Cranes have been used for heavy lifting since the Greek and Roman civilisations created crude, yet effective lifting machines to assist with construction, and many industries today rely heavily on cranes. Of course, we have come a long way regarding the development of heavy lifting equipment, and here are just a few of the types of crane that are used today.
- Tower Crane – Essential when building high rise units, the tower crane can be raised by simply adding steel sections, and they are often seen on the top floor of a high-rise development, moving heavy materials from the ground and up to the current working level. Heavy concrete weights are used as a counterbalance and the crane operator would sit in a control room that is near the top of the crane.
- Rail Cranes – You can see this type of crane when you visit a large port, as the rain crane is used to load and unload shipping containers, and this huge machine would be in a static location that allows it to stack and unstack containers.
- Gantry Crane – The crane section runs along a rail that is supported by a huge gantry framework and the gantry crane would be found at major shipping ports and container storage depots.
- Mobile Crane – By far the most versatile of all the cranes, there is affordable crane hire in Perth, WA, from an established company that offer a diverse range of heavy lifting solutions. The mobile crane would have 6 stabilising legs that can be hydraulically lowered, thus providing a solid base for the lift, and these units come in a range of sizes, making them ideal for awkward lifting. The boom would also be telescopic, extending or contracting, according to the work being done, and the largest mobile cranes can easily be hired on a daily basis, or for a single heavy lift.
- Tracked Mobile Crane – There are some situations where a wheeled mobile crane is not able to move across muddy or boggy terrain, and in such cases, the caterpillar-tracked crane would be the best solution. These are often used to assist with collapsed buildings from natural disasters like earthquakes, as the vehicle can move on any terrain.
- Aerial Cranes – Typically, helicopters are used for aerial lifting, which is often required for rural construction, such as building a cable car system, with the helicopter lifting individual sections of the many supports. Aerial lifting is often required at sea, when a ship is not able to enter the harbour, and, of course, helicopters are used to winch people to safety in many different environments.
If you require some specialist heavy lifting of any kind, search online for a crane hire firm, as they would have the right type of crane for the job at hand. All of the cranes come with experienced operators who can make short work of any heavy lifting, and with the professionals, you can be sure that the lift will be safe and effective.
