Cranes are some of the giant machines ever built globally, and they are purposely used to lift some of the heaviest objects either in construction sites, power plants, or ports. If you have always been curious about the weight of cranes, here are some of the heaviest, in no particular order.
1. Taisun Crane
The Taisun is the biggest gantry crane in the world, standing at 133 meters high, spanning 120 meters at a weight of 6 Tons. The crane has a record-breaking lifting capacity of 20,000 tons and holds the “Guinness World Record” for the “heaviest weight lifted by a crane.” The crane is mainly used for lifting offshore vessels in Yantai Shandong Province in China.
2. Mammoet PTC 200 DS
Mammoet PTC 200 DS is one of the heaviest cranes in the world, weighing nearly 6,125 tons. The crane has also caught people’s attention with its unique ring shape and bold red color. The PTC 200 DS ring crane has a lifting capacity of 5,000 tons, standing at 246 meters high when fully set up. The crane additionally ranks third among the largest cranes in the world.
3. Sarens SGC-250 “Big Carl”
From its name, you can already tell that this crane is pretty heavy, with a total weight of 5200. “Big Carl” is also recognized as the tallest land-based crane globally, standing at 250 meters high at maximum. The ring crane has a 360 degrees turn ability and can run on an on-site 6km track. This makes it easy for the crane to handle a lifting capacity of 5,000 tons without re-assembling.
4. Liebherr LTM 11200-9.1
The Liebherr 11200-9.1 is considered the longest and strongest telescopic crane worldwide. Despite its vast size and weight of 70 tons, the crane still maintains its mobility, making it suitable for maneuverability in assemblies. The truck has 18 wheels and can lift over 1,200 tons at a maximum stretch height of 188 meters.
5. SSCV Sleipnir
The SSCV Sleipnir is the world’s biggest floating vessel crane after the SSCV Thialf. The machine has a length of 220 meters and a width of 102 meters. It is built with two revolving cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 10,000 tons operating side-by-side. Jointly, the entire structure weighs 72,000 tons and can lift over 20,000 tons when both cranes are used together. When fully extended, the cranes can reach a height of 220 meters.
6. Demag CC 8800-1 TWIN
The Demag CC 8800-1 TWINis a twin crane with a two boom system fixed onto the carrier and weighs 3,200 tons. The crawler crane has a lift capacity of 3,200 tons with a 1,875-ton counterweight, twice the lifting weight for the CC 8800-1. The Demag TWIN stands at 234 meters high, making it the fifth tallest crane in the world. Additionally, the load moment is improved and reaches an impressive 43,900 tm.
7. Liebherr LR 13000
The Liebherr 13000 is one of the biggest and strongest crawler cranes ever produced. The crane has a maximum height of 248 meters and 748 tons, making it suitable for lifting heavy loads. It can operate within a maximum radius of 525 feet and can lift to 3000 tons. The maximum load moment is 65,000 tm usable with 2,400 tons counterweight.
8. ALE AL.SK350
Since its launch in 2013, the AL.SK350 has held the title for the largest capacity land-based crane in the world. It was until 2019 when SK1000 was introduced and snatched the position from its sibling. The SK350 weighs 3,000 tons and has a lifting capacity of 5,000 tons. When fully configured, it stands at the height of 220m.
9. Manitowoc 3100
The Manitowoc 3100 stands at 209 meters high with 2,500 tons and is the biggest crane ever built by an American company. The crane has an impressive lifting weight of 2,300 tons and a lifting moment of 35,800 tm. These cranes are primarily used for building nuclear power plants and sports stadiums due to their rapid assembly that takes only four weeks.
10. Demag CC 6800-1
The Demag CC 6800-1 is both heavy and massive, weighing over 528 tons. The lattice boom crawler crane has a 206 meters maximum height, and the lifting capacity reaches 1,250 tons. The main boom is adjustable up to 150 meters. The counterweight for the crane is 170 tons with a load moment of 15,856 tm, making it a suitable crane for erecting steel structures, wind turbines, and building stadiums.
11. Manitowoc MLC650
The Manitowoc MLC650 is one of the most enormous lattice boom crawler cranes and one of the heaviest cranes generally. The maximum configuration of the crane can reach a maximum of 205 meters and uses an innovative Variable Position Counterweight that allows the counterweight to be positioned automatically. The total weight of the crane is 450 tons and can lift a capacity of 700 tons.
12. Demag CC 8800-1
The Demag CC 8800-1 is one of the heaviest cranes weighing an impressive 1250 tons, standing at the height of 240 meters. The “1” was added after an upgrade that increased the lifting capacity to 1,600 tons. The Demag CC 8800-1 can be fitted with a boom booster to maximize the capacity up to 3,040 tons.
Wrapping Up
It is pretty amazing how heavy these cranes are and how crucial they are in building some of the most unimaginable structures. Some of these cranes have less complex build structures yet pack tons of weight in them. Now that you know how heavy these cranes are, you might be interested in learning more about other objects’ weight.
