Crane is very commonly used Construction Equipment. Depending on the types of work, there are different types of cranes used in Construction. Now, we will discuss the top 10 most commonly used crane types in detail. Here’s the list of the most commonly used cranes for industrial purposes. So, let’s move on.
If you are wondering about what type of crane to be used for your upcoming project, here, we present the pros and cons of the different types of cranes. Let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the top 10 most commonly used types of cranes.
1. Tower Crane
Tower cranes are powerful lifting machines fixed to the ground during the construction of skyscrapers. Typical tower cranes have a maximum unsupported height of 80 meters or higher if tied into the building as the structure rises around the crane.
A standard tower crane has a lifting capacity of 20 tons.
Tower cranes are built along with a building and rise alongside it. They are fitted to a strong concrete base and anchored by large bolts that are easily removed after the work.
The advantages of tower crane are:
However, tower cranes have some disadvantages too. These are:
Industrial construction sites can be highly benefited by the use of this type of crane. However, considering the cost and efficiency of tower cranes, the best option is to hire them.
Types of Tower Cranes
i) Hammerhead Tower Crane
The Hammerhead crane or the “Giant cantilever” crane is a fixed jib crane that provides a so-called “racking” motion. The design of this type of crane started in Germany. Hammerhead Crane was used in battleships, for installing large pieces like armor plates and gun barrels.
Advantages of Hammerhead Crane
Following are the advantages of Hammerhead Crane
Hammerhead Crane is a static crane with a fixed location.
They are often used for a specific purpose.
Disadvantages of Hammerhead Crane
The main disadvantages of Hammerhead Crane are given below:
They are difficult to set-up.
As they are fixed to the surface, Reinstallation of such a huge structure can be a bit problematic.
They are only used for mega construction purpose.
However, some modern hammerhead cranes incorporate a technique to move and reposition the suspended load, adding to the versatility of Giant Cantilever cranes.
ii) Level Luffing Crane
Level Luffing Crane has a special feature, which is the crane hook is designed to stay at a constant level. So, up and down movement of the crane will only move the jib arm towards or away from the base of the crane.
Here, we present the advantages of level luffing cranes:
The disadvantages of the level luffing crane are:
In conclusion, the level luffing Crane, like all other static cranes, has its pros and cons, so while designing your project, you must choose the right type of crane available.
Self-erecting tower cranes are lightweight cranes that have a horizontal jib and a mast mounted to a ballast.
They are designed to fold and unfold to allow their erection and dismantling on site.
Unlike the above two types of tower cranes, self-erecting tower cranes have a much lower maximum load capacity, making them ideal for sites that do not require heavy duty cranes and those with frequent erection and dismantling of equipment.
Telescopic Cranes are another form of cranes that are employed to transport heavy goods, consisting of a large boom. The boom has got tubes fitted inside with each other which increases the height with the help of tubes through a hydraulic mechanism.
Telescopic Cranes are the best type of cranes when it comes to transferring objects to a high place. They offer one of the best servicing possible in terms of ports.
The only disadvantage of the telescopic crane is stated below
But they can be often truck-mounted although, not truly mobile. The compactness of these cranes makes them suitable for different mobile applications like short-term construction projects, rescue jobs, lifting boats in and out of the water, etc.
A mobile crane is a very simple cable-controlled machine with a telescopic boom attached to its platform. It comes in different shapes and sizes and can be classified into different types. There are more than a dozen types of these cranes. Some of them are listed below:
There are many lifting operations, where using a tower crane is not practical. The operations such as statue lifting or indoor lifts, can’t be executed by the static tower cranes. Therefore, the best solution to such a construction problem is, Mobile Crane.
Mobile cranes are faster to set up. The biggest advantage of a mobile crane is the flexibility and ability to access in areas where static crane can’t reach. Mobile Crane doesn’t require a lot of space. Mobile crane is a cheaper option of the types of major types of crane, so it is a cost-efficient option.
The rough terrain crane is the subclass of the hydraulic crane group. It is a self-propelled crane mounted on four rubber tires. They are specifically designed to operate on off-road and rough surfaces.
They are usually used for building bridges, operation in power and chemical plants and in large-scale projects.
Below are the advantages of rough terrain crane:
Disadvantages of Rough Terrain Crane
The main disadvantages of Rough Terrain Crane are:
These cranes are powered by a single engine with hydraulically operated winches. The engine powers both the undercarriage and the crane.
A crane mounted on a Truck provides the mobility for these types of crane. It is basically a self-propelled loading and unloading machine which consists of rotating cantilever boom. It uses the same engine for the undercarriage and the crane.
Following are the advantages of Truck-mounted Crane:
The disadvantages are:
A Crawler Crane is a type of mobile crane that moves on tracks which are called crawlers. So, from here the name “Crawler” comes from. They are available with either a telescopic or lattice boom. It can move around the site without a set-up.
The tracks provide stability enabling the crane to operate without the help of outriggers.
The advantages of Crawler Crane are:
The disadvantages of Crawler Crane are:
But it can be moved with trucks, which can eventually save some money and make it cost-efficient.
An Aerial crane or flying crane is a helicopter that is used to lift heavy loads. They are also called “Sky Cranes”. The most common use of the aerial crane is in the logging industry to lift large trees out of remote areas where the land is unsuitable for the use of ordinary cranes.
The advantages are
The major disadvantages are listed below
In the near future, Drones might replace Aerial cranes, which can cause revolutionary changes in the design of aerial cranes.
Railroad Cranes move on railway tracks. They are mainly used for construction and repair of railway tracks and their maintenance. They have three primary purposes:
The benefits of railroad cranes are:
The only disadvantage of Railroad Crane is
Floating Cranes are ships equipped with a crane that is specialized in lifting heavy loads. They are typically used for offshore construction. They are used in bridge building and port construction, but they can also be used for lifting awkward and unconventional loads from on and off the ship.
The advantages of the floating crane are
When it comes to floating cranes, the disadvantages are far less than the advantages. The only disadvantage of floating cranes is:
The world’s largest floating crane ship is SSCV Thailf. It has a lifting capacity of 14,200 tons. The largest cranes revolving cranes can also be found on the SSCV Thailf. The largest floating crane vessels are usually semi-submersible types as they have increased stability.