Cranes
Cranes are used to aid in the construction of heavy equipment and large buildings. They use levers and cables in order to get materials from ground level to the upper ends of the job site. Cranes can be bought, rented, or leased depending upon your situation and the length of time you will need the help of this conveyer. Their temporary help on the job site makes a world of difference when constructing large and heavy machinery.
There are many different types of cranes. Before starting a project that involves a crane, it is best to educate yourself in the many types, in order to find one that fits your needs.
Tower cranes are generally used in the construction of tall buildings, for they have a great reaching and lifting capability (they can reach up to 265 feet, out to 230 feet, and lift a total of about 20 tons). The tower crane consists of an arm lying horizontally along the top of the tower, with one side holding up the lifting gear and another being a dead weight to balance the material.
Hydraulic cranes are operated by just that…hydraulics. Hydraulics uses a fluid to get energy from one point to another. Many fluids can be used to make this happen, the most common being oil. This energy helps moves the pistons up and down, which exerts so much power that a hydraulic crane can lift more than double the weight of a tower crane.
Loader cranes are exclusively used in order to lift material onto a trailer. By being attached to the trailer, it gives it leverage in order to lift heavy loads.
Telescopic cranes are made up of tubes inside of one another, which extend as the crane must reach higher elevations.
Gantry cranes are given ultra mobility because they are attached to move on rails. These cranes which are used in the freight and railway systems are able to carry large loads.
Stacker cranes are used in warehouse in order to stack products on storage racks with little ease.
Floating cranes are used when large bodies of water are involved. This makes work on bridges, ports, and ship salvages much easier, due to the mobility of the crane over the water via platform.
Crawler cranes move with a set of attached tracks in order to move more freely on any construction site.
Overhead cranes move along beams, which gives support to lift very heavy materials. These cranes are usually used in manufacturing sites.
Tips for safely using a crane:
- Beware of your surroundings. When using an object of such great size as a crane, it is imperative that you steer clear of power lines. The disruption of power lines can not only be dangerous, but very costly should something go wrong.
- Perform frequent equipment assessments. Since a crane is so large, with many different gadgets, expect that you will have mechanical problems, and take the necessary measures to correct them. It is better to be safe than sorry.
- Educate your operators. Before putting a worker behind a crane, be sure he is knowledgeable in the operation of the crane, and uses caution on the job site, including avoiding distractions.
- Never hoist with people in the basket, or hoist more than capacity.