On September 9, the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge—the world’s longest-span cable-stayed bridge—was officially opened to traffic, reducing the travel time between Changzhou and Taizhou in Jiangsu Province from 80 minutes to approximately 20 minutes.  

The XCMG XGT15000-600S super-large tower crane played a pivotal role in the construction of the bridge’s main south navigation tower. As the world’s largest-tonnage tower crane, it ensured project quality and safety, successfully addressing challenges such as the linear control of tower column construction and the ultra-high-pressure pumping of high-strength concrete.  

The installation height of the bridge’s Pier No. 6 reached an impressive 379 meters. The complexity of the project extended far beyond the steel tower hoisting phase—it involved every step from the initial embedding of foundation sections within the pile cap to the subsequent lifting, heightening, and attachment of the tower. Additional challenges included high-voltage power supply, the maintenance of thousands of meters of steel cables, and the final dismantling of equipment upon completion. Every single detail and stage demanded precision and flawless execution.  

Performing a series of hoisting operations at heights exceeding 300 meters, with loads surpassing 500 tons, placed extremely stringent requirements on the crane’s hoisting capacity, operational control, and safety performance. The construction difficulty was unprecedented in the history of global tower crane operations.  

To strongly support the construction of this world-class super project, XCMG collaborated with China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group to develop the XGT15000-600S, the world’s largest tower crane, which was successfully delivered on June 2, 2022. With a rated load moment of 15,000 ton-meters, a maximum lifting height of 400 meters, and a maximum load capacity of 600 tons, this crane effectively addresses long-standing industry challenges such as hoisting heavy components, working at extreme heights, and executing large-span operations.