CRANES

K N NARASIMHA PRASAD,
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GRADE I,
NICMAR, GOA
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CRANES
Crane is the primary machine used for the
vertical movement of construction materials
and machinery.
Each type of crane is designed and
manufactured to work economically in a
specific site situation.

CRANES
The most common types are:

Crawler
Hydraulic truck
Lattice-boom truck
Rough-terrain
All-terrain
Heavy lift
Modified cranes for heavy lift
Tower

CRAWLER CRANES
Crawler cranes have full
revolving superstructure
mounted on a pair of
continuous, parallel
tracks
Manufacturers have
different option
packages available that
permit configuration of
the crane to a particular
application.
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CRAWLER CRANES
The crawlers provide the crane with travel
capability around the job site.
The distance between crawler tracks affects
stability and lift capacity.
To be transported between projects, the crawler
crane must be transported by truck, rail, or barge
As the size of the crane increases, the time and
cost to dismantle, load, investigate haul routes,
and reassemble the crane increases.
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CRAWLER CRANES
The crawlers usually have lower initial cost per
rated lift capability, but movement between
jobs is more expensive.
Crawler-type machines should be considered
for projects requiring long-duration usage at a
single site.

HYDRAULIC TRUCK CRANES

The hydraulic truck
crane has a selfcontained boom.
Most units can
travel on the public
highways between
projects under their
own power with a
minimum of
dismantling. Once
the crane is leveled
at the new work site,
it is ready to work
without setup
delays.

If a job requires crane

utilization for a few hours
to a couple of days a
hydraulic truck crane
should be given first
consideration

HYDRAULIC TRUCK CRANES

The hydraulic multi-section telescoping boom is a
permanent part of the full revolving superstructure. In
this case the superstructure is mounted on a multi-axle
truck/carrier
There are three common power and control
arrangements for hydraulic truck cranes:
A single engine as both the truck and crane power source,
with a single dual- position cab used both for driving the
truck and operating the crane.
A single engine in the carrier but with both truck and crane
operating cabs.
Separate power units for the truck and the superstructure.
This arrangement is standard for the larger capacity units.
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HYDRAULIC TRUCK CRANES

Hydraulic truck crane units have extendable
outriggers for stability. In fact, many units cannot
be operated safely with a full reach of boom
unless the outriggers are fully extended and the
machine raised so that the tires are clear off the
ground.
All mobile cranes are stability-sensitive machines.
Rated loads are based on ideal conditions, a level
machine, calm air, and no dynamic effects.
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HYDRAULIC TRUCK CRANES

Out rigger

Tires clear
off the
ground
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LATTICE BOOM TRUCK CRANE

As with the hydraulic truck crane a full
revolving superstructure is mounted on a
multi-axle truck/carrier. The advantage of this
machine is the lattice-boom.
A lattice-boom structure is lightweight, which
increases the lift capacity as the machine
predominantly handles hoist load and less
weight of boom.
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LATTICE BOOM TRUCK CRANE

These machines
require time and effort
for disassembling the
boom before transport.
In larger units it may be
required to remove the
entire superstructure,
for which an additional
crane may often be
required.

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ROUGH TERRAIN TRUCK CRANE

These cranes are mounted on two-axle carriers.
The operator's cab may be mounted in the upper
works allowing the operator to swing with the load.
On many models the cab is located on the carrier. This
is a simpler design because controls do not have to be
routed across the turntable. In turn these units have a
lower cost.

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ROUGH TERRAIN TRUCK CRANE

The units are equipped with unusually large
wheels and closely spaced axels in order to
improve maneuverability at the job site. Most
units can travel on the highway but have
maximum speeds of only about 30 mph. In the
case of long moves between projects they should
be transported on low-bed trailers.
Many units now have joy stick controls. A joy stick
allows the operator to manipulate four functions
simultaneously.
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ROUGH TERRAIN TRUCK CRANE

The most common models are in the 18-50ton capacity range and typically are employed
as utility machines. They are primarily lift
machines but are capable of light, intermittent
duty-cycle work.
They earn the right to their name by their high
ground clearance, as well with the ability to
move on steep slope
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ALL TERRAIN CRANE

These cranes
have an
undercarriage
capable of longdistance
highway travel.
Yet the carrier
has all-axle
drive and all
wheel steering,
large tires, and
high ground
clearance.
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ALL TERRAIN CRANE

They have dual cabs, a lower cab for fast highway
travel, and a superstructure cab which has both drive
and crane controls.
The machine can be used for limited pick-and-carry
work.
By combining job-site mobility and transit capability,
these machines are very good when multiple lifts are
required at scattered project sites or at multiple
work locations on a single project.
Because all-terrain truck is a combination of two
features it has a higher cost than an equivalent
capacity hydraulic truck crane or a rough-terrain
crane.
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HEAVY LIFT CRANE

Heavy lift cranes are machines that provide lift
capacities in the 600 through 2,000 short-ton
range.
Heavy lift cranes are those which provide
greater lift capability while maintaining the
machine integrity. This is achieved through
principal systems (1) Trailing counterweight (2)
Extendable counterweight (3) Ring system.
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HEAVY LIFT CRANE- Trailing

Counterweight
The base does not
carry the trailing
additional
counterweight. The
additional
counterweight is
mounted on a wheeled
platform behind the
crane (counterweight
carrier)
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HEAVY LIFT CRANE- Extendable

Counterweight

Here the counterweight system can be

extended away from the rear of the machine
to match the leverage with the requirements
of the lift.

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HEAVY LIFT CRANE- Ring System

A large circular
turntable ring is
created outside the
base machine to
support the ring.
These are auxiliary
pin-connected
frames at the front
and rear of the
base.
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HEAVY LIFT CRANE- Ring System

New hydraulic self-erecting systems enable a
crawler crane to be modified to a ring
configuration in only 3 days.
Because of their size and weight, ring systems
essentially render cranes mounted on them to
no longer mobile.

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TOWER CRANE
These are cranes that provide a high-lifting height
with good working radius, and take up limited space.
However, these advantages are achieved at the
expense of low lifting capacity and limited mobility.
The three common configurations are:
a special vertical boom arrangement on a mobile
crane,
a mobile crane superstructure mounted atop a
tower, or
a vertical tower (European type) with a jib and
operator's cab atop
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TOWER CRANE

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TOWER CRANE

Tower crane with a

vertical tower and a
horizontal jib in
most popular
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TOWER CRANE
When reference is made to a tower crane, it
means the third type of tower detailed in
previous slide, as this type is the most
commonly used one. This type of tower crane
has two categories:
Top Slewing (fixed tower)
Bottom Slewing (slewing tower)

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TOWER CRANE
Top-slewing (Fixed tower)
Have a fixed tower and a swing circle,
mounted at the top, allowing only the jibs
(main and counter jib)and operate cab to
rotate. The crane is assembled from modular
sections. The crane is stabilized partly at its
base (by ballasts or other means of ground
anchoring) and partly by ballasts on the
counter jib.
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TOWER CRANE
Bottom Slewing (slewing tower)
Have a swing circle located under the slewing
platform. Both the tower and the jib assembly
rotate. The tower is essentially a telescoping
mast. The entire ballast is placed on the
revolving boom platform.

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CRANE CAPACITY
Crane
type

Max
Boom
length
(ft)

Max Fly
Max
jib length radius
(ft)
(ft)

Min
radius
(ft)

Max
lifting
capacity
(Ton)

Max
Travel
speed
mph

Crawler

100-400

30-120

80-300

10-15

30-600

06-1.2

Hydraulic 70-170
Truck

30-100

60-140

10

20-120

40-70

Lattice
boom

170-470

40-300

130-380

10-25

50-600

40-60

Rough
terrain

80-140

29-90

70-120

10

20-90

15-35

All
terrain

100-270

30-240

100-300

8-10

30-300

40-55

Fixed
base TC

2000 13000lb

Bottom
sle. TC

1000
5000lb

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