Gantry cranes are also known by other names such as portal, bridge or overhead cranes though they are all slightly different. As the name suggests, a gantry/portal crane is one that is built on top of a gantry. The gantry typically straddles a workspace or any object. Whereas gantries are usually wheeled to the work location, overhead cranes are fixed at specific locations that may include the roofs of buildings or walls. A gantry crane, alternately, may consist of a movable hoist, which by itself runs along a beam or rail. Some of the different types of gantries are briefly described below.

Portable gantries help to reach out to all corners of a building or workspace, to move or lift material, pull equipment and heavy machinery, and also in the disassembly of equipment for transport in service trucks. Adjustable gantries come with adjustable span height and tread. These are used on uneven floors and through aisles and doorways. For movement in a fixed route, track mounted gantries are used. Gantries that can be relocated are used for hire purposes as much as for those types of workspaces where the workflow tends to undergo frequent changes. Some of these cranes also take the form of container cranes mainly employed in container terminals. These gantries have the gantry rails and the supporting beam cantilevered in a manner that helps them to lift the containers from the quay and place them on a ship. (more…)

Jib cranes come in very handy when we have to move around heavy loads. There are a wide range of jib cranes to choose from depending on the work at hand. Different manufacturers have modified their own brands to suit the needs of their customers.

When choosing the suitable crane for you, you will need to consider your working space, the kind of task the crane will be handling as well as other factors. If you have a very small working space, a very big crane may not serve your purpose well.

There are professionals from crane manufacturing companies who can offer you valuable advice. Let them walk you through the various options and let them and your engineers decide on the best option for your needs.

Here are some of the models that you can access in the UK:

The Pillar jib crane LS

It weighs 100 kg with a jib length of 3 metres. It is made for low range lifting tasks. It is able to lift loads at a speed of 12 metres per minute. This makes the pillar jib crane very effective. Using an intermediate steel plate, the pillar jib crane is held steady on a base plate.

The wall jib crane LW

When you need to move light loads by hand, then this wall jib crane will come in handy. With a capacity of 200 kg and a 7 metre jib length, can be very effective in the packaging section at an industry.

The pillar jib crane LSX

Having a capacity of 500 kg and a 7 metre jib length, this crane is very effective in work places with low ceilings.

The wall jib crane LWX

This wall jib crane is specially made for lifting and lowering loads lightly. It is best suited for light tasks that require delicate handling. It has a capacity of 100 kg and a 3 meter jib length.

Pillar jib crane VS

This jib crane has an electric chain hoist. It is mostly used for lifting loads considered unsafe to be moved around by hand. It is commonly used for moving road construction materials. The crane is secured on a base foundation.

Wall jib crane VW

This is the best option for people who deal in construction of tanks and container. It is manufactured in a way that allows the user to maximise their working space. It allows you to raise loads to the maximum desired height.

The pillar jib crane VS

With a capacity of 5 tonnes and 7 metres jib length, this crane is fitted with an electric wire rope hoist.

These are just some of the common jib cranes that are used in different industries. Engineers and experts in the different fields are well placed to advice you on the best manufacturers to buy from. The manufacturer will offer installation services. Jib cranes also need regular maintenance to ensure they remain in perfect working condition. If they are not serviced and maintained in good condition, they can become a hazard at the place of work and pose serious danger to workers.

People who are interested in finding the right electric chain hoists that can work for them need to make sure that they do a thorough search for the different products that are available. It is important that you do your research and finds a good product that will last for a long enough time.

Finding the right host will ensure that you can find something that can work for you. You will need to look at the specifications of each model to make sure that it has the carrying capacity that you are looking for. (more…)

It seems at the moment that new build houses are popping up all over the place. With the growing population, it is obvious that we need more houses and theses can be built in a matter of months by a good construction company. Often once the planning permission has gone through and work has started, it doesn’t take long before the first houses are up and ready to be moved in to.

Working in the construction industry is often a physically hard job to do. You may find that you have to do a lot of manual labour and work long hours. Construction workers often start early and sometime shave to work weekends. The pay can be good, depending on what sort of job you have. If you want to drive construction vehicles, then you may need to take a test to allow you to have the license to do so. Theses tests can be quite expensive but once you have completed them you can earn good money as a driver on a construction site. The job may be challenging at time but it can also be very rewarding to see what you have achieved and it is likely to be quite secure as the construction industry continues to grow.

Are you considering setting up your own construction business? If so then you may want to read through some of our top tips and hints to help the process go smoothly. The UK construction industry is booming and if you work within the industry you may want to take the plunge now to setting up on your own. Although setting up a construction business can be quite daunting, the rewards and pay can be amazing and well worth while. You don’t have to run a huge company that employees 100 plus people to make money. Many smaller businesses with less than 10 employees are doing well.

Before setting up any new business it is vital that you create a business plan. You business plan should detail the services you intend to offer, who your intended customers are and your charging structure. Without this you run the risk of trying to offer too many services and not focusing on your strengths. You also need to button down your pricing as this will have a huge impact on what profit you make.

When you first start, don’t be afraid to turn jobs down that are out of your remit. Although you may be tempted to do anything and everything, this could land you with a bad reputation or see you losing money if the jobs are not done correctly.

Within the construction industry, there are a number of different types of jobs. Some of these jobs require formal qualifications or licenses and other don’t. Some of the lower skilled jobs can be started with no previous experience, just a willingness to learn. Often jobs such as roofing an building are learnt whilst on the job rather than by attending college. If, however you want to go into a job such as being an architect or surveyor, then you will often need to obtain a degree or further qualification.

It is common for people within the construction industry to progress up the ladder relatively quickly. You may start out as a labourer on a work site but within a few years, become a foreman in charge of a team of people. This can make the job very attractive to those that do not want to attend college or uni but do want to progress up the ladder in to more highly skilled and higher paid jobs.

Experience is key, so you may have to be willing to work for a low wage to start with until you have built up the experience and skills you need. Once you have this, you can then look to progressing in to other fields.

If you are thinking of having an extension built on your home then you may automatically assume that you will need an architect, but this is not always the case. Although architects are very skilled and will easily be able to create you a plan for your extension, you may not actually need one and may be able to cut down on costs if this is a concern.

Architects can cost around five to ten percent of the total build cost so it is a huge saving to be made if you can do without one. If your extension is going to be very complex and you want something like what you would see on Grand Designs then yes, you should use an architect, but if you just want a second store on top of a garage or an extension added on to your kitchen then it may be a little overkill.

Lots of the elements of an extension are already built such as Windows and doors, so you will easily be able to find out the dimensions of them. Anyone with some design skills will be able to create a plan for you whether it be computerised or on paper. It is important to have a plan of the room laid out so when you have different trades people in they are able to see what needs to go where.  

In the construction industry forklift trucks are often used to move heavy loads from place to place especially if the load needs to be lifted a relatively short height. There are different types of power units that drive forklift trucks namely electric which is battery powered, propane gas or diesel. The choice of forklift will be dependent upon the working environment for example an indoor environment would necessitate an electrically powered truck for safety reasons as the other two types produce noxious exhaust gases.

It is vitally important that when choosing the forklift truck that you are going to use, you are mindful of the weight of the load you intend to lift and allow extra capacity for unexpected contingences such as a load that is heavier than anticipated resulting in the need to manually remove some of the load.

Another factor is the physical size of the truck which is only an issue if you are working in a confined space. Some forklift trucks are capable of shifting loads sideways as well as vertically and these are particularly useful in smaller spaces.

Operating a forklift truck requires the driver to have a valid license for that type of truck to ensure that it is operated safely and correctly.

As health and safety is a main concern for many employers and employees it is important to understand what qualifications or courses you need to have completed to be able to work on a construction site. Regardless of your skill level, all construction workers need to have a CSCS card. Which one you apply for will depend on the work that you will be undertaking, for example a labourer will usually apply for a different card to an experienced builder.

CSCS cards provide proof that individuals working on construction sites have the appropriate training and qualifications for the job they do on site.

Before you can apply for the CSCS card you need to have completed the Healthy, Safety and Environment test and passed the course. There are three different levels that you can apply for. First is the operative level which is a basic course aimed at labourers and apprentices etc. The next level is manager and professional which will be needed if you want to apply for the Black Managers card and the last level is Specialist which will be a lot more in depth and is often needed if you are going to be supervising others.

When you are operating any kind of crane, or you are supervising others whilst they are using a crane, you need to adhere closely to the load capacity set out for that crane and the specific hoist that is being used.

Why is this so important? Because:

• It can cause serious damage to the crane and the sling, and these are expensive pieces of lifting equipment
• It can cause serious injury. It might not seem like too big an issue to overload a lifting sling just a little, but when a load is too heavy, it will be unstable and can act unpredictably. This might mean that it will swing unsteadily, or even fall, with the potential to cause injury to people in the vicinity.

Consult the manual when using any kind of crane for the first time to make absolutely sure of the load capacity – never, ever make assumptions about the weight a crane can take.