Tower Cranes
Image: science.howstuffworks.com
A senior engineer based in New York, Ghusalal Patel consults with a wide range of construction and engineering companies. His responsibilities encompass everything from the preparation of construction drawings to the organization of contractors on various aspects of projects. Ghusalal Patel has experience with complex structural elements, including those that allow the lifting of heavy equipment to high-rise buildings.
One indispensable resource is the tower crane, which can either be fixed on the ground via a concrete slab base or attached to the side of the structure. The base supports a tower that rises as high as necessary. Just above the height of construction is a slewing unit that supports the motor-and-gear-powered rotational capabilities of the crane.
When constructing a tower crane, the construction crew begins with a smaller mobile crane that assembles the initial machinery and jib. The tower then rises section by section from the base, using a climbing frame technique through which one crane is used to lift up another crane that is bolted in, a section higher each time. Tower cranes can be built up either externally along the side of the building or internally, with the building and elevator shaft constructed around it.
Ghusalal Patel 