Everything You Need To Know About Cranes
Crane hire in Australia is a specialist business requiring a full working knowledge of each crane and its capabilities. If you’re interested in crane hire for your company, then knowing the suitability of different cranes for specific jobs makes your decision much easier. So, let’s start with some basic knowledge about cranes, followed by the types of mobile cranes you might want to hire for your next project.
The fast-paced construction industry means that crane hire in Australia requires quick decision-making to ensure that you get the right crane for your project. However, whilst there is a range of different cranes available for hire, they are not all suitable for the same jobs.
Increasing your understanding of cranes helps you decide which type of crane is best for your project. So let’s begin with the components that cranes have in common, followed by a look at what makes the three most popular types of mobile cranes ideal for specific types of jobs.
Components that all cranes have in common include the following: booms, hoists, hooks, outriggers, counterweights, cabins and jibs.
There are two types of boom – lattice or hydraulic.
The lattice boom is a tower of welded steel in the shape of a lattice and is used in tower cranes and crawlers. The lattice boom allows the crane to lift and move large weights to great heights on a job site. On the other hand, hydraulic booms are usually telescopic and are the preferred crane hire for sites where mobility is a priority.
The hoist is the rigging system of the crane, usually consisting of spooled wire that raises and lowers the hook. It’s the part of the crane that creates lift and can move heavy materials to great heights and distances.
The hook connects the crane with the load and must be strong enough to safely lift the materials for the entire time it takes to move the load to its new location.
These are metal beams that extend outwards from the base of the crane and provide additional stability to the crane. These are easily seen standing on the ground around the crane’s base and are an essential requirement for safely securing the stability of the crane.
Counterweights prevent your crane hire from tipping over when lifting loads. They can be fitted to the base of the crane or the jib (opposite the boom lift) and are designed to offset the weight of the load.
The cabin is where the operator sits to operate the crane. It contains large windows to ensure that the operator can clearly visualise the operation of the crane at all times.
The jib provides leverage and distance for the hoist and hooks to lift and move loads. It usually extends horizontally from the boom providing the space to lift large or lengthy construction materials. Usually, a fixed jib is included in your crane hire, but there is also a luffing jib available that’s ideal for constricted sites when oversailing is required.
If you’re looking for reliable crane hire in Australia, then Quinlan Cranes has three of the most popular mobile cranes used in the construction industry and work sites. These are the Franna cranes, rough terrain cranes and all-terrain or mobile cranes.
Franna cranes are highly mobile and designed to lift and move heavy loads (10 to 25 tonnes) around a job site. They are one of our most popular crane hires because they are fixed to a truck, making them highly manoeuvrable. In fact, they are so versatile that they are also called taxi cranes. These cranes can also be safely driven on roads, giving you the benefit of a truck and the lifting power of a crane.
Rough terrain cranes are the ideal crane hire for undeveloped or remote work sites. They are highly mobile cranes that can operate on rubble, steep grades or extremely uneven or muddy surfaces. With oversized tyres and hyper-sized axles, these rough terrain vehicles are also sufficiently agile that they can easily manoeuvre in tightly confined spaces. Equipped with overextended hydraulic outriggers to widen their centre of gravity, these cranes can automatically level themselves on unstable ground.
As their name suggests, all–terrain cranes are suitable for a range of surfaces from sand and gravel to highways and asphalt roads. They are often called mobile cranes, but they are much more than that because they combine a mobile Franna truck crane with a rough terrain crane. The big benefits of an all-terrain crane hire are its all-wheel drive, speed and its ability to lift up to 1000 tonnes. They are ideal for sites with either no road access or access only via dirt roads.
Quinlan Cranes are the leading providers of crane hire in Melbourne and Geelong. So if you’re still undecided about which options are best for your next job site, call us on 03 8368 2800 to discuss your needs.