The transport and assembly of the steel part of the upper structure of the Prapratno Viaduct and segments of the steel structure of the Ston Bridge on the route of the access road to the Pelješac Bridge was recently carried out by Brodosplit.
The Prapratno Viaduct is 215 meters long and has five spans, the largest of which measures 80 meters. The viaduct segments were transported by sea to the port of Prapratno. From the port, they were transported to the assembly site by the heavy-duty self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs), with occasional road closures on these sections due to oversized transport.
Crawler crane Manitowoc - Construction of the Ston bridge
The Ston Bridge has a total length of 485 meters and connects two tunnels over Ston Bay. It has five pillars and two abutments and is 40 meters high, with the entire span consisting of six segments. The largest segment is 93.8 meters long (similar to a soccer field) and weighs 323.30 tons. The assembly was carried out with the help of a Manitowoc giant crane with a capacity of 750 tons, which is the largest load that a Croatian company has independently managed.
Brodosplit has already proven itself in similar tasks, e.g., in the construction of bridge components on the Vc corridor near Osijek, but also in the construction of the Čiovo Bridge, for which we built, transported, and assembled a steel span structure. With the project of the Ston Bridge and the Prapratno Viaduct, Brodosplit continues its positioning in the market niche of large steel structures and positions itself within the Transportation means Ltd. as a company specializing in the transport and assembly of large and heavy loads.
The experience and expertise of the Split shipbuilders were key factors in the Italian architectural and construction consortium “Venezia Nuova” choosing Brodosplit shipbuilding industry as a partner for one of the largest construction projects in the history of Italy. With the construction and transportation of 63 steel gates for the “Project Mose”, the company will forever be on the list of companies that have contributed to saving the most beautiful city in the world at sea.
The means of transport are the strength of the shipyard in Split so that in recent years it can boast several high-quality orders. In addition to the aforementioned “Project Mose”, Brodosplit built a rotary kiln for its long-time partner, the Cemex cement factory in Kaštel Sućurac. The delivery was made using the most powerful floating crane on the Adriatic “Marjanka”. It is the only one capable of performing such demanding tasks after the decommissioning of the “Veli Jože” crane. The transport at the factory site was carried out using a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT).
Crawler crane Manitowoc - Construction of a polar cruiser
“Marjanka” is a crane that can work independently anywhere on the Adriatic. It has its drive, i.e., two electric motors with a power of 168 kW each. Due to its shallow draft of only one and a half meters and its maritime capabilities, it can dock and work in any bay. It is 40 meters long and has working pontoons of 100 tons, and 150 tons of drinking water can be loaded into the stern tanks. Although it was built in 1964, it is regularly maintained. It can lift a load of one hundred tons, and on the stern platform, it can carry a load of up to 250 tons.
It launches vessels in numerous small shipyards, from Kaštela to Krilo Jesenice, and in case of shipwreck or sinking, “Marjanka” is available.
Marjanka crane services
In the towing of ships that the storm threw on the coast of Marjan not long ago, the floating crane “Marjanka” took part. Besides transporting and delivering parts for Cemex, the crane “Marjanka” has performed many launches of small passenger cruisers, actively participated in the construction of the west coast of Split and outer piers for berthing cruise ships but is always ready to drive other vessels.
Construction, transportation, and delivery of steel structures are unique projects for the Brodosplit shipbuilding industry, which is constantly investing in equipment and machinery to meet customer requirements in terms of quality, capabilities, competitive offers, and delivery times.
Using a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) for the Fincantieri Group, Brodosplit delivered more than 14,000 tons of equipped sections (mega blocks) for mega cruisers built or under construction at their shipyards. A total of 40 axles were used to lift and transport mega section with an equipment weight of over 900 tons, which is the heaviest load a Croatian company has independently handled to date. SPMTs are usually hydraulically or electrically driven and can be a combination of several axle trailers for transporting heavy loads. With them, Brodosplit proves its knowledge, quality, skills, and contribution to the construction of luxury passenger vessels.
