The tower crane's base is generally bolted to a big concrete pad which provides very necessary support. The base is connected to a tower or a mast and stabilizes the crane that is attached to the inside of the building's structure. Often, this attachment point is to a concrete lift or to an elevator shaft.
The crane's mast is often a triangulated lattice structure which measures 0.9m2 or 10 feet square. Attached to the very top of the mast is the slewing unit. The slewing unit consists of a motor and a gear that enable the crane to rotate.
Tower cranes may have a max unsupported height of 80m or 265 feet, while the minimum lifting capacity of a tower crane is 16,642 kilograms or 39,690 pounds with counter weights of 20 tons. Additionally, two limit switches are utilized in order to make certain that the driver does not overload the crane. There is even another safety feature called a load moment switch to make sure that the operator does not surpass the ton meter load rating. Lastly, the tower crane has a maximum reach of 70 meters or 230 feet.
There is definitely a science involved with erecting a tower crane, especially due to their extreme heights. At first, the stationary structure needs to be transported to the construction site by using a big tractor-trailer rig setup. Then, a mobile crane is used so as to assemble the machinery portion of the crane and the jib. These sections are then attached to the mast. Afterward, the mobile crane adds counterweights. Forklifts and crawler cranes can be some of the other industrial machinery which is used to erect a crane.
As the building is erected, mast extensions are added to the crane. This is how the crane's height could match the building's height. The crane crew uses what is known as a climbing frame or a top climber that fits between the slewing unit and the top of the mast. 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 crane operator uses the crane to insert and bolt into position another mast part piece.