XCMG completes 600 tonne tower crane

Launch ceremony on 2 June 2022 for the 600 tonne capacity XCMG XGT15000-600S flat top tower crane. Photo: XCMG

Chinese construction equipment manufacturer XCMG has erected the first unit of its giant flat top tower crane, the XGT15000-600S. It is claimed as the world’s largest tower crane.

Following its announcement in ICST in December 2021, the 600 tonne capacity crane was shown in the iron at the tower crane factory in China on 2 June. XCMG said it was developed in conjunction with China Major Bridge Engineering Co Ltd (MBEC) which will use it to construct large modular bridges.

Upcoming examples of these bridges are the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge, claimed as the world’s largest diamond-type cable-stayed bridge, and the Chao-Ma railway bridge part of the Ma’anshan Yangtze River Bridge which is a road-rail bridge.

The XGT15000-600S is a flat top design and incorporates a luffing jib tower as a built in support crane. It has a maximum load moment rating of 15,000 tonne-metres. Maximum freestanding height is given as 92.5 metres while with ties it can go to more than 400 metres. Hoisting speed is 31 metres a minute.

Commenting on the achievement Wang Min, XCMG chairman and CEO, said, “Through a decade of continuous exploration and development, XCMG has successfully created the XGT15000-600S super tower crane with over 60 core technology breakthroughs, we have achieved 10 world’s firsts and set 10 world records, the weight of the tower crane is 4,000 tons, and that’s the equivalent of 100 regular tower cranes.”

XCMG said the crane has completed 1,440 hours of non-stop testing, including more than 2,000 test lifts.