How to Choose the Right Crane

If you are in the Charlotte area or anywhere in central North Carolina or South Carolina, you know that the area is in a perpetual state of growth. It seems as if we are always under construction, with new buildings being built every day and new roads being developed to travel to those buildings. For contractors, you have to answer a host of questions for each job site. You have to figure out the timeline for how quickly you can complete construction, how many people to hire to perform the jobs that need to be done, and what kind of materials and equipment your crew will require.

Furthermore, you will need to determine how you transport those materials. You may have to lift heavy objects into place or move them from one part of the job site to another. That will likely require the use of a crane, but with many types of cranes from which to choose, how will you know what to rent? Here is a short guide for choosing the right crane for your project.

Understanding the Different Types of Cranes

Tower Cranes: These cranes are often feats of modern engineering on their own. They typically require a mobile crane to set them up. Once the initial phase of crane construction is complete, a climbing frame can be added to the base of the tower and raised to add new mast sections. Types of tower cranes include hammerhead, luffing, and self-erecting.

*Note: Parker's Crane Service can help you construct and deconstruct tower cranes.

Level-Luffing Cranes: These cranes accomplish many of the same tasks as tower cranes; however, in addition to moving rotationally around the vertical mast, the jib can move inward and outward, giving them another level of usability.

Mobile Cranes: These are some of the most common cranes used for everything from road construction to building projects. Mobile cranes are often the most versatile, as they can be used on a wide variety of job sites and can traverse challenging and truck terrain.

Determining the Nature of Your Project

The type of project you have will be instrumental in determining the type of crane you will need. There are dozens of projects for which you may need a crane, including:

Building projects in a large city or tight downtown
Road construction in the hilly piedmont or foothills
Road construction in soft clay on the hard granite bedrock of the mountains
Moving heavy materials from one part of the job site to the other
Lifting heavy materials high to the top of a multi-story building
Constructing or repairing electrical lines and transformers

There are, of course, many other types of projects for which you may need a crane. The more details you can give a crane rental company, the better.

What You Need To Know About the Terrain

It is not just the nature of the project but the terrain that could make a difference. The Carolinas feature everything from rugged mountains to sandhills, thick red clay, to rolling hills. You will need a mobile crane that can handle whatever the Carolinas can throw at it. The more you know about your terrain, the better you will be able to communicate your needs to a crane rental company.

How to Determine the Load Calculation

Before you can get the crane you need, you need to know how much weight you will be lifting. There are several ways to find your local calculation, including:

The load's weight may be marked on the object or its packaging.
The load's weight may be written on the paperwork or shipping materials.
You may be able to determine the weight by using an industrial scale.
If all else fails, you may need to do some math. First, for squares and rectangles, the formula is "Volume = Length x Width x Height." For cylinders, the formula is “Volume = 3.14 x Length x Width x Height.” Then you will need to find the weight of the material within the object.

Your crane rental company may be able to help you determine your exact load calculation, but the closer you can get to the exact number, the faster they will be able to set you up with the right crane.

What You Want in a Crane Rental Company

You want a crane rental company that has years of experience and an impeccable safety record. That is what you will find with Parker's Crane Service. We have forty years of experience in this industry. Our zero-tolerance policy on accidents has helped us develop a flawless safety record. You can count on our cranes to be expertly and meticulously maintained, ready to help you complete your project. Reach out to the team at Parker's Crane today. We are here to help you get started with the perfect crane to get started on your piece of Charlotte area growth.

Need some help shopping around? Check out our article, Questions To Ask Before Renting a Crane.

The Carolinas Crane Blog by Parker's Crane