Electronic Planning Tools for Tower Cranes

The right tower crane operated correctly allows the contractor to build quickly and cheaply. The choice or a tower crane is a complex matter. Many variables have to be discussed at an early stage. The Eindhoven University of Technology is conducting three research progects to develop a set of tools to help the contractor choose and use tower CraneS. In order to choose and hire the right tower crane for a certain building process a selection model has been developed which can be used via the Internet. To give an idea of how a certain crane works, a computer program has been developed to simulate the crane processes. This tower crane simulator shows the virtual construction site, the building, the building elements and the crane. To make the most of crane time during a project, measurements and observations are performed on the construction site. The qucstions comprise: “what are the operating times of the crane?” and “What is the quality of communication between the crane driver and the site manager?”. A day schedule with an electronic job-sheet has been developed to optimize communication. This paper describes the interim results of these three research progects.