116' Above Claremont

This week, some of our Bernards team members climbed atop our 116 ft. tall tower crane. You can see our crane from all around the Claremont area, but do you know where these cranes started?

Adapted from shipyards, tower cranes became vital in the reconstruction of Germany after WWII. Business owner and inventor, Hans Liebherr, remodeled tower cranes in a way to make them more affordable and practical for use. Since the late 1940s, tower cranes have been the lifeblood of construction in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, because they're convenient for hoisting materials in tight, urban areas. Their popularity in the United States has drastically increased over the last decade, with Engineering News Record estimating they've tripled in use.

Tower cranes are used to lift steel, concrete, large tools and a wide variety of building materials. Although erecting and operating the crane can be costly, it's incredibly time effective.

The jib, this long "working arm" that extends horizontally, carries the load (items being lifted by the crane). A trolley runs along the jib to move the load in and out from the crane's center. On the opposite side, is a shorter "arm" that carries counterweights. Our crane, at the very end of the jib can carry 17,181 lbs!

The crane operator sits in a cab at the top of the tower, and in order to hook and unhook loads, the operator works with a signaler, or "rigger." They are constantly in radio contact and using hand signals. The rigger is responsible for the safety of the rigging and loads.

The size and structure of the tower crane can seem a little unnerving, after all, why doesn't it just fall over? The stability comes from a large concrete pad, which is poured before the crane is erected. On our site, the pad measures 24' by 24' by 3'-4". There are also blots that connect the tower structure to the pad. Safety is a top priority for us, and before our crane was used, it was inspected by a third party and Cal OSHA.

Our tower crane will be standing tall until about March 2010. You can take a look at how the crane was erected at the end of June 2009 in the video below.