Wolffkran Wraps 4.5-Year Alpine Crane Mission at Grimsel Pass
Equipment

Wolffkran Wraps 4.5-Year Alpine Crane Mission at Grimsel Pass

Wolffkran has successfully concluded a challenging four-and-a-half-year crane deployment at Switzerland’s Grimsel Pass, where its largest luffing cranes supported construction of the new Spitallamm Dam. The project required two nearly 100-metre-tall WOLFF cranes, including the WOLFF 1250 B, which lifted around 500,000 tonnes of concrete across 32,000 operations.

To withstand the harsh Alpine conditions, Wolffkran developed the XXL TV 60 tower element with a six-metre side length, enabling the cranes to operate freestanding on pile foundations weighing over 1,500 tonnes. Crews worked in intense seasonal cycles, manning the cranes round-the-clock from May to October each year. The equipment was also fitted with a special over-wintering system to ensure reliability after heavy snowfalls and storms.

By June 2025, dismantling was completed and 1,281 tonnes of crane components were transported down to the valley in more than 60 oversized truck journeys. The cranes have now been redeployed to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium project in Qiddiya, where they will again be used in exposed conditions. Wolffkran’s Managing Director, Ralph Stump, described the Grimsel  project as a milestone that showcased both the resilience of the company’s technology and the dedication of its team.

Wolffkran has successfully concluded a challenging four-and-a-half-year crane deployment at Switzerland’s Grimsel Pass, where its largest luffing cranes supported construction of the new Spitallamm Dam. The project required two nearly 100-metre-tall WOLFF cranes, including the WOLFF 1250 B, which lifted around 500,000 tonnes of concrete across 32,000 operations.To withstand the harsh Alpine conditions, Wolffkran developed the XXL TV 60 tower element with a six-metre side length, enabling the cranes to operate freestanding on pile foundations weighing over 1,500 tonnes. Crews worked in intense seasonal cycles, manning the cranes round-the-clock from May to October each year. The equipment was also fitted with a special over-wintering system to ensure reliability after heavy snowfalls and storms.By June 2025, dismantling was completed and 1,281 tonnes of crane components were transported down to the valley in more than 60 oversized truck journeys. The cranes have now been redeployed to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium project in Qiddiya, where they will again be used in exposed conditions. Wolffkran’s Managing Director, Ralph Stump, described the Grimsel  project as a milestone that showcased both the resilience of the company’s technology and the dedication of its team.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code