FEM says consider use, not age, when considering tower crane life
18 December 2013The tower and harbour cranes subgroup of the European Materials Handling Federation (FEM) has released a position paper on the lifetime of tower cranes. In the document the organisation argues that it is the number of hoisting cycles that should define a tower cranes lifetime. The FEM said that if manufacturers manuals were properly followed this could mean some cranes could be used safely for approximately 20 years.
The paper said that due to the important effect of the crane operation to its real lifetime, it is essential to perform, as it is generally requested in the instruction manual and recommended in international standards related to tower crane maintenance and inspection. For example FEM1.007 and ISO 9927-3iii, call for regular inspection of the structures before each erection and at least once a year if the crane is erected for long time.
The FEM went on to say many parameters influence the real lifetime of cranes. These include the condition of crane operation, transport, and erection. Other factors that may diminish the crane's lifespan include a lack of maintenance, or possibly local weld imperfection. Local structural damage, such as local cracks on welds, constitute the weakest areas for any welded steel structures subjected to stress cycles. These problems could be observed time to time during this regular inspection, allowing to proceed in time to proper repair, in order to continue to use the crane in good and safe conditions for long time.
