Tower cranes are being used frequently for large building construction projects. They are required for the heavy lifting and placing of materials and machines. Tower cranes provide a unique configuration that provides many advantages over more traditional cranes. These benefits consist of: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, increased capacities, and reduced space requirements.
Hammerhead Crane
A hammerhead crane is another configuration that is most often associated with a tower crane. In this case, a long horizontal jib is connected to a vertical tower. One end of the jib acts as a counterweight and the other end of the jib extends horizontally over the worksite. 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 within the jib's radius.
Self-Erecting Tower Cranes
Self-erecting cranes are often assembled on location with the help of another crane. This really saves time in equipment costs and provides a huge advantage in setup time as well. Self-erecting cranes are often remote-controlled from the ground, though there are several models which have an operator cab built onto the jib.
Self-erecting cranes are usually freestanding and this enables them the opportunity to be able to be moved around. There are several 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
The majority of 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 great for such confined spaces. Most tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver can lower or raise a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.