Tower cranes soar above any project they’re on, offering a unique view of the jobsite for their operators. But, that view comes at a cost, as they require climbing a fixed vertical ladder all of the way up.
Handling the physical stress of all of that climbing may be the least of the concern, because the actual time it takes to climb up and down create additional issues. Many operators stay in their cabs most of the day, which not only restricts how and when they can use a restroom, but also creates an extremely challenging situation if an emergency occurs.
To see what the climb is like for a 300 foot tall tower crane, you can check out this video we posted several years ago.
Select Plant Hire, a UK based construction equipment rental and solutions provider, has been developing am elevator system for tower cranes in order to alleviate the logistical problems the cranes present to their operators. At this point, it appears that the company is still testing the system out, but they do have at least working unit installed on one of their tower cranes.
There hasn’t been a lot of information released regarding the elevator hoist, but Laing O’Rourke, the owner of Select Hire, did post this video below, so you can see it in action and get the reactions of a couple of crane operators working in the area.
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.