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THE WORLD’S TOP CRANES & BEYOND: ABOVE
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There are several powerful cranes which emerge from traditions dating back around 2,500 years ago, starting with the Greeks and the Romans. These cranes were able to carry up to 6,000 pounds when operated by eight men. Of course, they have evolved since then! Cranes, nowadays, can lift to 44 million pounds.
Whatever you build, we build it with you.
CRANE VESSELS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR OFFSHORE CONSTRUCTION OR MARINE ENGINEERING. These cranes can be used to construct offshore wind power, floating oil platforms and subsea developments. Though crane vessels resemble boats, they very rarely use monohull construction, implementing catamaran or semi-submersible approaches for increased stability. These cranes became popular during the 20th century due to the increased demand for offshore oil rigs. The biggest one is Heerema Marine Contractors, responsible for the SSCV Sleipnir, a semi-submersible crane vessel with the largest lifting capacity in the world of 20,000 tons in tandem.
THE STRONGEST MOBILE CRANE IN THE WORLD IS THE LIEBHERR LTM 11200-9.1
Mobile cranes are important on every construction site due to their portability and versatility. They are very easy to assemble and customise, and therefore beneficial in speeding up the construction process.
Mobile cranes can be used for small jobs, but some construction sites require more power in lifting. The Liebherr LTM 11200-9.1 is the perfect solution for heavy lifting with a capacity of 1,200 tons making it the world’s strongest mobile crane.
THE TALLEST TOWER CRANE IN THE WORLD IS THE KROLL K10000, 470 FEET, A GIGANTIC STRUCTURE THAT IS EVEN TALLER THAN THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. Tower cranes enable the construction of massive buildings, such as high skyscrapers, that would never be possible with a mobile crane. Some tower cranes are self-climbing, with the ability to construct their own tower as they rise along building up as they progress. Tower cranes are used mainly to construct buildings and are attached externally, or positioned in the middle of the building, helping to increase safety and of course, reach higher points.
THE SGC-250, THE SARENS GIANT CRANE, WHICH WAS FIRST BUILT IN THE UK, HAS AFFECTIONATELY BEEN NAMED ‘BIG CARL’ While most cranes are set-up for a specific job and then subsequently removed, other cranes are built for long-term purposes. These industrial super cranes are typically placed in ports where they are responsible for lifting unimaginable loads weighing millions of pounds. These cranes have become a tourist attraction for being so gigantic and majestic.
The Heaviest Lifted By A Crane Was In 2018 By Taisun
Taisun is the name of the world’s strongest crane which has a safe working load of 20,000 metric tons (22,046 short tons). Taisun was designed by DHHI (Dalian Huarui Heavy Industry). It is located at Yantai Raffles Shipyard in Yantai, Shandong Province, China. It is used to assemble semi-submersible vessels. The crane holds the three heaviest lifts of all time respectively: 20,133 metric tons, 17,100 tons and 14,000 tons. It can lift 20,133 tons which is equivalent to 8000 trucks. That’s quite a feat!
The amount of wire required to operate Taisun is nearly 50,000 meters or just over 31 miles, allowing it to lift a maximum of 80 meters.
Innovations from plant and equipment manufacturers, and the wider construction industry, are advancing at pace. Crane technology will also continue to evolve every year. The prediction is for the introduction of autonomous cranes, which could possibly reduce accidents by 50%.
