There are some industrial and commercial buildings which now exceed 60 stories or more. These buildings all require tall cranes to help transport the materials to the upper floors. There are cranes which have their own vehicle connected or other types that are operated from the rear of trucks. Tower cranes are the biggest types offered on the market.
Tower cranes are the stand-alone structures that are usually found on high-rise building projects. Normally, they are part of a major city's downtown skyline. Wherever new construction like for instance apartment buildings and skyscrapers and commercial facilities like shopping center are being built, odds are a crane will be on site.
Types
There are two different types of cranes: boom crane or the jib crane. The jib is a metal frame which extends from the main section. On a flat tower crane, the jib remains horizontal as it lifts items. On a luffing type of tower crane, the jib can ratchet to downward or upward angles. The lifting capacity for both kinds can vary from 30 pounds to 10,000 lbs.
Body
The body of the crane is composed of a mast. This is a vertical steel frame which is a combination of separate parts. In order to increase the overall height of the equipment, parts are added. The mast extends upward to where 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 referred to. The driver of the crane works from inside of the tower.
Lift
The crane uses a braided metal cord to raise materials. This cord extends out from a motor situated near the control module to the end of the jib or boom. 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 located on the opposite side of the tower. The counter jib holds weights. These weights help to prevent the crane from tipping over when lifting heavy materials.