Have you ever looked up at the top of a tall building with a crane on it and wondered how it got there? Or better yet, have you ever wondered how in the world the contractors in charge of using the crane plan on getting it down from the top of the building once they are finished with it? As you might imagine, it’s a pretty big undertaking on the part of the crane operators, but it’s actually not as complicated as it might appear. Moreover, as long as the proper precautions are taken when raising and lowering a construction crane, everything should go off without a hitch.
Raising a construction crane is a fairly simple process. While it might seem difficult to lift a heavy crane up dozens of stories, the truth is that the crane is responsible for raising itself by building all of the platforms that are used to guide it up the side of a skyscraper. From the ground level all the way up to the tippy-top of the building, the crane is supported on each level by a mast that the crane must help build as it inches upwards. There are also powerful hydraulic rams located underneath of the crane that help all of this along and raise the crane throughout the construction process.
Lowering a construction crane is slightly more difficult, but there’s not a whole lot to it. Once a construction company is finished using a crane on a skyscraper, it will begin to disassemble the crane piece by piece and slowly lower those pieces back down towards the ground. The mast, base of the crane, and hydraulic rams are then lowered back down once all of the other crane pieces have been safely disassembled and lowered. In some cases, a construction company will also bring in an additional crane to help with this part of the process. There are also certain instances that will require the use of a helicopter to remove a crane, though it can be a more expensive way to lower a crane back down to the ground.
Astro Crane has plenty of experience when it comes to raising and lowering construction cranes. If you work for a company that needs a crane for a job, we can tell you more about how to use one effectively. Call us at 978-429-8666 today for help.
