Tower cranes are being utilized often for big building construction projects. They are needed for the heavy lifting and placing of materials and equipment. Tower cranes provide a different design which offers numerous advantages over more traditional cranes. These advantages consist of: higher vertical lift, quiet electrical operation, reduced space requirements and increased capacities.
Hammerhead Crane
A hammerhead crane is a different design that is most often associated with a tower crane. In this situation, 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 holds the lifting cable and travels along the length of the jib. The tower crane is capable of operating anywhere within the jib's radius.
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
Self-erecting cranes are often assembled on location with the assistance of another crane. This provides a huge advantage in setup time and really saves time in equipment expenses as well. Self-erecting cranes are often remote-controlled from the ground, even if 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 some models that have a telescoping tower which allows the crane to work at multiple heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Nearly all urban work settings 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 ideal for such tight spaces. Most tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The operator can lower or raise a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.