19.01.2017

Knuckle pile driver

German foundation and sheet piling contractor Göllnitz Umwelttechnik has taken delivery of an Atlas AK300.2V knuckle boom loader crane for piling work.

The crane is mounted to a Mercedes-Benz Actros chassis,can lift a maximum of 4.5 tonnes and has a maximum radius of 20.5 metres, and. It has been specially equipped with a pile driver and pulling attachment to lift beams of up to 12 metres in length and drive them into the ground – or retract them as required. It is currently at a construction job in Hamburg, Germany.
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The AK 300.2V shown pulling double-T-beams from a foundation pit in Hamburg, Germany

Göllnitz Umwelttechnik managing director Alf Göllnitz said: "Although it is unusual to use a loader crane for driving piles, we have been successful in doing so for 20 years. We can get to any working site very quickly. We have been working with this concept and Atlas loader cranes for 20 years, and our experience with the special kinematics with two cylinders and box girder profile and the robust build of the loader cranes is excellent."

Crane operator Mike Engelmann added: "Working with this equipment combination is quite comfortable. The vibrations are not transmitted to the loader crane."