Cranes are an integral part of construction projects lifting heavy materials vertically and horizontally. Without cranes, much of our modern infrastructure would not exist.
If you have ever noticed tall cranes silhouetting a skyline, you may have wondered, “How are cranes transported?” Keep reading to find out more about crane transportation techniques and methods.
How Are Cranes Transported?
To answer “How are cranes transported?” you first must determine the type of crane needed for the job. Here are the two main categories of cranes that dictate transportation options.
Mobile Cranes
As the name suggests, mobile cranes can move around on their own. For example, rough terrain cranes have large wheels designed for moving over almost any surface. You can drive some of them on certain roads and highways.
However, like crawler cranes, some of these are made for moving around a construction site but not for driving on roads.
Truck-mounted cranes also are appropriate for road use. They usually have telescoping or folding booms. However, these cranes have limited applications due to their size and smaller load capacities.
Other cranes, like “pick and carry” cranes, are designed for moving around on the bed of a vehicle. These are very small machines and are not used in major building construction.
Fixed Cranes
All fixed cranes need some assembly on-site. Hanging cranes, for example, are permanent or semi-permanent machines that are built in coordination with the warehouse or building in which they operate. Similarly, engineers construct bridge cranes over some time by construction crews.
The most common way to transport taller cranes to the construction site is in pieces. Tower cranes, for instance, can reach several hundred feet in height. So they are disassembled into smaller pieces and transported by truck.
Once the pieces arrive at the construction site, reassembly can begin. This is often accomplished using smaller, mobile cranes. These cranes usually have a telescopic boom that reaches the necessary heights for putting the tower crane parts back together.
Self-erecting tower cranes are a newer technology and are driven to construction sites as a single unit. As a result, they often need special equipment for crane transportation. These cranes use a hydraulic system to unfold, taking as little as an hour.
Learn More About Crane Transportation
Now that you have an idea of how cranes are transported, you can determine the best method for your business. Crane manufacturers can also provide insight into crane transportation methods based on your particular construction demands.
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