The tower crane's base is typically bolted to a huge concrete pad that provides very crucial support. The base is connected to a mast or a tower and stabilizes the crane that is connected to the inside of the structure of the building. Often, this attachment point is to an elevator shaft or to a concrete lift.
The crane's mast is normally a triangulated lattice structure that measures 0.9m2 or 10 feet square. Attached to the very top of the mast is the slewing unit. The slewing unit is made of a motor and a gear that allows the crane to rotate.
Tower cranes are able to have a maximum unsupported height of 80m or 265 feet. The maximum lifting capacity of a tower crane is 16,642 kilograms or 39,690 pounds with counter weights of 20 tons. In addition, two limit switches are used in order to make certain that the operator does not overload the crane. There is also one more safety feature called a load moment switch to ensure that the driver does not surpass the ton meter load rating. Finally, the tower crane has a maximum reach of 230 feet or 70 meters.
There is definitely a science involved with erecting a tower crane, specially because of their extreme heights. First, the stationary structure needs to be transported to the construction site by using a large tractor-trailer rig setup. Next, a mobile crane is utilized so as to assemble the equipment part of the jib and the crane. Then, these sections are connected to the mast. The mobile crane next adds counterweights. Crawler cranes and forklifts may be a few of the other industrial machinery that is typically used to erect a crane.
Mast extensions are added to the crane when the building is erected. This is how the height of the crane could match the building's height. The crane crew utilizes what is known as a top climber or a climbing frame which fits between the top of the mast and the slewing unit. A weight is hung on the jib by the work crew so as to balance the counterweight. Once complete, the slewing unit can detach from the top of the mast. In the top climber, hydraulic rams are used to adjust the slewing unit up an extra 6.1m or 20 feet. After that, the driver of the crane uses the crane to insert and bolt into position another mast part piece.