Standard Equipment Adapted to Exceptional Requirements
When the request from Azerbaijan came in via our Turkish distribution partner 2M, we were initially skeptical. In the capital city of Baku, a 192-meter-high flagpole was to be erected directly on the shores of the Caspian Sea. We had to quickly determine whether we could provide the required lifting equipment. One thing was immediately clear: this would be technically demanding, and our standard Tool Kit would not be enough. But at Axzion, we have ambitious engineers.
Adapting the Tower Tool Kit for 250-ton Sections
The main challenge was the weight of the individual tower sections – up to 250 tonnes. Therefore, we had to adapt our standard Tower Tool Kit. Normally, we use two turning blocks on the lifting gear. For the Baku mast, six combined blocks were required to distribute the load properly – something we had never done before. Additionally, we designed and manufactured a custom Vario J-Hook with a lifting capacity of 135 tonnes – another first in our portfolio.
Extreme Crane Height Constraints
A particularly critical aspect was the crane height. There was less than one meter of clearance between the upper stop and the crane hook. This was resolved with meticulous planning. Our engineering team digitally modeled each individual tower section and simulated the entire lifting process in advance.
Tower Assembly Without Axzion On-Site
A unique feature of this project was that no Axzion personnel were present during the actual assembly of the tower. We delivered the equipment months before the installation and trained the Azerbaijani assembly team on-site. The national significance of this project became evident when we learned that a government representative attended the instruction session.
500 Kilograms Flying High – Safely
The straightforward usability of our products is demonstrated by the fact that a three-hour training session was sufficient for the installers. The nine tower elements, which together form the 192-meter-high mast, were safely assembled without any incidents.
Guinness World Record Entry
While there are taller flagpoles in the world, the Baku mast has earned a spot in the Guinness World Records – because it flies the largest flag on Earth: 36 by 72 meters (nearly 2,600 square meters) and weighing half a tonne.
A Grateful Message from the Client
At the final project handover in late May 2025, we received a letter from the Technical Project Manager in Baku, along with photos of the completed structure. He wrote:
“(…) your contribution to the construction of our flagpole is invaluable, for which we are deeply grateful (…)”.
