A 10-tonne bronze horse erected with a lifting frame

The heavy bronze steed was stored at the Felbermayr headquarters in Wels. The heavy load specialists subsequently transported it to the Felbermayr site in Linz with an internal loader transport vehicle. The heavy transport went as planned. The horse was erected in Linz during a trial run. Herbert Gruber, Departmental Manager responsible for in-situ transport at the Felbermayr branch in Linz, explains: “We had to carry out a trial run because the passageways inside the shopping centre are very narrow and tight. During the trial, speculations were made about the lifting height and a precise project plan was drawn up to determine how the heavy transport would optimally work”. A special trailer with a turntable was used for the transport, and a lifting frame and LR 1060 crawler crane were used for lifting.

Tandem lift and lifting frame

Things became serious in mid-August. The horse was delivered to the site with an internal loader transport vehicle. Two loading cranes and three electric lift trucks with a five-tonne load capacity were deployed for the subsequent transshipping. The bronze body, weighing in at six tonnes, was transhipped onto a special trailer with turntable fixture. The turntable enabled manoeuvring to the installation site. “The route to the palm square was a major challenge”, comments Gruber, “because the already tight access routes were also further narrowed by magnolia trees.” A nursery was commissioned to carefully tilt the plants slightly, so that the path was clear for the lift truck with the heavyweight attached. While the heavy lift cargo was being transported, the lifting frame was already being erected in the palm square, which righted the six-tonne horse again. The giant steed was then lifted so that it could be mounted on the nine metre high, four tonne heavy substructure.

Eight Felbermayr specialists from the field of transport and lifting technology demonstrated flair and finesse, and ensured that the five metre long Bucephalus was exhibited in all its glory. The cast bronze horse will now remain in PlusCity for a few months until it becomes time for its next adventure. It will then travel to Dubai for the World Expo 2021 – in the land of horse breeders and experts.

The birth of the golden Bucephalus

Bucephalus was reborn by Andjé Pietrzyk. The bronze equine was cast in Altötting and the Murano glass eyes were specially produced on the Venetian island by the same name. Originally, the monumental commission was to be the work of the horse enthusiast and art collector Uta Scherb, who unfortunately passed away before the piece could be completed. The Linz-based sculptor, painter and illustrator Pietrzyk was therefore introduced to the realm of Greek history and mythology. Bucephalus stands for peace, connection and freedom, reconciliation and overcoming, and is intended to commemorate Alexander the Great's warhorse and at the same time his attempt at globalisation. Bucephalus is expected to stand in PlusCity’s palm square for viewing by visitors and art lovers until March 2021.

Bucephalus was loaded from the transport vehicle onto the special trailer by two loading cranes in tandem operation.

The six-tonne bronze horse was transhipped onto a special trailer with turntable, which served to manoeuvre it to the installation site.

The routes inside the shopping centre are restricted by plants. These had to be tilted slightly by a nursery to clear the way for the heavyweight.

A lifting frame righted the horse that had been tipped over. It was then mounted on the nine metre high substructure.

The operation in the PlusCity was successfully completed thanks to the good cooperation of the lifting technology specialists.

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