Tower cranes are being utilized regularly for huge building construction projects. They are required for the heavy lifting and positioning of supplies and machinery. Tower cranes provide a different configuration which provides many advantages over more traditional cranes. These advantages include: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, reduced space requirements and increased capacities.
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 can travel along the length of the jib. The tower crane could operate 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 help from a secondary crane. This really saves time in equipment expenses and provides a huge advantage in setup time as well. Self-erecting cranes are usually remote-controlled from the ground, though 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 several models which have a telescoping tower which enables the crane to work at various heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Often, within urban work settings, 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 confined spaces. Nearly all 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.