The Largest Mobile Work of Art in the World Made by a Tadano All-Terrain Cranes

Tadano all-terrain cranes are real all-rounders. Building prefabricated houses, salvaging, and erecting wind turbines are all par for the course for Hellmich, but when a huge work of art needed setting up on the runway at Frankfurt Airport, the company based in Germany’s Rhine-Main area was tasked with providing a lift that was far from an everyday occurrence.

Anyone travelling from Germany’s largest airport between now and February can admire this unique work of art out on the apron. The “Global Gate” is a structure based on the Brandenburg Gate and is made entirely of sea freight containers. Measuring 24 m wide and 21 m in height, the “Global Gate” is the largest mobile work of art in the world.

Sponsored by UNICEF, the art project aims to provide a visual representation of the UN’s sustainability goals and bring these closer to people around the world. The “Gateway to the World” will therefore only be on show in Frankfurt until February before being sent on a global tour by cargo flight.

For a good cause

Setting up the gate obviously calls for a crane with enough power, reach and – above all – precision, as each container has to be perfectly placed on top of the one before. The project was taken on by Hellmich Kranservice GmbH, based in Riedstadt-Erfelden in southern Hesse. This traditional company has been specialising in crane services and sales for over 40 years. For company founder and managing director René Hellmich, participating in a project of this kind is a real honour:

“When we were asked if we would support a global project for such a good cause, we jumped at the chance. We carried out the construction at our own expense and will be taking it down again free of charge, too.”

Hellmich describes the challenge of the lift as follows: “We didn’t have any kind of information in advance about how much space we would have for the crane operation. This is why we opted for our Tadano ATF 200G-5. Not only does it offer the appropriate power reserves, but it can also be controlled with exceptional precision.”

Thanks to its compact dimensions (measuring a mere 15 m long and 3 m wide) and the fact that it is one of the most powerful cranes in its class even without an additional counterweight, the 200 was the perfect choice for this application.

No problem for the powerhouse

The “Global Gate” comprises a total of thirty-seven sea freight containers, thirty-three 20-foot containers, and four 40-foot containers. Thanks to its 60-metre main boom and maximum lifting capacities of 15.5 tonnes at full boom length, the ATF 200G-5 barely broke a sweat when lifting the containers. The Lift & Release Adjuster helped the ATF 200G-5 handle the lifting comfortably, quickly, and efficiently, which was particularly useful given the long dimensions of the sea freight containers. The Lift Adjuster helps to prevent the load from swinging by automatically correcting the working radius once the load has been picked up. This made it possible to set up the “Global Gate” at Frankfurt Airport and allow it to take its place as a sign of sustainability.

Source: Tadano