Structural Design

Tower Crane Design for Heavy Engineering

The client is a privately owned Australian company specializing in material handling throughout the Australasian region. The company has established itself as a leading manufacturer of specialized lifting machinery like tower/gantry/overhead cranes and hoists. Cranes are essential in architectural, infrastructure, mining and commercial sectors for safe and efficient lifting and movement of heavy materials.

Scope

The client sought us to:

  • Crane Design: Design a tower crane with a lifting capacity of 5 tons at a 15-m radial reach and a maximum lifting height of 30 m. The design must consider load factors, safety standards, and ease of manufacturing.
  • Foundation & Stability Solutions: Define appropriate foundation concepts, counterbalance load distributions, and component placements for maximum stability and efficiency.
  • Safety & Compliance: Ensure the design complies with AS standards, making necessary modifications to meet safety and operational regulations.
  • Accessibility & Attachments: Integrate essential features like lifting attachments, fixtures, walkways, stairs, and access equipment for ease of use and maintenance.

Challenge

Their tower crane designs had major issues that were impacting performance and efficiency. Some of the key challenges included:

  • Modular Design: The crane needed a modular structure for easy on-site assembly and height adjustments. Ensuring smooth mast extensions while keeping the crane stable was challenging.
  • Jib Design: Choosing the right jib length was essential to keep the crane stable and efficient when lifting different loads. The jib had to be light for easy operation but strong enough to lift heavy loads without bending or putting stress on the crane.
  • Foundation & Anchorage Design: Accurate calculations are required for a stable tower crane at different site locations. The client needed core design support for a particular task.
  • Counterweight Balance Issues: The client needed support with a new concept for counterbalance loads. The balance weight had to be calculated correctly to ensure that the crane is stable with or without load and in operational conditions.
3D rendering of tower crane

Solution

To solve the issues with the tower crane, we used a hands-on approach, combining research and practical structural engineering solutions to develop a detailed 3D model.

Our process included:

1. Load Calculations

Before jumping into the design, we made sure to understand the operational needs of the crane. This meant assessing the static and dynamic forces, considering weight, movement, and how lifting and lowering loads at different angles could impact stability.

We also considered important load types like dead, live, wind, seismic, and fatigue loads. This helped us explore various design options to ensure the crane would perform reliably, no matter the conditions.

2. Material Selection

Based on our load calculations, we chose EN 10025-3: S460 high-strength structural steel for the tower crane's main frame, jib, and other key structural components. This steel offers high strength and durability, even in low temperatures, while being lightweight yet strong (with a yield strength of 460 MPa).

For areas under the most stress, like crane’s joints and connections, we selected S460NL and S460ML, which are designed to withstand higher levels of pressure and strain.

3. Detailed Structural Design

In this phase, we created a detailed 3D CAD model of the tower crane using SolidWorks.

Here are some of the key design elements:

  • Tower Mast: We went with a modular lattice design for strength and easy transpor
  • Jib (Horizontal Arm): Designed to handle heavy lifting without bending, reinforced to avoid stress points, and built with lightweight materials to keep the crane balanced.
  • Counterweights: Placed strategically to prevent tipping, made from concrete-filled steel blocks for extra stability.
  • Hoisting Mechanism: A high-capacity pick and place system was incorporated with safety backups to ensure smooth and secure operation.
  • Base and Anchoring System: A solid bolted foundation to keep the crane steady.
  • Safety Features: We also added lifting attachments, walkways, stairs, handrails, and access equipment, all designed for functionality and safety.

After multiple iterations in CAD software, we developed a winning tower crane design. We ensured the final design was optimized for stability, balancing overturning forces, deflection, and vibration control.

4. Design Validation and Analysis

The final crane design was validated through basic analysis using SolidWorks Simulations. We tested the counterbalance weight, foundation, anchorage, and jib design. The analysis ensured the structural integrity, mounting arrangements, and lifting attachments were all functional and met real-world conditions.

5. Quality Check and Compliance with Standards

Before delivering the CAD files to the client, we thoroughly reviewed the design for quality and accuracy. New assemblies and weldments were verified using DFMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) to ensure a high-quality, cost-effective solution. We also conducted DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) to identify and mitigate potential risks.

Our team ensured that all weldment assemblies and structural components adhered to AS standards for steel structures, while AISC guidelines were followed for fabrication and connections.

Additionally, all internal ladders, handrails, walkways, and access platforms met OSHA safety standards, including fall protection and toe plates for ladders.

The designs were finalized with proper GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing), flawless weldments, and a detailed quality checklist.

By addressing the challenges of heavy structural designs, we helped the client complete and install their products on time, presenting the best solutions.

Tower Crane CAD Model

Value and Benefits

The final tower crane design was optimized for performance without sacrificing functionality. This resulted in significant material savings, hardware reduction, and plate thickness optimization.

The client got a good solution to their key issues like foundations and mast assembly procedure.

The solution provided for the pick, place and assembly of the masts is both cost-effective and efficient for other cranes.

Our modular design can be applied to the client’s other crane designs, offering flexibility for future projects.

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Sedin Engineering is the division of Sedin Technologies. We offer multidisciplinary and holistic engineering design services across product development, plant design & engineering, industrial automation, structural, civil, electrical, wiring and harness design. Our agenda is to enable engineering brilliance.

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