Southern Cranes adds two Liebherr all-terrain units

Southern Cranes & Access has added two Liebherr all-terrain cranes to its fleet, increasing lifting capacity, reach, and mobilisation options for projects across London and southern England.

Southern Cranes & Access has taken an LTM 1150-5.3 and the latest LTM 1300-6.4. The five-axle and six-axle cranes provide maximum lifting capacities of 150 tonnes and 300 tonnes respectively.

The additions form part of a wider investment strategy supporting the company’s growing lifting operations. Southern Cranes said the machines would provide greater capacity, reach, and versatility across a range of applications.

The larger LTM 1300-6.4 carries a 90-metre telescopic boom and provides a maximum hoist height of 120 metres and maximum working radius of 94 metres. Its full main boom can be carried on public roads at a 12-tonne axle load.

Mobilisation matters alongside maximum capacity

For a mobile crane operator, nominal lifting capacity is only one part of the investment decision. A machine that requires several support vehicles, extensive assembly, and a large setup area may be capable of a particular lift while remaining inefficient for shorter or heavily constrained projects.

Carrying the LTM 1300-6.4’s full telescopic boom in road-travel configuration reduces the amount of boom assembly required after arrival. That can shorten setup time and reduce the number of components that need to be stored or handled within the site boundary.

The 300-tonne crane uses Liebherr’s LICCON3 control system, which provides greater computing capacity and prepares the machine for telematics and fleet-management functions. Digital control does not replace lift planning, but it gives the operator a more capable platform for monitoring configuration and crane operation.

VarioBase Plus allows the outriggers to be extended to different lengths, with the crane calculating permissible capacities for the actual support geometry. The trapezoidal support arrangement can increase lifting performance over the rear outriggers in suitable configurations.

Variable support is particularly useful where pavements, buildings, hoardings, excavations, utilities, or live traffic prevent all outriggers being extended equally. It does not remove the need for adequate ground capacity, but it can allow the lift plan to reflect the available footprint rather than assuming an idealised rectangular setup area.

VarioBallast provides an adjustable ballast radius, allowing the crane’s rear working envelope to be altered. Reducing the radius can help where tail swing is constrained, while the larger setting can support greater lifting capacity where sufficient clearance is available.

Every configuration remains dependent on the load, radius, boom length, wind conditions, outrigger reactions, ground-bearing assessment, and approved lifting chart. Advanced control systems improve the use of verified information; they cannot compensate for an incorrect load weight or an incomplete survey of the site.

The LTM 1150-5.3 provides a different operating profile. Its 66-metre telescopic boom supports a maximum hoist height of 92 metres and a maximum radius of 72 metres, giving the five-axle crane substantial reach without moving into the larger machine’s transport and setup requirements.

The 150-tonne model can carry nine tonnes of ballast on public roads while maintaining a 12-tonne axle load. Liebherr says this allows many jobs to be completed without an additional vehicle carrying counterweight, reducing transport movements and mobilisation time.

The crane’s total ballast is 45 tonnes, allowing the configuration to be increased for heavier or longer-radius lifts where site access and transport planning permit. Southern Cranes can therefore allocate the machine differently for urban taxi-crane work and more demanding planned lifts.

The LTM 1150-5.3 has already been used on projects including an installation at London’s Southbank Centre. Urban work places particular pressure on delivery timing, pedestrian control, road closures, outrigger positioning, and the amount of time a crane can occupy restricted space.

Adding two crane classes gives the fleet greater choice when matching equipment to a lift. Using a 300-tonne machine for work comfortably within the smaller crane’s capability can increase transport and operating costs, while selecting a crane too close to its chart limit leaves less tolerance for changes in radius or load.

A broader fleet allows planners to retain a suitable capacity margin without routinely mobilising the largest available machine. That can improve utilisation across the fleet, provided demand is sufficient to support two substantial capital additions.

The investment also creates requirements beyond the purchase price. Operators and lifting teams need familiarisation with the control systems, support arrangements, ballast configurations, and model-specific procedures, while maintenance staff require access to diagnostics, parts, and manufacturer support.

Telematics and fleet-management preparation can provide better information on utilisation, operating hours, maintenance intervals, and machine location. The commercial benefit depends on whether that data is integrated into planning and maintenance rather than remaining another unused system.

Southern Cranes has an established relationship with Liebherr, reducing some of the transition risk associated with adding unfamiliar equipment. The latest LICCON3 platform and model-specific technologies will still need to be embedded into daily planning, inspection, and operating practice.

The value of the two cranes will be measured through ordinary delivery rather than maximum-capacity demonstrations. They must reach sites efficiently, establish safely within the available space, and complete lifts without allowing transport, ballast, or support arrangements to become more difficult than the work itself.