New Liebherrs for City, Global: configuration and lifting benefits for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
London’s City Lifting has deployed the UK’s first Liebherr 195 HC-LH hydraulic luffing jib tower crane, offering a 3 m minimum working radius, 10 m out-of-service radius and sub‑90‑second luffing, with Load‑Plus boosting capacity by up to 25% and components limited to 8 tonnes for erection with smaller assist cranes. The hoist winch is integrated into the first jib section, reducing transport to four vehicles and simplifying rope management and maintenance access from a fixed platform. Separately, Global Crane Services has ordered two Liebherr LTM 1250‑5.1 all terrains with bespoke elevated cabs to improve line‑of‑sight for quayside and wind turbine work.
Technical Brief
- Hydraulic luffing system is designed for fast, precise jib movements to minimise conflict windows on congested sites.
- Liebherr Tower Crane OS provides centralised, intuitive control and enhanced operational oversight for the 195 HC‑LH.
- Pre‑assembled tower and jib elements shorten erection duration and reduce time working at height.
- Hoist winch’s large drum capacity reduces rope layers required on tall buildings, limiting rope wear and spooling issues.
- Fixed working platform around the winch allows safe access to brake and gearbox at any jib angle.
- Four‑vehicle transport for the 195 HC‑LH cuts site deliveries, useful for London streets with strict access constraints.
- Global Crane Services’ LTM 1250‑5.1 units have elevated cabs specifically to improve hold visibility in quayside operations.
Our Take
Liebherr appears across both construction and mining in our database, with recent pieces on the R 9100 G8 excavator and T 264 haul truck, signalling that UK crane deliveries to City Lifting and Global Crane Services sit within a broader OEM push to standardise high-capacity, transport‑efficient platforms across sectors.
The 195 HC-LH’s ability to ship on four vehicles with 8 t max component weights is well aligned with access constraints typical of London and North England urban sites, and suggests City Lifting can deploy higher-capacity luffers without needing the heavier logistics footprint seen on older Liebherr tower models in earlier Infrastructure coverage.
Global Crane Services’ twin 250 t class LTM 1250-5.1 additions, combined with Global Wind Projects’ footprint in Scotland and North Wales, point to a fleet mix optimised for onshore wind and industrial work where high main-boom capacities are needed but full crawler crane mobilisation—like that used in large mining excavator assembly in our Liebherr Mining coverage—would be uneconomic.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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