They are regarded as the embodiment of demonic power: the ghostly chimeras and water-spouting mythical creatures on the towers of Notre-Dame de Paris. Legend has it that these grotesque figures protect the city and its cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the heart of the French metropolis. However, the stone sentinels were evidently powerless during the major fire on 15 April 2019, which destroyed large parts of the 800-year-old sacred building. The entire roof was consumed and the crossing tower on top of it collapsed, burning, into the nave, taking the supporting stone vaults with it. A short time later, reconstruction of the cathedral began with a vengeance. And at the end, a Liebherr crane completed the installation of the ornate crossing tower on the new roof truss. Our mobile cranes were involved in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame from the outset and until the reopening of the cathedral at the end of 2024.
In a national tour de force, France has achieved an almost unbelievable feat by resurrecting this historic cathedral in its capital city. This endeavour was initiated by the French President Emmanuel Macron, who, unlike the aforementioned mythical creatures, is not endowed with mythical power, but with plenty of worldly power. He declared the French to be a “nation of master builders” and made the reconstruction project a top priority: “Cinq ans!” Five years! This was the slogan that Macron proclaimed to the Republic and the world the day after the fire.
A bold promise. France’s absolute will to perform the much-cited “miracle of rebirth” of Notre-Dame was irrepressible. And the planning of this miracle was, quite literally, meticulous. Material experts, historians and luminaries from the world of research, as well as the country’s best engineers, were happy to be recruited. The most knowledgeable craftsmen and skilled artisans of the “Grande Nation” were hired, and the straightest oaks were sought, found and felled in French forests. One superlative followed another.
Liebherr crane rescues apostle
If truth be told, Liebherr’s engineers are more than a little proud that the mobile cranes used in this unique project bear the Liebherr logo. They were important tools in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame. As early as December after the fire, two Liebherr cranes from the French company Montagrues arrived to erect the huge construction crane that has characterised the scene on the Île de la Cité ever since. And by the way, just a few days before the fire, a Liebherr mobile construction crane from Foselev’s fleet had lifted the mighty figures of the apostles and evangelists off the church roof for the planned restoration work – and thus ultimately saved them.
Since spring 2022, the crane and transport company Dartus Levage has been responsible for mobile crane operations at the construction site. In addition to several smaller machines, two large LTM 1350-6.1s have extended their enormous lattice masts across the capital’s skyline. They supply the workers and scaffolders with materials over enormous radii of up to 80 metres and up to great heights.While wooden beams, blocks of stone or machines are typically suspended from the crane hooks, stone gargoyles, cross flowers and even statues are also transported back to their original places by air.
“La Flèche” for Christmas
The greatest lifting heights were required for the construction of the wooden crossing tower, which they rather elegantly call “La Flèche” here. It is the French word for arrow. The ornate spire reaches a proud 96 metres in height, towering far above the two stone towers of the church building. The mobile crane on the north side of the cathedral was equipped with a 78-metre-long luffing lattice jib for the assembly of its upper sections. Down on the ground, the men from Dartus went about their work. One of them is Christophe. He alternates with a colleague in the cab of the LTM 1350-6.1. On the south side, between the cathedral and the river, they and their crane are constantly ready to perform jobs for the craftspeople and scaffolders.
“The cramped conditions are a major challenge”
If you count the crane drivers and their “chefs de manœuvre”, who are responsible for fastening the loads and manoeuvring the cranes safely on the ground, there are up to 14 Dartus Levage employees on the site on some days. “They are all needed,” explains company boss Victor Dartus, who travelled to Paris to install the spire. “We have to cover the staffing requirements from seven in the morning to nine in the evening in two shifts. After all, we used a total of seven mobile cranes here over the entire construction period. All from Liebherr, by the way. In addition to the two large LTM 1350-6.1s on either side of the cathedral, the four-axle 120-tonners were and are our most important machines here. They are perfect for this construction site because they can be moved very quickly and set up almost anywhere around the building. The variable supports and adjustable ballast make them extremely flexible.” “Nevertheless,” continues Dartus, “the spatial conditions here are an absolute challenge for everyone. The complex and simultaneous interactions of so many participants on the cramped construction site result in major restrictions in terms of the crane parking areas. It’s always difficult to find optimal solutions. Setting up the cranes or changing the jib configuration without disrupting the construction work is often very complicated. But when we started here, everything was much more difficult because the safety precautions were very strict.”
Completion!
Liebherr cranes from Dartus Levage havel been on display around Notre-Dame until at November.The reopening of the cathedral with international guests took place just a few days ago.
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