There are several commercial and industrial buildings that now exceed 60 stories or more. These buildings all need tall cranes to be able to help move the materials to the upper floors. There are cranes that are operated from the back of trucks or other kinds which have their own vehicle connected. Tower cranes are the largest ones offered on the market.
Tower cranes are the stand-alone structures that are usually seen on high-rise building projects. Normally, they are part of a major city's downtown skyline. Wherever new construction such as apartment buildings and skyscrapers and commercial facilities such as shopping center are being built, odds are a crane would be on site.
Types
The two key types of cranes can be distinguished by the manner in which their jib or boom raises supplies. The jib is the metal frame which extends from the main section. On a flat tower crane, the jib remains horizontal as it carries things. On a luffing type of tower crane, the jib could ratchet to upward or downward angles. The lifting capacity for both kinds can range from 30,000 lbs. to 10,000 pounds
Body
The crane's body is composed of a vertical steel mast that is composed of separate [parts. The sections are added to be able increase the overall height of the machinery. The mast extends upward to wherever the desired height is, to the control module, that is a small room that has glass windows on all four sides or to the tower as it is also called. The crane operator works from inside of the tower.
Lift
To lift supplies, the crane utilizes a braided metal cord. The cord extends all the way to the end of the jib or boom from a motor situated near the control module. There is a pulley system located at the end of the jib, through which the cord is positioned and lowered down. The jib that holds the cord becomes balanced by a counter jib situated on the tower's opposite side. The counter jib has weights. These weights help to prevent the crane from tipping over when heavy supplies are carried.