How Is A Tower Crane Built?

Tower cranes are lifting machines used on large construction sites for lifting and moving large loads. They are stationary and have incredible stability, due to their base which is fixed into the ground. Tower cranes are usually consisted of a horizontal beam (jib) and a mast section, which together look like the letter “T”. The tower cranes of Australia construction companies are most efficient for setting steel beams, moving large amounts of concrete, larger equipment, tools or similar material and others. Despite the construction industry, tower cranes are very efficient in other industries where lifting and moving of large loads is needed. As a typical tower crane is huge and used on almost any large construction job, it is hard to miss one, as it is one of the few large construction machinery.

But one thing that is a puzzle for many is how is a tower crane built. Indeed it is a complicated process, but there are no philosophies in it. The first thing when setting a tower crane is setting the mast section into the ground and plumbing it to 1:500 degree. Once the base is set, concrete is added to increase the stability of the tower crane. Then, the tower crane is prepared to be erected when the concrete has dried. The size of tower cranes in Australia varies, and according to it, several bolts need to be installed and torqued with a wrench to about 4000 ft lbs.

Once the base is set, the process of building a tower crane continues with adding as much mast sections as the construction project need to reach in height. One complex piece of tower cranes in Australia is the turntable, the heaviest piece of tower cranes. It is consisted of operator's cab, jib, counter-jib, hook, trolley, hoisting rope and some other not-so-important elements. When this piece is added onto the tower crane, a tower top can be added on the top of the crane. The tower top serves as a base for the jib to be attached. A counter jib, on the other hand, is connected in order to hold counter weight and is usually connected by large pins at the turntable.

And the final step of building a tower crane is the easiest one – performing a load test to check the lifting and power capacities of the tower crane. If the tower crane passes the load test, then the crane is functional and ready to perform tough lifting construction operations.