On construction sites, luffing cranes are gradually becoming the most used tower cranes thanks to its uniqueness. The luffing tower crane is the only crane that can be used on congested construction sites as well as sites that have lots of buildings meters away from it. The luffing tower crane has a very short counter jib and a small radius that can be tweaked as needed. What this means is that the Luffing Tower Crane can be used in narrow areas or spaces with ease as well as construction sites that do not have space issues.

Limited space is not a strange thing when construction sites are concerned. It is, in fact, one of the main reasons why a lot of construction project never left the pipelines. Before any crane can be operated the operator has to obtain over sailing permit. The over sailing permit gives the right to use cranes that will carry a load over buildings. A lot of the time this permit is usually not granted. The reason for this is that most of these construction projects are done in populated areas or cities with buildings all surrounding the construction site. This is done to prevent accidents from occurring that can threaten human lives. Luffing Tower Cranes solves the permit problem because it does not need a lot of radii to operate. It is the ideal crane for building or construction projects where there is limited space to work. With the Luffing Tower crane, the heavy load can now be lifted with a crane whose arm operates within the boundaries of the construction site.

Before we discuss the advantages of Luffing Cranes in details, you must know some important things about the Luffing Tower Crane.

Luffing jib tower crane

The luffing jib tower crane is a type of tower crane that is mostly used by industries for construction works; transportation, by forestry industries, by mining industries and also by manufacturing companies or facilities where a lot of heavy lifting is required but space is an issue. It is the best type of crane for operating in limited space. There are other types of cranes and they all come with their unique functions and advantages. It is safe to say that there is a crane for every lifting operation and situation.

Luffing jib tower cranes are best suited for completing difficult tasks in areas where other types of cranes cannot operate in. it is mainly used to transport heavy and large objects or items from one location to another on a construction site.

The luffing jib crane is also the best crane to use when more than one crane is needed on the construction site. The luffing jib tower crane can lift heavy items vertically upward without using a lot of radii. Because of this, the chances of a crash occurring is very slim because the luffing Jib tower crane does not cross the working radius of the other crane.

In addition, Luffing Tower cranes are very versatile because they can be used as an auxiliary crane to a bigger tower crane. this helps to reduce the time needed to complete a construction project. Furthermore, because of the way the Luffing tower crane is designed, it has higher lifting power compared to other types of cranes.

You should know that in some countries and cities, the use of Luffing jib Tower cranes is mandatory for any construction work. For instance, in London, no crane is allowed to swing over surrounding buildings for any reason whatsoever. Therefore, it is very demanded in London because it bypasses the prohibition.

You should also know that luffing tower cranes can be used with Zoning Devices. these devices allow the operator of the crane to electronically limit the crane from sailing overpopulated buildings or important structures near the construction site. These kinds of buildings and structures include schools, main highways, etc. The use of Zoning device is mandatory when the construction site is close to a railway or an electrical installation.

Advantages of Luffing Tower Cranes

It solves the problem of limited space on construction sites

As you must have inferred from the discussion above, the main advantage of using the Luffing Tower crane is that it solves space issues. This is because it can be operated in tight spaces without limiting its efficiency and performance.

It also provides solutions and the only way forward when over sailing rights for other types of cranes are denied by the regulatory body. The Luffing Tower Crane can work and lift load effectively without the load leaving the boundaries of the construction site.

As a substitute and auxiliary cranes

Luffing Cranes can be used as substitute cranes on construction sites where there is a need for many types of cranes. They are suitable for this because when being operated, their jib arm does not interfere with the operation of other cranes on the site. This also helps to reduce crash as well as other types of crane-related accidents. It is a usual practice to have more than one luffing tower crane on working simultaneously on a site.

Note: Before a construction site manager can do this, he or she has to have prior experience and projects that involved the use of multiple luffing cranes at once. If he or she has this experience, it would really boost the time spent on the project.

In addition, they can also be used as auxiliary cranes to a principal crane and greatly improve material handling in the site. This, in turn, reduces the amount of time spent on construction work.

Lifting Capacity

Luffing Cranes can vertically lift loads or materials upward or downward without having a large radius. Also, they do not have trolley motors so the weight of the item or material about to be lifted is transmitted straight to the jib. This two features results contribute to the lifting capacity of any tower crane. Because of the way the Luffing Tower Crane is designed, they are able to lift materials that are much heavier than other types of Tower Cranes.

Can be used in severe weather conditions

The way Luffing Tower cranes are designed makes them resistant to the effects of environmental conditions. For instance, a strong wind can do not greatly affect the performance of the Luffing Tower Crane. Using other types of Tower cranes in strong wind can easily lead to an accident because their boom can easily be influenced by wind. The reason why Luffing Tower Cranes are not affected by this is that their brake and slewing mechanism can simultaneously be released which thus reduces the influence of wind on the crane. This, in turn, helps avoid collision of the boom of the crane with buildings and other cranes when free slewing.

The important things to note about Level Jib Tower Cranes

The use of Level Jib Tower Crane in some countries is prohibited because of the dangers it can cause. It is therefore important that you make your findings to be sure that the Level jib tower crane is not prohibited in the area you want to use it. This would save you from a lot of lawsuits.

The Luffing jib tower crane, on the other hand, is accepted in a lot of sites and countries because it does not pose a lot of danger. It is also efficient and can be used with auxiliary cranes on a site to reduce the cost of production

Drawbacks of using Luffing Tower cranes

It is not news that even something as useful and good as the luffing Tower crane has some disadvantages of its own when compared with other tower cranes. The most glaring ones you need to know have been compiled below.

The Luffing jib Tower Crane has more height compared to regular types of cranes.
Luffing Tower Cranes are static tower cranes that are, they are fixed. This means that they cannot be carried to another location for use after a previous work is complete.
The cost of disassembling and assembling the tower crane is too expensive. Its maintenance requires lots of money. Also, the frames of a Luffering jib Tower crane is stronger compared to other typical tower cranes. This invariably means that it takes lots of time to completely erect the crane itself. Even the process of assembling the Luffing Tower crane is complex and you need to have a bit of technical expertise, otherwise, you will spend a lot of unnecessary time assembling it.
Unlike a lot of the other commonly used Tower cranes, the Luffing Tower Crane does not have a trolley motor in its design. It has to complete a set of mechanical movement before the load can be moved. This means that Luffing tower Cranes are slower compared to other tower cranes. This is because they do not have a trolley whose motor can easily be used to control the lifting of the item.

Two Kinds of Luffing Tower Cranes that we have

There are two common models of Luffing Tower Cranes. There is the usual and regular one – Luffing Tower Crane and the other type called Level Jib Tower Crane. The two of them are very popular and although they share a close operating principle, they are very different in their structure which influences how they are used.

The Luffing Tower Crane is used for large projects where large and heavy lifting needs to be done. It is also used for installing heavy field equipment. It has a high perching accuracy, very safe to operate and a large lifting capacity which is a specification a lot of other tower crane does not meet.
The level jib Tower crane, on the other hand, is used in civil building projects where perching accuracy and large lifting capacity is not needed but fast lifting is required.

Having said that, which one of the two do should you go for? The truth is, both of them have their special advantages and unique disadvantages. We will discuss the crucial one you should consider before selecting any of the models as your choice crane.

Luffing jib tower cranes have one major advantage which level jib tower crane does not have. This is also the main reason why the Luffing jib Tower Crane is more used compared to its counterpart. The Luffing jib Tower Crane can be used in Power Station construction field and is mostly being used in china. The Level Jib Tower crane can also be used in the power station but usually as an auxiliary crane. The Luffing Jib Tower is mainly used for lifting boilers because of the efficiency and safety it offers.

Furthermore, Luffing jib Tower Cranes and Level jib Tower cranes are rarely used on the same site. this is because while the Luffing Tower crane is suitable for working in sites with limited space, it is very dangerous to use Level Jib Tower Cranes on such sites. Operating a Level Jib Tower Crane on a site with space restriction can easily cause accident or crashes because of interference between the crane and the other buildings surrounding the site.

Summary

Like any other type of tower Crane, the Luffing Tower Crane has its benefits and drawbacks. It is certainly the only option you have if the construction site has space restrictions. However, it is not so helpful where there is a lot of space to work in because it carries out its lifting operation slowly compared to other tower cranes. It can, however, be used as an auxiliary crane on a site where a lot of cranes are needed for a different kind of lifting.

It is important that you consider the type of work and resources available to you before choosing a tower crane. Using the wrong one can result in the work being delayed and more money being wasted on the completion of the project. That said, there is no denying that Luffing Tower Cranes are special and very helpful.