The base of the tower crane is usually bolted to a big concrete pad which provides very necessary support. The base is attached to a tower or a mast and stabilizes the crane which is attached to the inside of the structure of the building. Often, this attachment point is to a concrete lift or to an elevator shaft.
The crane's mast is normally a triangulated lattice structure which measures 0.9m2 or 10 feet square. Connected 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 kg or 39,690 pounds with counter weights of 20 tons. Furthermore, two limit switches are utilized to be able to make sure that the driver does not overload the crane. There is even another safety feature called a load moment switch to ensure that the driver does not exceed the ton meter load rating. Lastly, the tower crane has a maximum reach of 230 feet or 70 meters.
Because of their extreme heights, there is a science involved to erecting a crane. The stationary structure would first have to be transported to the construction location by utilizing a big tractor-trailer rig setup. After that, a mobile crane is used in order to assemble the equipment portion of the crane and the jib. Then, these sections are attached to the mast. The mobile crane next adds counterweights. Forklifts and crawler cranes can be a few of the other industrial machines which is utilized to erect a crane.
When the building is erected, mast extensions are added to the crane. This is how the crane's height can match the building's height. The crane crew uses what is called a climbing frame or a top climber 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. When complete, the slewing unit is able to detach from the top of the mast. In the top climber, hydraulic rams are used to adjust the slewing unit up an extra 20 feet or 6.1m. Then, the crane driver utilizes the crane to insert and bolt into place another mast part piece.