Sennebogen crawler used for deep tunnel excavation

Guan Chuan Engineering & Construction has used a Sennebogen 6133 E telescopic crawler crane to help carry out excavation works on the new Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) in Singapore.

Due for completion in 2025, the DTSS project is an expansion of the existing network of sewers. It involves the construction of new deep tunnels in the south and west of the country. These will include a 30-kilometre tunnel for used water, an industrial used water tunnel measuring 10 kilometres long and a further 60 kilometres of link sewers. The new sewers will transport waste and used water to Singapore’s Centralized Reclamation Plants for purification into high-grade clean recycled water.

Guan Chuan used its 6133 E crawler model to carry out sheet piling work for earth retention as part of the project’s second phase. The works saw the telescopic crane hold up the silent piler main body, the pile auger and sheet pile, with weights often in excess of 20 tonnes.

Mohamad Hamid, a crane operator with Guan Chuan, said, “Holding on to the silent piler main body while lifting and sliding in the sheet piles is often challenging. With Sennebogen’s quality boom structure, I only need to focus on sliding in the steel plate, nothing else.”

The 6133 E crawler features a six-section 52.2 metre main boom and a 5.4 metre track telescopic crawler undercarriage, which can be removed and re-attached by remote control. The largest crawler in the manufacturer’s product line, the machine’s counterweight can also be loaded and unloaded remotely.

Manimozhi Muthukumar, Guan Chuan’s site supervisor on the DTSS project, said, “There is no delay and no need for extra manpower. The Sennebogen 6133 E can retract its 5.40 m wide track to 4 m for self-loading to the low-loader.”

He added, “There isn’t a need to have auxiliary cranes to carry out mobilization and demobilization. This makes my work a lot easier so I can safely focus on deploying my men around the site”,

Guan Chuan bought the crane model at the 2019 Bauma construction exhibition in Germany. The company’s Managing Director, David Liaw, said the design of the 130-tonne crane and its load and reach capacities were key factors in its purchase decision.

Liaw said, “What has particularly convinced us for years is the robust construction, the high reliability and the easy transport. This significantly reduces operating costs.”