Tower cranes are being used often for large building construction projects. They are required for the heavy lifting and placing of supplies and machines. Tower cranes provide a unique configuration which provides many benefits over more traditional cranes. These advantages include: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, increased capacities, and reduced space requirements.
Hammerhead Crane
A hammerhead crane is another configuration that is most typically associated with a tower crane. In this case, a long horizontal jib is connected 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. On the hammerhead crane, there is a trolley. This trolley has the lifting cable and can travel 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 site with the assistance of another crane. This provides a huge benefit in setup time and greatly saves time in equipment costs as well. Self-erecting cranes are often remote-controlled from the ground, even if there are several models that have an operator cab built onto the jib.
The self-erecting crane is usually freestanding to enable them the opportunity to be moved around. There are several models that have a telescoping tower which allows the crane to work at multiple heights without the need to reconfigure the tower.
Luffing Jib Tower Crane
Usually, within urban work environments, there is not enough space or clearance for the jib to freely rotate without being blocked by existing buildings. A luffing jib tower crane is ideal for such confined areas. The majority of tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver is able to lower or raise a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.