Special crane operation at Schiphol Airport

Koninklijke Saan assisted Ballast Nedam Construction & Development, Special Projects during the conversion work on the E and F piers at Schiphol Airport. To keep screened travellers separate from those that still had to pass through security checks, Schiphol built superstructures and mezzanines on E and F piers. Passengers in transit are now led via a separate route to a central security point and to this end the terminal between E and F piers has been extended by 16 metres.

Saan assisted Ballast Nedam with various construction and lifting jobs during the day on their special construction site (landside) and mostly at night on Schiphol’s airside. Most of the cranes with their operators specially certified for the airport were driven under supervision almost daily across the takeoff and landing runways to the pier for various construction and lifting jobs.

In order to link the extension of the E and F piers to each other, the first big truss was set down with Saan cranes. Later, the last steel truss weighing 65 tonnes was lowered into position by three Saan cranes at the same time. In connection with the safety of the air traffic, the telecranes were not allowed to extend above 45 metres. A special operation requiring the utmost concentration and precision was implemented. Saan also provided various other telecranes and tower cranes at Schiphol for various parts of the construction project.