Tower cranes are being utilized often for large building construction projects. They are necessary for the heavy lifting and placing of materials and machines. Tower cranes offer a different design that provides many 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 usually associated with a tower crane. The long horizontal jib is attached 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 in the jib's radius.
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
Self-erecting cranes are often assembled on site with the assistance of a different crane. This provides a huge benefit in setup time and really saves time in equipment expenses too. Self-erecting cranes are normally remote-controlled from the ground, though there are some models which have an operator cab built onto the jib.
The self-erecting crane is generally freestanding to enable them the opportunity to be moved around. There are some models that have a telescoping tower which allows the crane to work at various heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Nearly all urban work settings 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 confined spaces. The majority of tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver is able to raise or lower a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.