Tower Cranes Grow to New Heights
Within the tower crane business, the 1950s showcased numerous significant milestones in tower crane design and development. There were a range of manufacturers were starting to make more bottom slewing cranes which had telescoping mast. These types of machinery dominated the construction market for both office and apartment block construction. Lots of of the leading tower crane manufacturers discarded the use of cantilever jib designs. In its place, they made the switch to luffing jibs and in time, utilizing luffing jibs became the standard method.
Manufacturers based in Europe were also really influential in the design and development of tower cranes. Construction sites on the continent were usually tight areas. Having to rely on rail systems to move several tower cranes, became very inconvenient and expensive. A number of manufacturers were offering saddle jib cranes which had hook heights of 80 meters or 262 feet. These cranes were outfitted with self-climbing mechanisms which allowed parts of mast to be inserted into the crane so that it can grow along with the structures it was building upwards.
The long jibs on these particular cranes additionally covered a larger work area. All of these developments resulted in the practice of building and anchoring cranes in a building's lift shaft. After that, this is the method which became the industry standard.
The main focus on tower crane development and design from the 1960s began on covering a higher load moment, covering a larger job radius, faster erection strategies, climbing mechanisms and technology, and new control systems. Furthermore, focus was spent on faster erection strategies with the most significant developments being made in the drive technology department, among other things.