For huge building construction projects, tower cranes are used rather frequently. These machines are rather necessary for heavy lifting as well as placing supplies and equipment. Tower cranes offer a unique configuration which provides numerous benefits over more traditional cranes. These benefits include: quiet electrical operation, higher vertical lift, reduced space requirements and increased capacities.
Hammerhead Crane
The hammerhead crane is frequently 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. On the hammerhead crane, there is a trolley. This trolley has the lifting cable and could 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 assistance from another crane. This provides a huge advantage in setup time and really saves time in equipment costs as well. Self-erecting cranes are often remote-controlled from the ground, although there are several models that 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 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
Nearly all urban work environments do not have enough space or clearance for the jib to rotate freely without existing buildings blocking its movement. A luffing jib tower crane is great for such confined areas. Nearly all tower cranes have a fixed horizontal jib. The driver could raise or lower a luffing jib in order to allow the crane to swing in a reduced radius.