Tower Cranes Grow to New Heights
Throughout the 1950s in the tower crane industry, there were numerous important developments in the design of these large cranes. Numerous manufacturers were started producing bottom slewing cranes with a telescoping mast. These equipments dominated the construction business for apartment block and office construction. Many of the top tower crane manufacturers didn't utilize cantilever jib designs. In its place, they made the switch to luffing jibs and in time, the use of luffing jibs became the standard method.
Within Europe, there were key improvements being made in the development and design of tower cranes. Often, construction locations were tight places. Having to depend on rail systems to transport a large number of tower cranes, became too inconvenient and costly. Some manufacturers were offering saddle jib cranes which had hook heights of 80 meters or 262 feet. These cranes were equipped with self-climbing mechanisms which allowed sections of mast to be inserted into the crane so that it can grow along with the structures it was constructing upwards.
These particular cranes have long jibs and could cover a bigger work area. All of these developments precipitated the practice of erecting and anchoring cranes in the lift shaft of a building. Then, this is the method that became the industry standard.
From the 1960s, the main focus on tower crane design and development started to cover a higher load moment, covering a larger job radius, faster erection strategies, climbing mechanisms and technology, and new control systems. Furthermore, focus was spent on faster erection strategies with the most significant developments being made in the drive technology department, among other things.