JP7555840B2 - Tower crane transport unit and tower crane transport method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport unit for a tower crane and a method for transporting a tower crane.

Traditionally, mobile cranes such as all-terrain cranes have been used to construct structures such as wind turbines used in wind power generation. Construction using multi-stage telescopic tower cranes has also been proposed (see Patent Document 1 below).

Patent No. 4402923

In recent years, wind turbines used in wind power generation have become taller and larger to increase power generation efficiency, and there are cases where they cannot be lifted with current mobile cranes such as all-terrain cranes. For this reason, it is considered to use a free-standing tower crane large enough to lift them. Since multiple wind turbines are installed at a power plant, if a tower crane is assembled when constructing one wind turbine, dismantled after construction of the wind turbine is completed, and then transported to the construction site of the next wind turbine and reassembled, there is a problem that the dismantling and reassembly of the tower crane takes time, lengthening the construction period.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a tower crane transport unit and a tower crane transport method that can shorten the construction period.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means.
In other words, the transport unit of the tower crane of the present invention comprises a transport vehicle, a platform installed on the loading platform of the transport vehicle, a lower part of a mast extending upward from the platform, a rotating body supported by the lower part of the mast and having a lifting device, and a positioning part provided on the loading platform for positioning the platform on the loading platform.

According to this configuration, after use, the mast other than the lower part is dismantled (removed) from the tower crane, the rotating body is lowered to the lower part of the mast, the platform is installed on the loading platform of the transport vehicle, and the platform is positioned on the loading platform by the positioning unit to form the transport unit of the tower crane. The tower crane transport unit is then moved to the next construction site, the platform is lowered from the transport vehicle, the dismantled mast part is connected to the lower part of the mast, and the rotating body is raised to complete the tower crane. Therefore, since the dismantling work of the tower crane only covers the part above the lower part of the mast, the time required for dismantling and assembling the tower crane is reduced, and the construction period can be shortened.

In addition, in the transport unit of the tower crane according to the present invention, the platform may be formed in a cross shape in a plan view, and the positioning part may be disposed at a right angle of the platform that is cross-shaped in a plan view.

In a tower crane transport unit configured in this way, the positioning part is placed at the right angle of the platform, which is cross-shaped when viewed from above, and the two faces that form the right angle of the platform abut against the positioning part, restricting movement of the platform in two directions.

In addition, in the transport unit of the tower crane according to the present invention, the positioning part has a first straight line part that is linear in plan view and a second straight line part that is perpendicular to the first straight line part and linear in plan view, and the first straight line part and the second straight line part of the positioning part may be disposed at a right angle part of the platform.

In a tower crane transport unit configured in this manner, the first and second straight sections, which are linear in plan view, abut against two surfaces that form a right angle on the platform, increasing the contact area between the positioning section and the platform, further preventing the platform from shifting out of position.

The tower crane transportation method according to the present invention is a tower crane transportation method for transporting a tower crane in the form of any one of the tower crane transportation units described above, and includes a mast dismantling process for dismantling a portion of the mast other than the lower part of the mast and lowering a rotating body having a hanging part to the lower part of the mast, a transport vehicle insertion process for inserting a transport vehicle under a platform, a positioning process for raising the platform part of the transport vehicle, supporting the platform on the platform part, and positioning the platform on the platform part with a positioning part provided on the platform part, a leg removal process for removing the legs attached to the platform, and a moving process for lowering the platform part of the transport vehicle and moving the tower crane transportation unit to the next construction site.

In the tower crane transportation method configured in this manner, in the mast dismantling process, the parts of the mast other than the lower part are dismantled (removed), and the rotating body is lowered to the lower part of the mast. In the positioning process, the platform is positioned on the platform part by a positioning unit provided on the platform part of the transport vehicle. In the leg removal process, the legs are removed to form the tower crane transportation unit. In the moving process, the tower crane transportation unit is moved to the next construction site, the platform is lowered from the transport vehicle, the dismantled mast part is connected to the lower part of the mast, and the rotating body is raised to complete the tower crane. Therefore, since the tower crane dismantling work only involves the part above the lower part of the mast, the time required for the dismantling and assembly work of the tower crane is shortened, and the construction period can be shortened.

The tower crane transport method according to the present invention also includes a leg attachment process for raising the platform of the transport vehicle and attaching the legs to the platform at the next construction site, and a vehicle movement process for lowering the platform of the transport vehicle and moving the transport vehicle from below the platform.

In the tower crane transportation method configured in this manner, at the next construction site, the legs are attached in a leg attachment process, and the transport vehicle is moved (removed) in a transport vehicle movement process. The mast that was removed is then connected to the lower part of the mast, and the rotating body is raised. In this way, the tower crane used at the previous construction site can be used at the next construction site by dismantling only part of the mast (the part other than the lower part), thereby reducing the time required to assemble the tower crane and shortening the construction period.

The tower crane transport unit and tower crane transport method of the present invention can shorten the construction period.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state during construction work of a tower crane that is the subject of a tower crane transportation method according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state of a tower crane during movement, which is the subject of a tower crane transportation method according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the lower part of a tower crane according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for transporting a tower crane according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method for transporting a tower crane according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a post-process of FIG. 4 after construction work. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method for transporting a tower crane according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a process subsequent to that shown in FIG. 5 after construction work. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for transporting a tower crane according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a post-process of FIG. 6 after construction work.

A transport unit for a tower crane and a transport method for a tower crane according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, a tower crane during construction work will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tower crane 100 is used, for example, when constructing a wind turbine W. In FIG. 1, the blades of the wind turbine W are not shown. Note that the tower crane 100 can be used to construct things other than wind turbines W, such as high-rise structures.

The tower crane 100 can be changed between a configuration for construction work shown in FIG. 1 (referred to as tower crane 100A) and a configuration for transportation shown in FIG. 2 (referred to as tower crane 100B).

During construction work, the tower crane 100A comprises a base 1, a mast 21, a rotating body 22, and a diagonal member 26.

The base 1 has a base 11, a stand 12, and legs 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the base 11 is disposed below the tip 13a of each leg 13. In this embodiment, there are four legs 13, and the bases 11 are disposed in four locations. The base 11 is placed on a work surface G, such as the ground.

The stand 12 is disposed directly below the mast 21. The stand 12 is made of steel, such as H-beams. In this embodiment, the stand 12 is formed in a cross shape in a plan view. The stand 12 has a central portion 12a and four extending portions 12b extending in four directions from the central portion 12a. The corners of the extending portions 12b that intersect at right angles are called right-angle portions 12c. The bottom surface 12d of the stand 12 is spaced upward from the work surface G.

The legs 13 are connected to the tip of each extension portion 12b of the stand 12. The extension direction of the legs 13 is substantially the same as the extension direction of the extension portion 12b. In other words, in a plan view, the extension portion 12b and the legs 13 extend in a straight line from the central portion 12a. The legs 13 are made of steel such as H-beams. The lower surface 13d of the legs 13 is spaced above the work surface G and is positioned higher than the lower surface 12d of the stand 12.

The connection structure between the stand 12 and the legs 13, and the connection structure between the legs 13 and the base 11 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. Note that the connection structure shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and other structures may be used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lower part of the leg 13 has a leg support part 13b extending towards the pedestal 12. The upper part of the pedestal 12 has a pedestal connection part 12e extending towards the leg 13. The pedestal connection part 12e is installed above the leg support part 13b via an intermediate material 14. The pedestal connection part 12e may be installed directly on the leg support part 13b. Instead of the intermediate material 14, the leg 13 and the pedestal 12 may be joined by a pin (not shown) facing horizontally.

The tip of the extension 12b has a first connecting plate 121. The first connecting plate 121 is formed in a plate shape. The plate surface of the first connecting plate 121 faces the horizontal direction. The leg 13 has a second connecting plate 131 facing the first connecting plate 121. The second connecting plate 131 is formed in a plate shape. The plate surface of the second connecting plate 131 faces the same direction as the first connecting plate 121. A bolt 132 is inserted into an attachment hole formed in the first connecting plate 121 and the second connecting plate 131, and is fastened to a nut 133. In this way, the frame 12 and the leg 13 are connected. An opening for attachment of the bolt 132 and the nut 133 may be formed on the upper surface of the frame 12 and the leg 13.

The tip 13a of the leg 13 has an upper plate 136 located on the upper surface and a lower plate 137 located on the lower surface. The upper plate 136 and the lower plate 137 are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction. The upper plate 136 and the lower plate 137 are formed in a plate shape. The plate surfaces of the upper plate 136 and the lower plate 137 face in the vertical direction. Bolts 138 are inserted into mounting holes formed in the upper plate 136 and the lower plate 137 and are fastened to the base 11. In this way, the leg 13 is connected to the base 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mast 21 is made up of multiple mast members 21a that are separably connected in the vertical direction. For example, the mast members 21a are made of steel, and adjacent mast members 21a can be connected and separated by connecting means such as bolts and nuts.

The lowest mast member 21a is called the bottom mast member (lower part of the mast) 21b. The lower end of the bottom mast member 21b is connected to the frame 12.

The rotating body 22 has a rotating base 23, a jib 24, and a lifting device 25. The rotating base 23 is supported by the uppermost mast member 21c located at the uppermost part of the mast member 21a. The rotating base 23 is supported by the uppermost mast member 21c so as to be rotatable around an axis with the vertical direction as the axis direction. An operator seated on the rotating base 23 operates the tower crane 100. Note that there may be no operator on the rotating base 23 and the tower crane 100 may be operated remotely. The jib 24 is attached to the rotating base 23. The base end of the jib 24 is pivotally supported on the rotating base 23 so as to be able to swing. The lifting device 25 has a winch 25a, a wire 25b, and a hook 25c. The winch 25a is provided on the rotating base 23. The wire 25b can be wound up and down by the winch 25a and is engaged with the tip of the jib 24. The hook 25c is attached to the tip of the wire 25b and can suspend components of the wind turbine W.

When moving, the tower crane 100A described above changes its form to tower crane 100B as shown in FIG. 2 and is installed on the transport vehicle 3. The tower crane 100B installed on the transport vehicle 3 is called the tower crane transport unit 10. The tower crane transport unit 10 comprises the transport vehicle 3, a positioning unit (see FIG. 4) 4, and the tower crane 100B. The tower crane 100B comprises a platform 12, a bottom mast member 21b, and a rotating body 22.

The transport vehicle 3 can be any suitable vehicle that can carry heavy objects and is capable of running. In this embodiment, a multi-axle dolly vehicle that can be lifted up is used as the transport vehicle 3.

As shown in FIG. 4 (the rotating body 22 is not shown), the transport vehicle 3 has a number of drivable wheels 30, a loading platform 31, and a lifting unit 32. The loading platform 31 is formed in a flat plate shape, and a heavy object can be placed on the upper surface. The loading platform 31 is connected to the wheels 30 via the lifting unit 32. The lifting unit 32 can raise and lower the loading platform 31.

An installation plate 34 is fixed to the loading platform 31. The installation plate 34 has an upper plate portion 34a arranged on the upper surface of the loading platform 31 and a side plate portion 34b arranged on the side of the loading platform 31. The side plate portion 34b is connected to the loading platform 31 by a bolt and nut connecting means 34c.

The positioning parts 4 are fixed to the upper surface 34u of the installation plate 34. In this embodiment, the four positioning parts 4 are arranged at positions corresponding to the right angle parts 12c of the platform 12 of the tower crane 100B to be transported. The positioning parts 4 are fixed to the upper surface 34u of the installation plate 34 by connecting means such as welding or bolts and nuts.

The positioning portion 4 is formed in an L-shape in plan view. The positioning portion 4 has a first straight portion 41 and a second straight portion 42. The first straight portion 41 and the second straight portion 42 are formed to be linear in plan view. The first straight portion 41 and the second straight portion 42 are disposed perpendicular to each other in plan view. As shown in FIG. 7, the intersection 43 between the first straight portion 41 and the second straight portion 42 is disposed at the right angle portion 12c of the platform 12. The tower crane 100 itself can stand on its own weight, and the platform 12 is positioned on the installation plate 34 by the positioning portion 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the tower crane transport unit 10, the base 1 has the base 11 and legs 13 removed, and only the platform 12 is installed. Of the multiple mast members 21a, all mast members 21a except the bottom mast member 21b have been removed. The rotating body 22 is supported by the bottom mast member 21b.

Next, a method for transporting a tower crane will be described.
When the tower crane 100 is moved to the construction site of the next wind turbine W after the construction of one wind turbine W is completed, a mast dismantling process is first carried out.
In the tower crane 100A in the configuration at the time of completion of the construction work, the mast members 21a of the mast 21 are dismantled except for the bottom mast member 21b. The rotating body 22 is lowered to the lower mast member 21a, and the upper mast member 21a is removed in sequence, and the rotating body 22 is lowered to the bottom mast member 21b. At that time, the diagonal members 26 are removed before they interfere with the descent of the rotating body 22.

Next, the transport vehicle insertion process is carried out.
4, with the installation plate 34 fixed to the transport vehicle 3, the transport vehicle 3 is inserted below the base 1. In this state, a gap is generated between the upper surface 34u of the installation plate 34 and the lower surface 12d of the stand 12.

Next, a positioning step is performed.
The bolts 138 (see FIG. 3) connecting the legs 13 and the base 11 are removed. As shown in FIG. 5, the lift unit 32 of the transport vehicle 3 is driven to raise the loading platform 31. The upper surface 34u of the installation plate 34 fixed to the loading platform 31 abuts against the lower surface 12d of the stand 12, and the loading platform 31 is raised to a height at which the legs 13 are lifted off the base 11.

Fillers 15b are placed between the legs 13 and the base 11. Because the bottom surfaces 13d of the legs 13 are positioned higher than the bottom surface 12d of the stand 12, fillers 15a are also placed between the bottom surfaces 13d of the legs 13 and the top surface 34u of the installation plate 34 fixed to the loading platform 31 to adjust the height. In this way, the base 1 is supported by the loading platform 31.

At this time, the intersection 43 of the positioning portion 4 provided on the installation plate 34 is placed at the right angle portion 12c of the stand 12, and the stand 12 is positioned on the installation plate 34.

Next, the leg removal process is carried out.
The bolts 132 and nuts 133 connecting the base 12 and the legs 13 are removed. As shown in Fig. 6, the legs 13 are lifted and removed by another lifting machine such as a crane. All four legs 13 are removed. Thereafter, the base 11 is also removed as necessary.

Next, the moving step is carried out.
7, the lift section 32 of the transport vehicle 3 is driven to lower the loading platform section 31. The transport unit 10 of the tower crane is moved to the next construction site.

At the next construction site, the tower crane's transport unit 10 is reassembled into the tower crane 100A used at the time of construction.
The leg attachment process is carried out.
The lift section 32 of the transport vehicle 3 is driven to raise the loading platform section 31 to a predetermined height. As shown in Fig. 6, the base 11 and the filler 15b are placed below the tip end 13a of the leg 13 to be installed, and the filler 15a is also placed on the installation plate 34. The base 12 and the legs 13 are fastened with bolts 132 and nuts 133 to attach the four legs 13 to the base 12.

Next, the transport vehicle moving process is carried out.
The lift section 32 of the transport vehicle 3 is driven to lower the loading platform 31. The legs 13 and the base 11 are fastened with bolts 138. The transport vehicle 3 is moved from below the platform 12. After that, the other mast members 21a are sequentially connected to the upper side of the bottom mast member 21b, and the rotating body 22 is raised to a predetermined position, completing the tower crane 100A for construction work.

According to this embodiment, the mast members 21a other than the bottom mast member 21b of the mast 21 are dismantled (removed) from the tower crane 100A during construction work, and the rotating body 22 is lowered to the bottom mast member 21b. The platform 12 is installed on the installation plate 34 fixed to the loading platform 31 of the transport vehicle 3, and the platform 12 is positioned on the installation plate 34 by the positioning part 4 provided on the installation plate 34. This results in a tower crane transport unit 10 having a tower crane 100B in a moving form. The tower crane transport unit 10 is moved to the next construction site, the platform 12 is lowered from the transport vehicle 3, the dismantled mast member 21a is connected to the bottom mast member 21b, and the rotating body 22 is raised, completing the tower crane 100A during construction work. Therefore, since the tower crane 100 only requires dismantling the mast member 21a of the mast 21, excluding the bottom mast member 21b, the time required to dismantle and assemble the tower crane 100 is reduced, and the construction period can be shortened.

The positioning portion 4 is disposed at the right angle portion 12c of the base 12, which is cross-shaped when viewed from above, and the two faces forming the right angle portion 12c of the base 12 abut against the positioning portion 4, restricting the movement of the base 12 in two directions.

In addition, the first straight portion 41 and the second straight portion 42, which are linear in plan view, abut against two surfaces that form the right angle portion 12c of the mount 12, so that the contact area between the positioning portion 4 and the mount 12 is increased, and misalignment of the mount 12 is further suppressed.

The shapes and combinations of the components shown in the above-mentioned embodiment are merely examples, and may be modified in various ways based on design requirements, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the positioning unit 4 positions the platform 12 on the installation plate 34, but the present invention is not limited to this. The platform 12 may be fixed to the loading platform 31 of the transport vehicle 3 by bolts and nuts, and the platform 12 may be positioned on the loading platform 31.

1 Base 3 Transport vehicle 4 Positioning unit 10 Tower crane transport unit 12 Platform 12c Right angle portion 13 Leg 21 Mast 21b Bottom mast member (lower part of mast)
22 Rotating body 25 Lifting device 31 Cargo platform 41 First straight section 42 Second straight section 100 Tower crane 100A Tower crane during construction work 100B Tower crane during movement

Claims (5)

A transport vehicle,
A platform installed on the platform of the transport vehicle;
a lower portion of a mast extending upward from the frame;
A rotating body supported on a lower portion of the mast and having a lifting device;
A tower crane transport unit comprising: a positioning section provided on the loading platform section and positioning the platform on the loading platform section. The stand is formed in a cross shape in a plan view,
The transport unit of a tower crane according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning portion is arranged at a right angle of the platform that is cross-shaped in a plan view. The positioning portion has a first straight line portion that is linear in a plan view and a second straight line portion that is perpendicular to the first straight line portion and linear in a plan view,
The transport unit of a tower crane according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first straight portion and the second straight portion are arranged at right angles to the platform. A method for transporting a tower crane in the form of a tower crane transport unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the steps of:
a mast dismantling process in which a portion of the mast other than a lower portion of the mast is dismantled and a rotating body having a lifting device is lowered to the lower portion of the mast;
a vehicle inserting step of inserting a vehicle under the frame;
a positioning step of lifting a loading platform of the transport vehicle, supporting the platform on the loading platform, and positioning the platform on the loading platform by a positioning portion provided on the loading platform;
a leg removing step of removing the legs attached to the frame;
A transporting method for a tower crane, comprising: a moving process of lowering the loading platform of the transport vehicle and moving the transport unit of the tower crane to a next construction site. At the following construction site:
a leg attachment step of lifting a platform of the transport vehicle and attaching the legs to the platform;
5. The method for transporting a tower crane according to claim 4, further comprising a transport vehicle moving step of lowering a loading platform of the transport vehicle to move the transport vehicle from below the frame.

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