For huge building construction projects, tower cranes are utilized quite frequently. These machinery are quite needed for heavy lifting as well as placing supplies and equipment. Tower cranes provide a different configuration which offers many advantages over more traditional cranes. These benefits consist of: 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 has the lifting cable and could travel 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 help from a secondary crane. This greatly saves time in equipment expenses and provides a huge benefit in setup time too. Self-erecting cranes are normally remote-controlled from the ground, though there are several models that have an operator cab built onto the jib.
The self-erecting crane is normally freestanding to enable them the opportunity to be moved around. There are some models which have a telescoping tower which allows the crane to work at multiple heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
The majority of urban work environments do not have enough space or clearance for the jib to freely rotate without existing buildings blocking its movement. A luffing jib tower crane is ideal for such tight areas. Nearly all tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver is able to lower or raise a luffing jib in order to enable the crane to swing in a reduced radius.