Tower cranes are being used regularly for large building construction projects. They are essential for the heavy lifting and placing of materials and machines. Tower cranes offer a unique configuration which offers lots of benefits over more conventional cranes. These benefits consist of: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, increased capacities, and reduced space requirements.
Hammerhead Crane
The hammerhead crane is frequently 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. There is a trolley on the hammerhead crane. This trolley has the lifting cable and can travel 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 usually assembled on site with the assistance of a different crane. This greatly saves time in equipment costs 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 allows them the opportunity to be able to be moved around. There are several models which have a telescoping tower that enables the crane to work at multiple heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Often, within urban work settings, 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. The majority of 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.