Ballast Systems Crawler Cranes

Not just black or white

Everything’s possible with our derrick ballast systems

Different options of derrick ballasts make LR crawler cranes even more flexible

The use of derrick ballast as the counterweight enables our LR lattice boom cranes to manage vastly higher load capacities and greater working radii.

We develop and manufacture practical derrick ballast systems inhouse for a very wide range of applications.

With the right derrick ballast you get a much more flexible crawler crane, offering you many more opportunities for different operations.

Discover some of our ballast systems below and feel free to contact us for more details!

LR 13000 installing platform legs

Using a suspended ballast systems makes your crawler crane much for flexible. Technically quite easy to explain, the suspended counterweight tray features a hydraulically telescoping guidance to increase the radius of the counterweight even under load. This increases the load capacity of the crane.

With a small radius the derrick ballast will adjust perfectly to a constricted working environment. If there is adequate space available, on the other hand, the increased radius enables ballast weights to be saved.

If you need to travel longer distances with the load on the hook, the ballast wagon is an option to look into.

The 750-tonne LR 1750 is moving prefabricated concrete components. The suspended counterweight tray with hydraulically telescoping guidance increases the counterweight radius.

For heavy loads, the comfort class and heavy lifting LR cranes can be fitted with a derrick boom.

The radius of the suspended counterweight can simply be hydraulically displaced by the operator.

01/03

VarioTray®

Short name for a smart concept: A smaller ballast pallet is docked on the centre of the large counterweight tray of the suspended ballast.

After the boom is raised the small pallet gets unbolted. The large, heavy part of the ballast remains in place while the smaller part is still suspended on the derrick boom.

This makes work much easier, since you don’t have to unstack the ballast individually until the correct counterweight is reached.

Saving you a lot of time

The small ballast pallet is simply unbolted. The large part, which is only required to raise and lower the boom, remains on the ground.

And the ballast can be bolted back easily into place to lower the boom within minutes. This saves money and time.

Only four bolts and a cable plug have to be released to disconnect the ballast pallet. That can be done really quickly.

Sven Jacobs, crane operator at Hüffermann Krandienste

01/03

Our LR 1800-1.0 features a new type of ballast system – the V-Frame®. This is a hydraulically adjustable folding frame. It enables enormous adjustment distances between 14 and 23 metres. That delivers maximum flexibility compared to the standard rigid system for large ballast radii.

With good job planning, the V-Frame® creates an enormous range of uses and makes it possible to dispense with ballast transport.

The ballast wagon allows the crawler crane to move or turn with the load on the hook without the complete change of the attached ballast. This is the big advantage compared to the suspended ballast where the ballast must always match precisely the beforehand calculated load.

We offer different ballast wagon solutions for our different sizes of LR crawler cranes. Check out some crane jobs with ballast wagon in use.

The ballast wagon for the LR 11000 features a whole host of railings and access ladders to ensure the safety of the operating personnel.

A Liebherr LR 1750 crawler crane with ballast wagon dismantles a motorway bridge. Using the derrick ballast as a counterweight increases load capacity.

The ballast wagon for the LR 1750, shown here in driving position, can also be used on the smaller LR 1600/2. This benefits crane contractors who have both models in their fleet.

01/04

Proven technology focusing on safety

Derrick ballast systems from Liebherr have been proven in everyday use for several decades. The focal point in the development is always the safety of the operating personnel and the surrounding area of the crane.

Therefore we design a whole range of safety equipment such as cameras, railings and access ladders to ensure the highest possible level of safety during crane operations and assembly of the cranes.