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Mammoet Successfully Relocates Historic Kiruna Church
Over 1,000 hours of planning went into supporting Kiruna Church’s 2-day journey to its new home. Mammoet has completed the safe and successful relocation of the iconic Kiruna Church, one of Sweden’s most treasured architectural landmarks. The operation, which took place over 2 days, marks a historic moment for the town of Kiruna and showcases the power of precision engineering and collaboration. Built in the early 20th century and once voted Sweden’s most beautiful building, Kiruna Church is one of the country’s largest wooden structures. Its relocation became necessary due to the expansion of LKAB’s Kiruna mine, which required several buildings to be moved to a newly developed city center 5 km away. Commissioned by civil engineering firm Veidekke and LKAB, Mammoet was entrusted with transporting the 713-t wooden church in one piece – a task that demanded over 1,000 hours of meticulous planning and engineering. The move, dubbed “The Great Church Walk”, drew thousands of spectators, including the King of Sweden, and was carried out with exceptional care to preserve the integrity of the fragile structure.
The church was jacked up to a height of 1.3 m and placed on steel beams supported by 2 trains of 28 axle lines of Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs). A custom monitoring system developed in-house ensured the structure remained stable throughout the journey, allowing for a maximum tilt of just 7.5 cm between sides. The route was carefully analyzed and prepared, including 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.
In the following days, Mammoet also relocated the church’s 90-t belfry using a different SPMT configuration, further contributing to the preservation of Kiruna’s cultural heritage. “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.”
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To ensure the church’s safety, Mammoet worked closely with Veidekke and Swedish wood engineering specialists to model and test the building’s response to lifting and transport. The operation was timed for August to avoid adverse weather conditions that could jeopardize the move.
The relocation took place during daylight hours on August 19 and 20, with the church arriving safely at its new location. Once in place, the SPMTs lowered the structure onto its new concrete foundations, completing a move that will be remembered for generations.
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