VITA EQUIPMENT
EMBRACING LOAD STABILITY TECHNOLOGY
How precision control transformed a complicated tower crane assembly
The size and complexity of the component parts of a tower crane can be a challenge for erection crews to manage. Especially so when cranes go up on narrow sites that are close to pedestrians, roads, and buildings.
Potentially hazardous process also involving working at heights, awkward postures, lifting and aligning components of significant size and mass and installing temporary support systems. Crane assemblies are also often performed under significant time pressure due to the need for road closures, suitable daylight hours or short weather windows.
OVERVIEW
The Vita Load Navigator uses high powered thrusters to eliminate load movement during crane lifts, enabling riggers to remotely stabilize loads and precisely place them via manual controls that can rotate even the heaviest lifts in controlled increments.
The ability to pass control from the ground crew remote to a second remote utilized by the technicians up on the structure ensures a smooth assembly process.
NAVIGATING CHALLENGING WIND & WEATHER
Wind can be a significant safety issue when lifting the various components of the Jib assembly.
Not only are the components often awkward to lift and prone to kiting factors but having workers receiving the jib assembly parts at height means further exposure and risk when adverse weather and wind does arise.
A compounding problem known as the “wind channeling effect” can also pose serious risk when assembling a tower crane in cities with large buildings in proximity.
The issue occurs when wind gusts hits buildings and, with nowhere else to go, are pushed up, down and around the sides, often dramatically increasing wind speeds in what are known as micro-burst events.
A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change finds that winds across much of North Micro-burst events have been documented to push over trucks and more generally wreak havoc on job sites. In some areas the problem has gotten bad enough that city governments are now mandating complex wind studies before they will approve new skyscraper construction.
