Weihua’s Dam Top Gantry Crane Installed at Mar Hydropower Station

Project Overview

In December 2023, the first dam top gantry crane developed by Weihua Group for the Mar Block Hydropower Station on the upper reaches of the Yellow River was completed, which promotes the important progress of the national key hydropower project. As one of the core equipment of the hydropower station, the gantry will be used for opening and closing of flood gates, maintenance, and lifting operations.

• Tragfähigkeit: 2×800t
• Hebehöhe: 60m
• Working Class: A7
• Span: Spannweite

Project Challenges

• High altitude and extreme environment challenges: located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of more than 3200 meters; facing extreme working conditions such as high temperature (-30℃), low pressure (low oxygen content), and strong wind (instantaneous wind speed of 20m/s).
• Complex terrain construction challenges: the terrain is complex and the site is narrow (working surface <30m×50m), and it is difficult for large lifting equipment (such as the 500t crawler crane) to enter the site.
• Challenge of tight schedule: all the installation and commissioning work had to be completed before the hydropower station was flooded; the overall schedule of the project required the installation cycle to be compressed to the shortest possible time.

Solutions

• High-altitude environment response program: the use of Q345D low-temperature resistant steel (-40 ℃ impact toughness up to 54J), the key electrical components configured with an IP65 protection level, the hydraulic system using -45 ℃ low-temperature hydraulic oil, equipped with a dual-mode heat dissipation system (air-cooled + water-cooled).
• Modular installation: the dam top gantry crane is decomposed into 18 transport units (maximum single piece <15t), which are transported in batches by plateau special transport trucks, using 2 sets of 160t car cranes for cooperative work, and applying BIM technology to simulate the lifting path.
• Windproof and vibration-resistant design: configure a double braking system (rail clamp clamping force ≥150kN), install a wind-pressure-resistant device, set up a real-time wind speed monitoring system (warning value of 18m/s), and equip with a windproof anchoring device.

Dam Top Gantry Crane Parameters

Project Photos Show

Project Summary

Weihua Group has made a breakthrough in the dam top gantry crane project of Mar Block Hydropower Station, successfully solving the installation and application problems of domestic large hydropower gantry cranes in ultra-high altitude areas. Facing the actual difficulties, such as a lack of oxygen in the plateau, difficulty in equipment transportation, and strict requirements on installation accuracy, the project team carefully organized the construction and completed the on-site assembly and commissioning work in only 45 days, 15 days earlier than the original plan.

The successful installation of the dam the top gantry crane not only provides an important reference for the selection of equipment for future hydropower projects in high-altitude areas but also fully demonstrates Weihua Group's technical advantages and practical ability in the field of special lifting equipment.