project and largest national strategic project with the largest investment amount in Croatia.

According to the requirements of the project, the construction cranes used for the construction of the bridge should pass the CE certification of the European Union and the safety inspection of a local third party. The project is located in Mali Ston Bay in the Adriatic Sea. There are often force 6–8 winds in the area, with maximum winds of up to force 13. In addition, offshore operations involve serious corrosion. These challenges have raised high requirements for wind resistance, corrosion resistance and equipment stability. With high quality and excellent performance, ZOOMLION’s construction crane products have stood out in their participation in the project’s construction.

According to Li Ziyang, ZOOMLION’s service engineer in charge of the project, the 12 sets of ZOOMLION equipment participating in the project are installed on the six piers of Pelješac Bridge, and each pier is equipped with a tower crane and a hoist.

As Li Ziyang told us, “The tower cranes used in the project are ZOOMLION’s star products, and their model is T7020-12H(IL). One tower crane has an average operating height of 100 m, a maximum boom length of 70 m and a maximum lifting weight of 12 tons. The lifting weight of its boom can reach 2 tons. The equipment is fully capable of hoisting reinforcing steel bars and formworks on bridge piers. The product adopts 2.2 m cross-section tenon piece-type standard sections which can reduce shipping volume, enhance the stability of the tower cranes and increase their independent height. To make the operation comfortable and maintenance convenient, the product is equipped with a luxury driver's cab and electric pole. In addition, considering the high winds at sea, we designed an embedded bolt foundation and two non-standard attached wall frames for each tower crane according to the position of the pier relative to the tower crane.”

The model of the construction hoists is SC200EB (BWM-3S). The construction hoists are installed at the other ends of the pier caps from the cranes. The product has an average operating height of 50 m, a rated load capacity of 2 tons and a rated speed of 40m/min. It can carry people and objects during construction. According to the working conditions of the project, each product adopts an inclined guide rail frame which can keep a fixed distance between the discharge door of the hanging cage and the inclined plane of the pier, making it convenient for construction personnel to enter and exit the hoist. Considering the high winds at sea, a sliding contact wire power supply unit is equipped to ensure stable power supply.

At present, the 12 ZOOMLION products are in continuous and efficient operation, effectively guaranteeing the progress of the project’s construction. So far, construction has been carried out from the lower part of the bridge to the upper part, and the focus has switched from concrete construction to steel structure construction. The participation of ZOOMLION’s equipment in this Croatian sea-crossing bridge project once again demonstrates the professional strength and excellent quality of ZOOMLION’s construction hoisting machinery, and perfectly embodies the strength and responsibility of Chinese enterprises. As ZOOMLION’s presence continues to increase in the region, more ZOOMLION products will enter the European high-end market and continue to support project construction.