Tower cranes are being used frequently for big building construction projects. They are needed for the heavy lifting and placing of materials and machines. Tower cranes provide a unique configuration that provides numerous advantages over more conventional cranes. These benefits 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 connected to a vertical tower. One end of the jib acts as a counterweight and the other end of the jib extends horizontally over the worksite. There is a trolley on the hammerhead crane. 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
A self-erecting crane is capable of completely assembling itself at the jobsite without any assistance from a secondary crane. This provides a huge benefit in setup time and greatly saves time in equipment expenses as well. Self-erecting cranes are often remote-controlled from the ground, even though there are some models that 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 several 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
Usually, within urban work environments, there is not enough clearance or space for the jib to rotate freely without being blocked by existing buildings. A luffing jib tower crane is great for such tight areas. The majority of tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver can lower or raise a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.