Tower cranes are being utilized frequently for large building construction projects. They are essential for the heavy lifting and placing of materials and equipment. Tower cranes offer a unique design which provides many advantages over more traditional cranes. These advantages include: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, increased capacities, and reduced space requirements.
Hammerhead Crane
The hammerhead crane is usually associated with a tower crane. The long horizontal jib is attached to a vertical tower, in this case. 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 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 another crane. This provides a huge benefit in setup time and greatly saves time in equipment expenses too. Self-erecting cranes are often remote-controlled from the ground, although there are some models which have an operator cab built onto the jib.
Self-erecting cranes are normally freestanding and this enables them the opportunity to be able to be moved around. There are some models that have a telescoping tower which enables the crane to work at multiple heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Often, in 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 ideal for such tight areas. Most tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The operator can lower or raise a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.