The mobile telescopic crane
- Published: 09 October 2008 09:00
- Last Updated: 09 October 2008 11:31
- Reader Responses
Colin Wood, is chief executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association.
Nominated by Colin Wood.
In dark distant days, mobile cranes all used lattice boom sections.
The jib sections were stacked either side of the crane and when the operator got to site he had to lower the jib sections to the ground with a davit arm and connect the jibs together. It could take hours to assemble. In 1967 everything changed with the advent of the telescopic crane.
The principle is straightforward: The first base section is pivotally mounted on a crane carrier and a second box section is telescopically engaged with the base section with a drive piston and cylinder arrangement to extend the boom.
Since then, telescopic crane has developed beyond recognition, saving on manpower and support vehicles and improving site safety. In the mid seventies a 165t Gottwald lattice boom crane needed at least three men to operate and rig it and many trailers for the boom. Now the 160t telescopic crane has one operator and can usually make do with one support vehicle.
Colin Wood, is chief executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association.
