For huge building construction projects, tower cranes are utilized rather often. These machines are quite essential for heavy lifting as well as positioning materials and equipment. Tower cranes offer a unique configuration which offers many benefits over more traditional cranes. These advantages comprise: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, reduced space requirements and increased capacities.
Hammerhead Crane
A hammerhead crane is a different design which is most often associated with a tower crane. In this case, 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. There is a trolley on the hammerhead crane. This trolley holds the lifting cable and can travel along the length of the jib. The tower crane is capable of operating anywhere in the jib's radius.
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
A self-erecting crane is capable of completely assembling itself at the jobsite without any assistance from a secondary crane. This really saves time in equipment expenses and provides a huge benefit in setup time as well. Self-erecting cranes are usually remote-controlled from the ground, although there are some models which have an operator cab built onto the jib.
The self-erecting crane is usually freestanding to enable them the opportunity to be moved around. There are some models that have a telescoping tower which enables the crane to work at various heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Normally, in urban work environments, there is not enough space or clearance for the jib to freely rotate without being blocked by existing buildings. A luffing jib tower crane is ideal for such tight spaces. Nearly all tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The operator could lower or raise a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.