The topic of today is the Tower Crane. A crane is generally equipped with ropes or chains that can be used both to lift or lower loads and to move them horizontally. It is mainly used for lifting heavy things and transporting them to other places. The device uses one or more pulleys to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of a human. Cranes are commonly employed in the transport industry for the loading and unloading of freight, in the construction industry for the movement of materials, and in the manufacturing industry for the assembling of heavy equipment.
Two students first built three models with different pulley systems, then they conducted loads lifting experiments by using the built models. The speed and capacity of three tower crane models were compared. It’s clear to the students the crane who could lift heavier load had a lower speed. The STEM information behind this section is the mechanical advantage of pulley mechanisms. All students finished the model and experiments, they enjoyed the class.
