Tower cranes are being utilized regularly for large building construction projects. They are essential for the heavy lifting and placing of supplies and machines. Tower cranes offer a unique design that provides numerous benefits over more traditional cranes. These advantages comprise: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, increased capacities, and reduced space requirements.
Hammerhead Crane
A hammerhead crane is a different configuration which is most often 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 holds the lifting cable and could travel along the length of the jib. The tower crane could operate 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 help from a secondary 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, though there are some models that have an operator cab built onto the jib.
Self-erecting cranes are normally freestanding and this allows them the opportunity to be able to be moved around. There are several models which have a telescoping tower which allows the crane to work at various heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Most urban work environments do not have enough space or clearance for the jib to rotate freely without existing buildings blocking its movement. A luffing jib tower crane is great for such tight areas. Most tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver is able to lower or raise a luffing jib in order to enable the crane to swing in a reduced radius.