The work of the tower crane is fascinating. This high-rise metal structure performs a responsible job at a construction site, moving a variety of loads to the right place. Looking at the steel giant, few people think about how a tower crane is assembled. But installing new sections on it is quite simple.
Tower crane installation
Modern tower cranes are different. Some are designed for the construction of low-rise buildings, while others can be used to build tall skyscrapers. Regardless of the purpose, such lifting devices have a similar design. In order for the crane to effectively lift the load to a height, it is assembled from several sections. In the process of work, it is often necessary to increase the height of the structure. For this, additional sections are installed.
But it all starts with setting up the foundation of the entire system. The installation of the crane is preceded by preparatory work. The crane is usually installed on a specially prepared site, along which rail tracks are laid. The rails are laid on a densely packed embankment, which consists of sand and gravel. The levelness of the track is carefully checked at every stage of work.
The more accurately the rails are laid on the embankment, the safer the operation of the tower crane will be.
When the base for the structure is ready, the crane itself is brought to the construction site, already assembled. The car platform is installed near the rail track, and then, with the help of a powerful car crane, the undercarriages are placed on the rails. After that, the mechanism of the future tower crane begins to be assembled "by itself", although not without the help of installers.
Winches equipped with strong cables are used. Skillfully manipulating these lifting mechanisms, workers carefully lift the structure from the platform and move it to an upright position. Then the crane is strengthened and fixed, power cables are connected to it, without which the operation of the device is impossible. If a friendly and well-coordinated team of professionals is engaged in business, it is possible to master the installation of a crane in a part of the working day.
How new sections are installed on the crane
If a construction site does not need a standard crane, but a higher crane, the work is done in a slightly different way. First, a concrete slab is installed, which becomes a reliable base. The first section of the crane is tightly mounted in the slab. The next sectional element, called a mounting frame or "telescope", is lifted by a truck crane.
This second section is slightly larger than the first and subsequent ones. The boom and the operator's cab are attached to it.
Now it becomes possible to consistently build up the entire structure in height. Driving the machine, the operator himself assembles his future crane. The workers put the next structure inside the second, auxiliary section. After that, each new section is lifted by winches to the required height and fixed. This continues until the height of the tower crane reaches the set value. If in the future the crane needs to grow a little more, the whole process is repeated.
