Tower cranes are being used often for huge building construction projects. They are necessary for the heavy lifting and placing of supplies and machines. Tower cranes provide a unique configuration that provides a lot of benefits over more conventional cranes. These advantages consist of: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, reduced space requirements and increased capacities.
Hammerhead Crane
The hammerhead crane is frequently associated with a tower crane. The long horizontal jib is connected to a vertical tower, in this situation. One end of the jib extends horizontally over the worksite and the other end of the jib acts as a counterweight. There is a trolley on the hammerhead crane. This trolley has the lifting cable and travels along the length of the jib. The tower crane can operate anywhere within the jib's radius.
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
Self-erecting cranes are usually assembled on site with the assistance of another crane. This provides a huge benefit in setup time and greatly saves time in equipment expenses as well. Self-erecting cranes are usually remote-controlled from the ground, although there are several models that have an operator cab built onto the jib.
The self-erecting crane is normally freestanding to allow them the opportunity to be moved around. There are some models that have a telescoping tower which allows the crane to work at various heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Normally, within urban work environments, there is not enough clearance or space for the jib to freely rotate without being blocked by existing buildings. A luffing jib tower crane is ideal 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.