Tower cranes are being used regularly for big building construction projects. They are necessary for the heavy lifting and positioning of materials and machinery. Tower cranes provide a different design which provides many advantages over more traditional cranes. These advantages comprise: higher vertical lift, quiet electrical operation, increased capacities, and reduced space requirements.
Hammerhead Crane
The hammerhead crane is commonly 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. On the hammerhead crane, there is a trolley. 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
Self-erecting cranes are normally assembled on location with the help of a different crane. This provides a huge advantage in setup time and really saves time in equipment expenses as well. Self-erecting cranes are usually remote-controlled from the ground, though there are several models which have an operator cab built onto the jib.
The self-erecting crane is usually freestanding to allow them the opportunity to be moved around. There are several models that have a telescoping tower that allows the crane to work at multiple heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
The majority of urban work settings do not have enough clearance or space for the jib to freely rotate without existing buildings blocking its movement. A luffing jib tower crane is ideal for such confined spaces. Most tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver can raise or lower a luffing jib in order to enable the crane to swing in a reduced radius.