Tower Crane Installation

When referring to cranes and maneuvers that are carried out to assemble,
disassemble and hoist a tower crane must comply with the protection and safety
manuals; adhering to strict control in each of the steps to be taken.

Crane tower assembly

Once the components of the tower crane have been unloaded on the construction
site, it is assembled.

This process consists of erecting and mounting the crane on its site and
foundations, in such a way that it can be able to provide the function for which it
was designed.

Tower Crane safety checklist

Tower crane Cabin

Assembly required

The assembly and disassembly personnel must respect all the recommendations
contained in the manufacturer’s manual, which must be complemented with the
instructions given in writing by the professional responsible for the assembly
(university professional or technician with experience in the assembly of tower
cranes). Special care must be taken with prevailing weather conditions.

The written order emanating from the professional in charge must contain at least
the following information about the crane:

Brand, type and model.

Mounting heights, initial and final, expressed in m.

Pen and counter-feather length expressed in m.

A number of elements, position, dimensions, and mass of the necessary air

counterweight.

Characteristics of the initial and final weights (geometry, dimensions, mass, and
ordering).
A number of branches of the lifting cable.

Supply voltage and a section of the conductors.

The bracing program, if applicable, in case the height of autonomy is exceeded.

How are cranes set up

Stability Conditions:
With regard to the fact that the cranes and
maneuvers need stability conditions, before
starting the assembly of a tower crane, the
following must be done:

A study of the soil mechanics of

foundation.
The construction of the basal ballasts and aerial counterweights according to the
technical specifications of the assembly manual can be metallic, concrete or bulk
materials, in which case they must be contained in a closed and sealed metallic
box.

The counterweights and ballasts formed by blocks must bear a mark printed in
easily legible and indelible characters, indicating the mass of the same. Each time
the crane is assembled, the mass of the counterweight to be used must be verified,
and these must always be secured to the structure of the tower crane.

The correct construction of the anchors and their consolidation.

The construction of foundations that adequately transmit maximum gas to the

ground, these must be calculated and designed by competent university
professionals.

The rails and other elements that are part of the road must be installed according to
the provisions of the manufacturer, the fastening of rails must be appropriate to the
materials of the structure that supports them.
Tower crane safety precautions
For the use of cranes and maneuvers, the tolerances admitted in the initial
installation of the straight and horizontal roads will be the following:

Longitudinal leveling: The surface of translation of the same line of rails, must
not present irregularities of a level higher than 1/1000 of the width of the track.

Transverse leveling: The difference of the height between the two lines of rails
of the same track, should not be greater than 1/1000 of the width of the track.

How to build a tower crane

Distance between axis:

The gauge and the tolerances must correspond to those specified in the manuals of
the crane manufacturer, the head of each rail must be between two parallel vertical
planes, whose separation is equal to the nominal width of the said head plus 5 mm.

The slope between rail joints: Must be 2 mm maximum

Separation of rail joints: Determined according to the dilatation calculation of the

rail

Transverse leveling of the foot of each rail: It should be 3 / 1,000 maximum, with
respect to a horizontal plane

State of the track of translation: The flat surface of the head of the rail, must be
centered with respect to the plane of symmetry of the same.

Rolling tower cranes must have adequate means of immobilization to avoid any
movement when exposed to the action of the wind. These means must be
established according to the specifications contained in the manufacturer’s
manuals.
Tower crane jacking process
Assembly Procedure:
In general, the process begins with the assembly of the base of the tower, then the
first section is placed, with the diagonals that join it to the base and a part of the
basal ballast, then the slide is installed on top of it. locate the tower head and the
cabin.

Then the pen and counter jib are placed. The final counterweight is mounted and
more basal ballast is added. New sections are installed with the help of the boom of
the crane until reaching its final height.

Another way to increase the height is by means of a system in which the tower-
cabin-head unit is smaller in section than the rest of the shaft. The new section that
has an open side is superimposed on the tower surrounding the upper unit.

Then it goes up inside this new section, newly armed.

Steps for the assembly of a tower crane

After the assembly of the cart and the basal

ballast, the climbing equipment is prepared.

The climbing equipment is mounted on the

base section of the tower.

The rotating part is assembled, including

turning track, cabin, tower head and climbing section, joining the assembly tower.

The counter jib is placed.

With the hook of the crane, the tower section is placed on the mounting crosspiece.

The elements of the climbing system. The assembly tower, the hydraulic
equipment, and the support sleeper

The assembly systems have improved remarkably over time, in order to make it
faster, more comfortable and simpler, thus reducing the cost of this operation.
The assembly of all the assemblies is done by means of quick joints that do not
require the previous alignment.

In addition, the climbing is done by the hydraulic drive and the operators perform
all their work from safe and robust platforms, making the
whole process even in large capacity cranes very fast.

Operating conditions
Forms of Operation: There are basically three
possibilities of operating a tower crane:

Through keypad

Joystick

Using joystick built into the command chair

The first two systems allow remote operation; that is to say; they allow the
operator to move to the same point where the work is done, thus achieving greater
security in a certain operation.

Usually, when visibility permits, it is operated directly from the command cabin,
moving either the keypad or command box of it. And with the help of the
signalman, it is possible to make the required movements.

The lever command systems indicated above have the following operating
movements:

Start-up of the crane

Warning horn

Load upload (First, Second and Third speed)

Lowering of load (First, Second and Third speed)

Translating the distributor car forward (First and Second Speed)

Translation of the distributor car backward (First and Second speed)

Turn to the right (First and Second speed)

Turn to the left (First and Second speed)

Translation on rails forward

Translation on rails backward

Emergency stop