Tower Cranes Grow to New Heights
During the 1950s in the tower crane industry, there were numerous important developments in the design of these big cranes. Many different manufacturers were started making bottom slewing cranes with a telescoping mast. These kinds of equipments dominated the construction market for apartment block and office construction. Lots of of the leading tower crane manufacturers didn't use cantilever jib designs. Instead, they made the switch to luffing jibs and eventually, the use of luffing jibs became the standard practice.
Manufacturers based within Europe were also heavily important in the development and design of tower cranes. Construction sites on the continent were normally tight places. Depending on rail systems to move several tower cranes, ended up being very inconvenient and costly. A number of manufacturers were providing saddle jib cranes which had hook heights of 80 meters or 262 feet. These cranes were outfitted with self-climbing mechanisms which enabled 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 specific cranes additionally covered a larger work area. All of these developments precipitated the practice of erecting and anchoring cranes in the lift shaft of a building. Afterwards, this is the technique which became the industry standard.
The main focus on tower crane design and development 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. Moreover, focus was spent on faster erection strategies with the most important developments being made in the drive technology department, among other things.