Tower cranes are being utilized regularly for huge building construction projects. They are required for the heavy lifting and placing of supplies and equipment. Tower cranes offer a unique design that offers numerous benefits over more traditional cranes. These benefits include: higher vertical lift, quiet electrical operation, increased capacities, and reduced space requirements.
Hammerhead Crane
A hammerhead crane is a different design 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 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 site with the help of a different crane. This provides a huge benefit 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 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 several models that have a telescoping tower that allows the crane to work at various heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Nearly all urban work environments do not have enough clearance or space for the jib to rotate freely without existing buildings blocking its movement. A luffing jib tower crane is great for such confined areas. Nearly all tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The operator can raise or lower a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.