Tower Cranes Grow to New Heights
In the tower crane industry, the 1950s showcased numerous important milestones in tower crane development and design. There were a range of manufacturers were starting to make more bottom slewing cranes that had telescoping mast. These types of machinery dominated the construction market for both office and apartment block construction. Lots of of the top tower crane manufacturers discarded the use of cantilever jib designs. In its place, they made the switch to luffing jibs and eventually, using luffing jibs became the standard practice.
Within Europe, there were major improvements being made in the development and design of tower cranes. Usually, construction sites were constricted areas. Having to rely on rail systems to transport a large number of tower cranes, ended up being too costly and inconvenient. Some manufacturers were offering saddle jib cranes which had hook heights of 80 meters or 262 feet. These cranes were equipped with self-climbing mechanisms that enabled sections of mast to be inserted into the crane so that it can grow along with the structures it was constructing upwards.
These particular cranes have long jibs and could cover a larger work area. All of these developments precipitated the practice of constructing and anchoring cranes inside the lift shaft of a building. Then, this is the technique which became the industry standard.
The main focus on tower crane development and design from the 1960s started on covering a higher load moment, covering a larger job radius, faster erection strategies, climbing mechanisms and technology, and new control systems. Additionally, focus was spent on faster erection strategies with the most important developments being made in the drive technology department, amongst other things.