CRANE HIRE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR WITH A VAST ARRAY OF CRANES NOW WIDELY AVAILABKE FROM VARIOUS SUPPLIERS IN THE UK , KNOWING WHICH CRANE APPLICATION IS THE CORRECT ONE FOR YOUR PROJECT BECOMES THE DIFFICULT PART. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT FACTORS TO CINSIDER WHEN CHOOSING LIFTING EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR PROJECT AND AT CCL WE SPECIALISE IN FINDING THE CORRECT PIECE OF LIFTING EQUIPMENT FOR OUR CUSTOMERS PROJECTS.
BELLOW IS A LIST OF THE MOST COMMONLY HIRED CONSTRUCTION CRANES AND AN AT A GLANCE DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF EACH DIFFERENT TYPE. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON WHICH TYPE WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PROJECT OR WHERE TO HIRE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF CRANE THEN GET IN TOUCH AT INFO@CLYDECRANESANDLIFTING.COM
TOP SLEWING TOWER CRANES COME IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS EACH WITH THEIR OWN UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES.
THE MAIN TYPES OF TOWER CRANE AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET IN THE UK ARE:
ROPED LUFFING JIB TOWER CRANES
SADDLE JIB A FRAME TOWER CRANES
HYDRAULIC LUFFING JIB TOWER CRANES
ARTICULATED JIB TOWER CRANES
SADDLE JIB TOPLESS AND SEMI TOPLESS TOWER CRANES
THE LIFTING CAPACITY OF THESE CRANES AVAILABLE IN THE UK CURRENTLY RANGE FROM 5TE TO 66TE AND GROWING WITH JIB REACHES IN EXCESS OF 80 M .
TOWER CRANES HAVE AN ADDED ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER METHODS OF CRANES DUE TO THEIR ABILITIES TO BE ERECTED ON TOWER SECTIONS HIGH ABOVE THE WORKING SITE BELOW LEAVING THE SUPER STRUCTURE AND JIB IN THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND UTILISING MINIMUM SPACE ON THE SITE BELOW. THIS HEIGHT IS RESTRICTED TO EACH CRANES FREE STANDING ABILITY ALTHOUGH ONCE THE BUILDING IS PARTLY CONSTRUCTED THE TOWER CRANE CAN BE TIED INTO THE BUILDING AND THE OVERALL HEIGHT INCREASED BY SELF CLIMBING METHODS UTILISING A HYDRAULIC JACKING CAGE. EACH INDIVIDUAL CRANE HAS ITS OWN FREE STANDING HEIGHT CAPABILITIES SOME CAPABLE OF HEIGHTS UP TO 100M.
TO FINISH UP ON TOWER CRANES BELOW IS SOME PROS AND CONS OF EACH VARIATION.
ROPED LUFFING JIB TOWER CRANES- PROS-LARGE MAXIMUM LOAD LIFTING CAPACITIES OF UP TO 66TE, IDEAL FOR SITES WITH RESTRICTED AIR SPACE ,
CONS-RESTRICTED MINIMUM RADIUS OPERATION IN WINDY CONDITIONS.
SADDLE JIB A FRAME TOWER CRANES- PROS - EASIER AND QUCIKER OPERATION, CHEAPER TO HIRE
CONS- NOT SUITABLE IN AREAS WITH RESTRICTED AIRSPACE, GREATER TOTAL OVERALL HEIGHT DUE TO A FRAME
HYDRAULIC LUFFING JIB TOWER CRANES- PROS- CHEAPER AND MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TO RUN THAN CONVENTIONAL TOWER CRANES, REDUCED OUT OF SERVICE RADIUS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT. IDEAL FOR SITES WITH RESTRICTED AIR SPACE.
CONS - LOWER MAX LOAD CAPACITY THAN THE ROPED LUFFING ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE, NOISIER OPERATION THAN ROPED ALTERNATIVE.
ARTICULATED JIB TOWER CRANES- PROS - IDEAL FOR USE ON SITES WITH LIMITED WORK AREA.
CONS- LIMITED AVAILABILITY ON THE UK HIRE MARKET
SADDLE JIB TOPLESS AND SEMI TOPLESS TOWER CRANES- PROS - EASE OF ERECTION, LOWER OVERALL HEAD HIGHT MAKES IT A BENEFIT ON MULTI CRANE SITES.
CONS- NOT SUITABLE ON SITES WHERE OVERSAILING IS AN ISSUE
TOWER CRANES CAN BE MOUNTED ON A VARIETY OF BASES INCLUDING FIXING ANCHORS IN A CONSTRUCTED CONCRETE BASE, BALLASTED CRUCIFORM CHASSIS AND A TRAVELLING RAIL MOUNTED CHASSIS.
CRUCIFORM OR TRACK MOUNTED SELF ERECTING TOWER CRANES ARE THE COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO LARGER TOP SLEWING TOWER CRANES. AS A RULE OF THUMB IN GENERAL THESE CRANES ARE USUALLY FAST ERECTING IN COMPARRISON TO THEIR TOP SLEWING COMPETITORS ALTHOUGH HAVE LOWER MAX LOAD LIFTING CAPACITYS AND ARE LIMITED TO THEIR OPERATIONAL HEIGHTS AND CONFIGURATIONS. THE UK SELF ERECTOR MARKET IS DIVERSE AND MANY MODELS WHICH CAN SELF CLIMB BY MEANS OF ADDITIONAL TOWER SECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE RANGING UP TO A MAX UNDER HOOK HEIGHT OF 41.5M AND A MAX CAPACITY OF 8TE WITH JIB LENGTHS IN EXCESS OF 50M.
THERE ARE MANY MODELS AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET WHICH HAVE DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES TO BETTER SUIT THEM TO INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS INCLUDING STRENGTHENED JIBS FOR DAY TO DAY FOLDING DUE TO OVERSAILING ISSUES, RETRACTABLE JIB MECHANISMS FOR REDUCED OUT OF SERVICE RADIUS , SIMPLE CRANES WHICH CAN BE ERECTED WITH 1 MAN KEEPING INSTALLATION COSTS LOW. AND CRANES WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FULLY SELF CONTAINED INCLUDING GENERATOR AND BALLAST KEEPING DELIVERY COSTS DOWN AND ALLOWING FOR INSTALLATION WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR ADDTIONAL LIFTING EQUIPMENT FOR BALLASTING. FOR MOST MODELS THE MECHANISMS ARE SITUATED BELOW WHICH ALLOWS FOR INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE WITHOUT WORKING AT EXCESS HEIGHTS. THESE CRANES ARE TRADITONALLY OPERATED BY REMOTE AND THE OPERATOR IN MOST CASES IS THE SLINGER TO HIS OWN LIFTING OPERATIONS AGAIN REDUCING OVERALL COSTS OF LIFTING OPERATIONS ON SITE
MOBLE CRANES ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE ACROSS REGIONAL BASES THROUGHOUT THE UK. THIS MEANS THAT THEY CAN BE DEPLOYED AT SHORT NOTICE GIVING AN INSTANT ADVANTAGE AGAINST OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE. THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN LARGE LOAD LIFTING CAPACITIES RANGING UP TO 1,200TE
THESE COME ARRIVE ON SITE EQUIPED WITH UP TO 84M OF EASILY DEPLOYABLE TELESCOPIC BOOM AND IN MOST CASES A TRAVELLING BALLAST AND WHERE LARGER LOADS ARE REQUIRED TO BE LIFTED AT INCREASED RADII ADDTIONAL BALLAST IN EXCESS OF 100TE IN SOME CASES CAN BE EQUIPED. THESE MACHINES CAN BE RIGGED IN UNDER AN HOUR IN SOME CASES AND DEPLOY ONBOARD OUTRIGGERS FROM THE CHASIS TO MAINTAIN STABILITY. EQUIPED WITH ALL WHEEL STEARING ACROSS VARIOUS AXLES THESE CRANES CAN MENOUVER LARGE WEIGHTS IN THE ONE GO INTO TRICKY POSITIONS WHILE SPREADING THE LOAD ACROSS ITS AXLES AND KEEPING THE GROUND PRESSURES DOWN. ALTHOUGH LIMITED TO THEIR HEIGHT AND REACH THEY COME WITH VARIOUS ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS TO IMPROVE HEIGHT ASWELL AS REACH. THE INSTALLATION COSTS OF THESE MACHINES WITH ADDITIONAL LUFFING JIB ATTACHMENTS ON CAN BE TIME CONSUMING AND COSTLY THESE CRANES ARE BEST SUITED FOR SHORT TERM OR SPORADIC WORK. THEY CAN BE SUPPLIED ON A FULL CONTRACT LIFT BASIS WHICH MAKES LIFE EASIER FOR THE HIRER AS THEY DONT NEED TO DEAL WITH THE INSURANCE LIFT PLANNING AND METHOD STATEMENTS AND LIFTING LABOUR. ALTHOUGH THIS OPTION IS COSTLY IT IS BEST SUITED FOR CUSTOMERS WHO REQUIRE THE CRANE FOR A SHORT TERM AND DO NOT HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OR QUALIFICATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE PLANNING THEMSELVES.
MOBILE SELF ERECTING TOWER CRANES ARE ALSO WIDELY AVAILABLE AND ARE A FAVOURIBLE SOLUTION WHERE LONG REACHES AT HEIGHT ARE REQUIRED AND FAST ERECTION/DISMANTLE TIMES ARE REQUIRED.
CRAWLER CRANES ARE MOST COMMONLY USED ON INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS WHERE HIGH CAPACITIES ARE REQUIRED AND HEIGHT IS NOT EXCESSIVE. THEIR TRACKED CRAWLER BASE ALLOWS FOR USE ON SOILS AND UNEVEN GROUNDS WHICH MAKES THEM ALSO A FAVOURABLE CHOICE AT THE BEGGINING OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. CRAWLERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO PICK AND CARRY HEAVY LOADS ACROSS SOFT GROUND AL BE IT AND LOW SPEEDS. AGAIN CRAWLERS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE UK ARE AVAILABLE WITH LIFTING CAPACITIES UP TO 1350TE. DUE TO THEIR SIZE THEY MUST BE DISMANTLED AND DELIVERED TO SITE ON WAGONS THEN ASSEMBLED ON SITE MAKING THEM A LESS DESIREABLE OPTION TO MOBILE TELESCOPIC CRANES. THESE COME IN A RANGE OF MINI CRANES ASWELL SUITABLE FOR HARD TO REACH PROJECTS SUCH AS DATA TOWER INSTALLATIONS.
CONTACT US TO REQUEST PROJECT CONSULTATION FOR CRANE HIRE AND LIFTING
TOWER CRANES- LONG TERM PROJECTS FOR DAILY LIFTING OPERATIONS
SELF ERECTING TOWER CRANES- LONG/MEDIUM TERM PROJECTS ON A BUDGET WITH LOWER HEIGHT AND LIFT CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS
MOBILE CRANES- FAST MOBILISATION REQUIREMENT , SHORT TERM OR SPORADIC / MULTI POSITIONAL USE.
CRAWLER CRANES- HEAVY LIFTING , TRAVELLING REQUIRED ACROSS SOFT GROUND,
MINI CRANES- SHORT TERM AND SMALL LIFTING OPERATIONS
