Tower cranes are being utilized regularly for large building construction projects. They are necessary for the heavy lifting and placing of supplies and machinery. Tower cranes provide a unique design which provides a lot of benefits over more conventional cranes. These advantages include: higher vertical lift, quiet electrical operation, reduced space requirements and increased capacities.
Hammerhead Crane
A hammerhead crane is another configuration which is most typically associated with a tower crane. In this case, a long horizontal jib is connected to a vertical tower. One end of the jib extends horizontally over the worksite and the other end of the jib acts as a counterweight. On the hammerhead crane, there is a trolley. This trolley has the lifting cable and travels along the length of the jib. The tower crane could operate anywhere in the jib's radius.
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
Self-erecting cranes are often assembled on site with the assistance of another crane. This really saves time in equipment expenses and provides a huge advantage in setup time too. Self-erecting cranes are usually remote-controlled from the ground, even if there are several models that have an operator cab built onto the jib.
Self-erecting cranes are generally freestanding and this enables them the opportunity to be able to be moved around. There are some models which have a telescoping tower that enables the crane to work at various heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Normally, in urban work environments, there is not enough clearance or space for the jib to rotate freely without being blocked by existing buildings. A luffing jib tower crane is great for such confined areas. Nearly all tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The operator is able to raise or lower a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.