Mega crane set up on the Limberg Dam in Kaprun

The Limberg Dam, completed in 1951, already has an impressive height of 120 metres. Over the next three years, it will be raised by an additional 8.70 metres, increasing the usable capacity of the Wasserfallboden high mountain reservoir by 12.7 million m³ to 93.9 million m³. This almost corresponds to the annual drinking water requirement of the city of Salzburg and an 30 GWh increase in storage capacity.

Around 32,000 m³ of concrete will be required to complete the expansion project. To transport and process this material as quickly as possible on the dam wall, a gigantic crane was set up on the Limberg Dam in three days from 5th May 2025. A 150-tonne truck-mounted crane was used for the construction. Access itself turned out to be a challenge. In order to even reach the dam, around 80 metres of tunnel had to be widened in the vicinity of the dam wall. 

The 219-tonne crane is mounted on rails and has a hook height of 27.9 metres and a boom length of 65 metres. In this position, the crane can lift up to 6.5 tonnes. “In the intensive phase, we will have to make up to 15 lifts per hour. The long boom makes it possible for the crane to operate over a large part of the construction site from its location. And when the phase of work is complete, we simply move it a little further on the rails,” explains VERBUND Project Manager Christian Rieder.

To ensure maximum safety and reliability even in extreme weather conditions, the crane is designed for storm conditions up to 220 km/h (out of use). With a net weight of over 160 tonnes, including a trolley of 0.8 tonnes, the crane is ready to tackle all challenges in the high mountain region.

Limberg Dam

• Completion 1951H
• eight 120 mCrest length: 357 m
• Wall thickness: 37 m Thickness at crest height: 6 m
• Concrete volume: 446,000 m³ Water load: 920,000 tonnes

Wasserfallboden high mountain reservoir 

• Existing usable capacity: 81.2 million m³ After raising the dam: 93.9 million m³
• + 12.7 million m³
• Reservoir surface area: +85,600 m² (5.7%)

Press photos

(C)VERBUND/Leopold – free reprint for editorial purposes.