Images | Mammoet completes two-day operation to move historic Swedish church

Civil engineering company Veidekke and mining firm LKAB commissioned Mammoet to move the 713-tonne wooden church in one piece.

Mammoet said it put 1,000 hours of planning into the operation, which involved jacking the church up to a height of 1.3 metres and placing it on steel beams supported by two trains of 28-axle lines of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs).

It also developed a custom monitoring system in-house to ensure the structure remained stable throughout the journey, allowing for a maximum tilt of just 7.5 cm between sides.

Mammoet has completed the relocation of the 113-year-old Kiruna Church in Sweden (Image courtesy of Mammoet)

Moving the church also required temporary road widening and compacting work. Mammoet advised on these civil works and conducted road tests using SPMTs loaded with counterweights to simulate the church’s axle load.

The relocation took place during daylight hours on 19 and 20 August, with the church arriving safely at its new location. Once in place, the SPMTs lowered the structure onto its new concrete foundations.

“This project exemplifies the importance of detailed engineering and planning in executing unique and meaningful moves,” said William Soeters, project manager at Mammoet. “We’re proud to have played a key role in safeguarding this historic building for future generations.”

Mammoet has completed the relocation of the 113-year-old Kiruna Church in Sweden (Image courtesy of Mammoet)

LKAB is covering the estimated 10bn Swedish krona (US$1bn) cost of relocating the city of Kiruna over a 30-year period.

LKAB says around 3,000 homes and around 6,000 people need to move. While the church has been moved in one piece, other buildings will be dismantled and rebuilt around the city centre. Others are simply being demolished.

The new city has already seen the construction of hundreds of new homes, shops, and a new city hall.

State-owned LKAB has brought up around two billion tonnes of ore since the 1890s, mainly from the Kiruna mine. Mineral resources are estimated at another 6 billion tonnes in Kiruna and nearby Svappavaara and Malmberget. LKAB is now planning a new mine next to the existing Kiruna site.

Mammoet has completed the relocation of the 113-year-old Kiruna Church in Sweden (Image courtesy of Mammoet)