Most construction companies require the use of cranes on their jobs. Indeed, if involved in the construction of tall buildings, then a tower crane is essential. A tower crane is often described as a modern balance crane. It can be fixed on the ground or even attached onto the side of a structure. The tower crane is quite useful because it has a tremendous lifting capacity and can also reach quite high. Thus, this type of crane is a necessity on any construction project that involves building tall structures. It may not be beneficial for every builder or construction company to buy a crane even though they need to use them often. This is because there is the initial cost to purchase the crane, plus there are also operation and maintenance costs. As such, buying a crane and owning it may be cost prohibitive for many companies. These cranes can be rented instead, which may be much easier on the wallet for many companies. Fortunately, there are many companies out there today which supply all different types of cranes, from the large-scale variety to the self erecting tower crane.
The type of crane needed on a particular project depends upon the job itself. Most companies from whom you can rent a tower crane, or any other type of crane, have a large supply of traditional large scale cranes that are operated by those specially trained to do so. Companies that are quite large in their operations also have available for rent the self erecting tower crane, which does not require a special operator.
In general, a self-erecting tower crane is a crane, which lifts itself up from the ground with jacks. This then allows the next portion of the crane’s “tower” to be added in at the ground level, or for that next section to be lifted and put into place by that partially erected tower crane itself. This type of crane is also referred to as a self-assembling crane or a Kangaroo crane.
The self erecting tower crane is relatively new and has only begun to be used in the construction industry in recent years. These cranes are pedestrian operated, and thus, can reduce one’s costs if renting this type of crane for a particular job. However, with any type of crane, safety is of paramount importance to avoid accidents, which can cause great harm to workers on the job. Therefore, it is imperative that anyone who will be operating this type of crane receive some type of training so that they are knowledgeable with the crane itself, how to use it and its limits. Furthermore, safety gear and protective clothing should be worn at all times.
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1555763_31.html