The building is starting to take shape, the foundation has been placed, the walls are all framed out, and now it is time to complete the building's skeleton by installing the roof truss. These A-frame supports are often prebuilt in large pieces, which means lifting and maneuvering them up to their final position can be a challenging process.
When it comes to cranes, it is just as essential to have the right people operating the machinery as it is to have the right crane for the job. Cranes remain the most costly and deadly hazards on any construction site, with hundreds of injuries or deaths documented yearly in the United States.
If you are looking at renting a crane, you likely do not have qualified personnel on your crew to operate the machine. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t understand the processes crane operators, riggers, and signalers should be taking to ensure efficient and safe operation.
Commonly used in the construction of tall buildings and structures where materials need to be lifted to great heights, tower cranes are known for their unparalleled ability to lift heavy loads to the highest heights.
These cranes are unique in that they typically require the use of an additional crane, usually a mobile crane, to set them up. Then, once the initial phase of crane construction is complete, a climbing frame is added to the base of the tower and raised to add new mast sections. This process allows the crane to grow with the construction. Every type of crane is unique, but even tower cranes stand out.
A tower crane is a tall, vertical tower that is fixed to the ground and has a horizontal jib, or boom, extending from the top. A weight on the opposite side of the jib acts as a counterbalance, which helps maintain stability. Imagine the tall, slender crane structures you see working on skyscrapers in major cities; that’s a tower crane.
Cranes are complicated, highly technical pieces of equipment that take a great deal of maintenance, site preparation, and training to operate safely. Accidents during operation can cause property damage that impacts your project's schedule and cost and can easily cause severe injury or death.
Whether you operate your own crane or rent for a specific part of the project, it is essential that you understand the personnel necessary for safe lift operations.