TECON Self-climbing Formwork Empowers the Construction of Mexico’s Landmark 170 Meter Cross of Mercy
MONTERREY, Mexico — In the rugged mountainous landscape of Monterrey, Nuevo León, a monumental architectural marvel is reshaping the city’s skyline. The Archdiocese of Monterrey is currently constructing the magnificent Cross of Mercy (Cruz de la Misericordia) atop Loma Larga hill, a towering 170-meter-high reinforced concrete structure designed as a visible declaration of faith and a catalyst for spiritual renewal.
Rising from a 12m × 12m base to a 7m × 7m crown, this landmark boasts a 90-meter-wide crossarm span and features a unique Eucharistic chapel situated 130 meters above the ground. To execute the construction of this highly complex, tapering concrete hollow structure, TECON successfully supplied its advanced Self-climbing Formwork System paired with Base 20 Timber Beam Wall Formwork.
Project Overview
Overcoming Engineering Complexities with Innovative Design
The structure tapers continuously from a 12m diameter to 7m over a 170.5-meter vertical height, creating severe architectural challenges at the crossarms. To resolve these geometric anomalies, TECON deployed 16 master climbing brackets, 268 m2 of Base 20 Wall Formwork (2650mm panel height), and robust perimeter protection including 1,540 m of 48×3 mm diameter steel pipes with 470 m2 of framed wire mesh.
The technical core features four specialized systems:
Multi-Level Platforms
Dedicated decks for rebar binding, formwork setting, hydraulic control, and concrete repair.
Anchor Bearing System
Highly reliable anchor plates, climbing cones, and high-tensile bolts that transfer loads safely to the cured concrete.
Guide Rail Design
Custom rails utilizing reversible ratchet gearboxes to ensure precise directional tracking and structural stability.
Hydraulic Climbing Power
Centralized hydraulic units providing synchronized, automated lifting for all 16 brackets under heavy wind loads.
Proactive On-Site Technical Support and Solutions
TECON engineers provided comprehensive after-sales field support to simplify complex hydraulic operations. The team implemented a streamlined four-step workflow for the local crew: resource auditing, single-bracket pre-assembly, batch replication, and connection node reinforcement.
When on-site bottlenecks occurred, TECON resolved issues immediately across three critical categories:
- Component Wear: Promptly replaced worn hydraulic pump seals, leaking cylinder caps, and missing perimeter fasteners.
- Design Discrepancies: Resolved structural clashes between climbing cones and unnoted internal post-tensioned rebar couplers by cross-verifying safer climbing paths with the design institute, avoiding the need for continuous internal formwork dismantling.
- On-Site Misoperations: Identified and corrected field usage errors immediately to keep the landmark project moving forward safely and efficiently.
A Landmark Achievement in Global Civil Engineering
As construction of the Cross of Mercy continues on Loma Larga hill, this iconic monument will soon stand as a defining feature of Monterrey’s skyline. By combining advanced hydraulic self-climbing formwork technology with rigorous on-site support, TECON has successfully resolved complex geometric challenges under demanding conditions. This project highlights TECON’s ongoing commitment to delivering premium, safe, and highly efficient formwork solutions for iconic developments worldwide.
In this blog
Latest Articles
