Tower Cranes range from small mobile self-erecting tower cranes up to large fixed based hammerhead tower cranes that are used for large scale industrial projects.

Tower cranes are erected and tower crane operators lift concrete, steel beams and building materials from the ground to heights sometimes higher than 100 stories. 

There are key parts to making a tower crane fully operationally. 

To erect a hammerhead, flat top, luffing jib tower crane, a heavy concrete pad must be laid where the base of crane will be. Then the base of the crane is bolted down with massive bolts and the base of the tower crane is secured to the concrete pad. 

The concrete paid is poured weeks in advance. The concrete pad ensures the tower cranes stability.

For largest of tower cranes, the pad may be up to 30' by 30' and 4' deep with a pad weight up to 400, 000 lb.

The large tower section that reaches upward in the sky is primarily referred as the mast sections by the crane industry. 

At the very top of the mast, you will find the slewing unit, which allows the crane to rotate.

The boom section that extends out from the top of the crane is known among crane professionals as the jib section. 

On the other side of the lifting jib, you will the concrete counterweight concrete slab.  The counterweight ensures the crane stays balanced and lifts properly. 

The crane operator’s cab, where an operator who is professionally trained operates the crane from. 

Typically when a crane is anchored to a concrete slab a tower crane will not exceed more than 265' of mast for safety reasons. When a tower crane is secured to the side of a building, mast sections can be added as the building rises to increase the height of a tower crane. 

The maximum a tower crane jib section crane reach is around 230', and the maximum allowable tonnage to be lifted at the end of the jib section is it 19.8 tons, or 18 metric tons. 

Most Cranes come equipped with “load moment indicators (LMI)" which stop the crane from being overloaded. The switch monitors the load to ensure it doesn’t exceed the maximum load rating  A secondary switch ensures the load, does not extend to an unsafe distance along the jib.

Outside of smaller self erecting tower cranes, the components of a tower crane are hauled to the job site and typlically a Mobile All Terrain Crane is used to assemble the jib section, the slewing unit and counterweights on the machinery arm and lifted atop the mast section. 

Everyone always asks, how does the crane increase in height from the base up.  Well, that is a complicated procedure and a “climber” is used.  The climber jacks up the top section of the crane leaving enough space for a section mast’s latticework to slide in, which is done with the jib by the tower crane itself. Once the lattice is in place it is secured and the process with the climber is repeated.