When we’ve seen homes propped up on stilts or beams for foundation or basement repairs, it always amazes us. The sheer weight and fragility of such a big structure is quite the undertaking.
That concept has been super-sized for this project in Kiruna, Sweden, where one of the country’s largest wooden buildings, and most beloved churches was recently relocated.
Located in Northern Sweden’s Lapland area, it’s one piece of the entire town being relocated.
Image via Mammoet and Veidekke.
Requiring the help of specialist heavy-lift company Mammoet, the Kiruna Church was moved to make way for the town’s expanding iron ore mine. The operation was dubbed ‘the great church walk’, and was quite the undertaking.
Working with Norwegian construction and civil engineering company Veidekke, the 713-ton church building was carefully jacked up onto two trains of 28 axle lines of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs).
If that’s not specialty equipment, we don’t know what is.
Image via Mammoet and Veidekke.
“The 713-tonne church, built in the early 20th century, was transported in one piece as part of Kiruna’s relocation project. The town, situated above vast mineral reserves, has faced subsidence caused by continuous extraction, an operation estimated to yield the equivalent of six Eiffel Towers’ worth of ore every day.“
The 113 year old church was relocated a mere 5 km away to a new location, but that journey still took a full two days to complete.
Image via Mammoet and Veidekke.
Traveling on widened roads for the occasion, the church inched along on the specialty equipment, while town residents and visitors looked on.
Image via Veidekke.
Image via Veidekke.
Image via Veidekke.
The landmark building was successfully moved, and gently set down on concrete foundations at its new home.
Image via Veidekke.
Image via Veidekke.
Image via Mammoet and Veidekke.
Images © Copyright Mammoet and Veidekke.
Seeking more? Check out this Victorian home being moved on the busy streets of San Francisco.
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