Tower cranes are being utilized regularly for huge building construction projects. They are needed for the heavy lifting and positioning of materials and machinery. Tower cranes offer a different configuration which offers numerous benefits over more conventional cranes. These advantages comprise: higher vertical lift, quiet electrical operation, reduced space requirements and increased capacities.
Hammerhead Crane
The hammerhead crane is commonly associated with a tower crane. The long horizontal jib is connected to a vertical tower, in this case. One end of the jib acts as a counterweight and the other end of the jib extends horizontally over the worksite. 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 can operate anywhere in the jib's radius.
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
Self-erecting cranes are usually assembled on site with the help of a different crane. This really saves time in equipment expenses and provides a huge benefit in setup time 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 enables them the opportunity to be able to be moved around. There are some models which have a telescoping tower which enables the crane to work at multiple 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 ideal for such tight areas. The majority of tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver is able to raise or lower a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.