Tower crane on site: A new addition to the skyline

A newly installed tower crane at Barney Allis Plaza helps crews efficiently lift and move heavy construction materials across the site.

The downtown skyline added a new feature in early May with the installation of a tower crane in the Barney Allis Plaza construction site.

With demolition 100 percent complete, crews were able to install a tower crane which will help shift to the next phase of construction: building back the essential elements of the garage, including the foundation, walls, plumbing, and decks.

It took nearly a week to build the tower crane in the street, hence the temporary closure of Central Street a few weeks ago. On May 7, pieces of the assist crane were laid out along street and then were erected by a smaller crane. Next, the assist crane assembled the tower crane mast, cab, and tower peak. The remaining pieces were lowered into a hole and pieced together. The puzzle included moving the counter jib into place, attaching the load lines to the tower peak, and bringing in the counterweight. The main jib was delivered in smaller pieces and was eventually put together into two large pieces. The assembly was completed by May 9.

The tower crane significantly speeds up construction by lifting and moving heavy materials quickly and efficiently. At Barney Allis Plaza, this includes unloading deliveries, moving steel and rebar cages, setting wall forms, and generally moving construction elements from one side of the project to the other.

The tower crane for this project is 221 feet tall, with 10 sets of 20-foot tall ladders. A certified crane operator climbs up into the tower’s cabin each morning, and spends the day driving the 360-degree range rotating tower crane and its horizontal working arm.

A tower crane makes the work more efficient, taking up a smaller footprint in the construction site, but able to reach the majority of the job site without moving.

The tower crane will be at Barney Allis Plaza until the last deck pour, planned for spring of 2026.

Tower Crane fun facts

• The crane is 221 feet tall.
• The jib (the projecting arm) is 275 feet long with a 90-foot counter weight bridge on the other side.
• At the tip of the jib (the hook all the way out) the tower crane can pick 8,820 lbs.
• With the hook pulled in as close to the cab as possible, it can pick 44,090 lbs.
• There are 10 ladders to the cab, totalling 180 rungs.
• When the crane picks a max load, the cab leans two feet in the direction of the weight.
• A tower crane must be built by a separate assembly crane. And, a third crane has to build the assembly crane!