Mammoet and Aertssen meet Dubai’s Infinity Bridge challenge

Staff Report,

18 Jan 2022

Heavylift specialists used Demag CC 8800-1and CC 3800 lattice boom crawler cranes respectively on each bank for demanding lifts of 40 segments weighing up to 130t

Two heavy-lifting and crane services giants – Mammoet and Aertssen Machinery Services (AMS) – teamed up in a challenging lifting job to install the steel infinity arch of Dubai’s recently finished iconic Infinity Bridge.

Cranes from the two heavy-lifting specialists lifted and held in place 40 steel segments of the architectural landmark’s infinity arch, ranging in weight up to 130t. The segments needed to be installed over the Dubai creek and above the bridge deck, which could not support a suitably sized crane. Therefore, the installation of the segments could only be performed by cranes operating from the creek’s banks, said a statement from Mammoet.

To achieve this, Mammoet and AMS teamed up to install the segments, relying on a duo of powerful Demag lattice boom crawler cranes: Aertssen with its CC 3800, positioned at the northern side of the creek and Mammoet with its CC 8800-1, positioned on the southern bank.

Built by BESIX Construct LLC, a Middle Eastern subsidiary of Belgian company BESIX, the Infinity Bridge (formerly Al Shindagha bridge) is distinguished by its unique architectural design inspired by the concept of infinity. It is a distinct landmark that promises to be a showcase of Dubai’s architectural advancements worldwide.

The Infinity bridge is 300m long, 22m wide and sits 15.5m high above the water level. Its infinity arch rises higher; some 42m above the creek. As a result of this, the mid bridge segments would require tandem lifts by two cranes positioned on opposite banks of the creek and with a working radius of 140m.

These tandem lifts were performed with the CC-8800-1 handling the majority of the weight – in fact, it could position segments on the opposite side of the bridge, thanks to its main boom length and a large lifting radius, Mammoet added.

The entire operation was completed over a period of six months, with the last piece of the infinity arch installed in May 2021.

Somnath Bhattacharjee, crane operations manager for Mammoet’s UAE Branch, said: “Working in partnership with Aertssen, we provided equipment with sufficient capacity and reach, along with specialist engineering to support the operation of the CC 8800-1 to maximise the overall utilisation and its capacity.

“Each lift required an extraordinary level of precision as the tolerances for joining the segments were a matter of millimetres. But when you have the right machines and a great team, all goes smoothly.”.

The AED 394 million ($105m) Infinity Bridge project is part of Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority’s Shindagha Corridor Improvement project, which covers a 13km-long road network. The bridge can accommodate 24,000 vehicles per hour in both directions and features a combined three-metre-wide track for pedestrians and cyclists. The Infinity Bridge opened to traffic on January 16th.