2.5 million cubic metres – that is how much earth material has to be moved to build state road 40 (SS40) at Lake Resia to protect it from stone strikes and landslides. Full off-road power is essential for working on the bottom of the lake. Therefore, multiple Liebherr machines tackled the job together, including seven TA 230 Litronic models operated by the Marx construction company. The articulated trucks can handle any terrain and provide efficient material transport at the massive site in South Tirol.

Marx GmbH based in Schlanders, Italy, has been a family-run company since 1957. The company currently has a workforce of around 100 and carries out all types of civil engineering and road building work for its customers. It is one of six contractors involved in the major project at Lake Resia. The contract is worth 21.5 million euros, is scheduled for a three-year duration and includes the construction of state road SS40 towards the reservoir.

A number of Liebherr machines, such as crawler excavators, dozers and seven TA 230 Litronic units from Marx are in action at the site close to Graun in Vinschgau, some of which have been provided by Liebherr-Mietpartner GmbH. The Liebherr articulated trucks are providing support with backfilling a dam on which the new state road will be built. For this purpose, they are transporting excavated material from the bottom of the drained Lake Resia to the site. The dam is around 70 metres wide and measures between 20 and 22 metres thick. This corresponds to 2.5 million cubic metres of earth.

A TA 230 Litronic can move up to 28 tonnes of material per load and the machines can operate for up to 12 hours every day at this project site. A powerful drivetrain combined with automatic traction control delivers all the power the trucks need to provide excellent handling. "The dump trucks are incredibly efficient. That means more handling capacity and greater cycle times on site,” says Franz Marx, Managing Director of Marx GmbH.

Specifically constructed tracks between the excavation zone in the middle of Lake Resia and the unloading zones on the dam ensure that the dump trucks can be driven at high speeds between the two. Franz Marx nevertheless describes the conditions on the bottom of the drained lake as difficult, particularly as a result of several gradients. But despite the terrain, the TA 230 Litronic trucks deliver enormous power when full.

This is made possible by the combination of a powerful engine, efficient drivetrain and maximum traction. Under the hood of the Liebherr articulated dump truck is a 6-cylinder construction machinery engine with a displacement of 12 litres which develops 265 kW/350 hp. The TA 230 Litronic has a top speed of 57 km/h in forward travel and 16 km/h in reverse. A drivetrain consisting of an automatic 8-speed powershift gearbox is also responsible for excellent power transmission and a 6x6 all-wheel drive and load-switchable inter-axle and lateral differential locks deliver permanent traction to the machine even on difficult terrain.

All the servicing points on the TA 230 Litronic can be reached quickly and easily from a single standing position thanks to the improved layout of its components.

Furthermore, the Liebherr dump truck allows operators more comfort in the cab. Large windows without obstructive struts create excellent visibility from the cab. The machine operator can also access the cab quickly and safely using offset steps and a large door. Storage surfaces and compartments ensure that there is plenty of space available and the layout of all the controls is both clear and intuitive. Hydro-pneumatic shock absorbers on the front axle and elastic mounts on the cab absorb vibrations very well whilst the sound insulation reduces the noise level in the cab to just 72 dB(A).