Design Concepts for Jib Cranes

Jib cranes are either attached to a building column or cantilever vertically from an independent floor mounted column. Shown in Figure 1 is a representation of a column mounted jib crane. This paper will primarily address jib cranes that are attached to building columns. Essentially a jib crane is a boom with a moveable trolley hoist. The trolley hoist moves along the length of the boom and the boom swivels allowing the lifted load to be maneuvered about in a relatively small semi-circular area. The hoists and trolleys of jib cranes are usually slow moving and either manually or radio operated. The arcswing is usually manually accomplished but can be mechanized when required.