More about Cranes

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Used in extensively in construction and marine industries, cranes are a mainstay of modern building and shipping. They provide a means to lift and move massive loads, as well as offering additional demolition options. Many cranes are used in smaller scale factory and assembly operations, often in the manufacture of heavy industrial equipment. Others facilitate cargo and rail freight transport.

The massive tower cranes used at many construction sites are perhaps the most conspicuous examples of cranes at work. They are also among the most useful, providing highly effective lifting capacities in addition to their staggering heights. Tower cranes are assembled from smaller components onsite. The majority of them actually factor in to their own assembly by hoisting new sections to the top of their mast. Hydraulic rams then push the tower higher, enabling workmen to affix the new section to the mast. They are disassembled by a similar method. For those who might wonder how such a massive device is moved from place to place, the tower crane’s design means it is transported in much smaller pieces to a worksite. Average assembly and disassembly costs average more than $60,000, plus standard rental fees.

There are also a variety of mobile cranes. These cranes are transported intact from place to place and provide an ideal solution to less involved applications. We are perhaps most familiar with the telescoping mobile crane, which uses a hydraulic mechanism to lengthen and shorten the boom arm. Hydraulics are also employed to perform lifting in hydraulic cranes; most cranes, though, use a winch and pulley system to do the lifting. Interestingly, a winch crane’s capacity decreases with each layer or wire rope wound around the winch drum. Small mobile cranes still have excellent weight capacities, and six-foot hydraulic cranes can easily handle more than 2,000 pounds (make sure to check your model’s capacity before loading it).

A Gantry crane is a specialized stationary crane for moving heavy loads. In a Gantry crane, the lifter moves from side to side over a cross-beam, carrying its load between two support towers. Jib cranes only have a single support tower or mount. The lifting mechanism of a jib crane, however, slides across the length of the boom arm on a rail system (much like a Gantry crane). Other crane types include stacker cranes, overhead traveling cranes and custom-engineered cranes for unique operations.