Tower cranes are being used frequently for huge building construction projects. They are required for the heavy lifting and placing of supplies and machines. Tower cranes provide a unique design which provides many advantages over more conventional cranes. These advantages include: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, reduced space requirements and increased capacities.
Hammerhead Crane
The hammerhead crane is usually 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. 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 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 another crane. This provides a huge benefit in setup time and really saves time in equipment expenses as well. Self-erecting cranes are usually remote-controlled from the ground, although there are some 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 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
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 great for such confined spaces. The majority of tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver can lower or raise a luffing jib in order to enable the crane to swing in a reduced radius.