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Types of cranes and lifting equipment

Short answer

Cranes include mobile, crawler, tower, derrick, gantry, overhead travelling, rough-terrain, all-terrain, hoists and cableways. Selection depends on load weight, radius, height, ground conditions and duration. Mobile cranes use telescopic or lattice booms; crawler cranes give very high capacity on rough ground.

List different types of cranes (equipment for lifting) and discuss in brief with sketches.

Cranes lift and move heavy loads vertically and horizontally. Types:

  1. Mobile crane (truck-mounted): a telescopic or lattice boom on a truck chassis, with outriggers; used for general lifting and precast erection, and can travel on roads.
  2. Crawler crane: a lattice boom on tracks; very high capacity, travels on rough ground, suitable for heavy lifts.
  3. Tower crane: a fixed vertical mast with a rotating jib; for high-rise buildings.
  4. Derrick crane: a mast with a boom held by guy ropes; used for heavy loads in a limited area.
  5. Gantry (portal) crane: a bridge on legs running on rails; used in precasting yards, workshops and dam construction.
  6. Overhead travelling crane: moves on rails along a building; used in factories and powerhouses.
  7. Rough-terrain and all-terrain cranes: rough-terrain cranes have large tyres and four-wheel drive for travel on rough sites; all-terrain cranes can travel both on site and on public roads.
  8. Hoists, chain blocks and winches: simple lifting of light loads; goods hoists in buildings.
  9. Cableway: for dams and mountain areas.
 Mobile crane:      Tower crane:
   boom  /            ____|____
   _____/ hook        counter  jib
  [cab]=O==O=         |mast|

Selection depends on the load weight, lifting radius, height, ground conditions and the duration of use.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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