For large building construction projects, tower cranes are used quite frequently. These machinery are quite required for heavy lifting as well as placing materials and equipment. Tower cranes provide a unique design which offers numerous advantages over more conventional cranes. These benefits consist of: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, 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 situation, a long horizontal jib is attached 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 can travel along the length of the jib. The tower crane is capable of operating anywhere within the jib's radius.
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
A self-erecting crane is capable of completely assembling itself at the jobsite without any assistance from a secondary crane. This provides a huge advantage in setup time and really saves time in equipment costs too. Self-erecting cranes are normally remote-controlled from the ground, although there are some models which have an operator cab built onto the jib.
Self-erecting cranes are normally freestanding and this enables them the opportunity to be able to be moved around. There are some models which have a telescoping tower that allows the crane to work at various heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
The majority of urban work settings do not have enough space or clearance for the jib to freely rotate without existing buildings blocking its movement. A luffing jib tower crane is ideal for such confined spaces. Nearly all tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The operator can raise or lower a luffing jib in order to enable the crane to swing in a reduced radius.