About Specialized Application Cranes
Of the numerous types of cranes used in the construction industry, several have been adapted for particular purposes based on the environment in which they’ll be used. On CraneTrader.com, there are multiple specialized categories, including bridge cranes, container/stacking cranes, harbor/marine/barge cranes, pedestal cranes, pile driving cranes, and railroad cranes.
Specialized Application Crane Types
Not to be confused with overhead hoists, bridge cranes in the context of specialized application cranes are truck- or trailer-mounted units that provide workers platform access to the underside or sides of a bridge or overpass for use in inspections, repairs, and other applications. Some bridge cranes park on top of the bridge and lower a platform over the side, while others roll under the bridge on roads or railroad tracks to raise an aerial platform up to the underside. Alternative terms for bridge cranes include “under-bridge inspection units” and “under-bridge aerial access platforms.”
While container/stacking cranes are used in terminals and other locations to transport and stack shipping containers, including via automation, harbor/marine/barge cranes are used in seaports to move shipping containers and other items off or onto ships or barges. A pedestal crane, meanwhile, is a type of non-mobile crane with a pedestal for a base. These cranes are often used on offshore platforms, such as drilling rigs. A pedestal crane can rotate on a kingpin or on a roller bearing.
Pile driving cranes insert premade piles, or poles, vertically into the ground to support the weight of a new building or bridge better than the soil could alone. Most pile driving cranes use a hammering mechanism, such as a falling, heavy piston, to tap the pile into the ground similar to a hammer with a nail. Elsewhere, railroad cranes have train wheels that enable them to roll along railroad tracks. They may be mounted on a dedicated rail car or on a rubber-tired truck that can raise its rail wheels to drive off the tracks and operate on regular roads. There’s a variety of crane styles in use on railway vehicles for an array of purposes, from rail repair to loading.
Specialized Crane Manufacturers
CraneTrader.com is your leading source for new and used specialized application cranes. Leading brands and manufacturers include Anderson Hydra Platforms, Aspen Aerials, Barin, Liebherr, Nippon/Sharyo, and Sennebogen.