How a Construction Crane is Erected (Video)

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/09/video-how-a-construction-crane-is-erected/

by flapjack • 17 years ago

59 11 17 years ago

wired.com

yummyfajitas• 17 years ago

If the title included the words "MOST AWESOME VIDEO EVAR!!! MUST WATCH!", it would not be an exaggeration.

keltecp11• 17 years ago

I usually would not up vote a comment like this... but you're actually correct here.

mkinsella• 17 years ago

Interesting video. $10,000/mo actually seems a little low. I wonder how long it takes for the initial crane construction.

agazso• 17 years ago

Bootstrapping is always interesting. Thanks!

fnid• 17 years ago

It's not really bootstrapping considering another crane is used to build the base of it and initial structure.

I was actually hoping it was more of a bootstrapped effort.

mechanical_fish• 17 years ago

It's not really bootstrapping considering another crane is used to build the base of it...

Well, there's no reason it has to be that way, except money and time. One could, in theory, assemble the base and initial structure by carrying individual steel rods and buckets of concrete to the site and assembling them all.

But the astute (and, perhaps, perverse) observer would note that this only pushes the problem farther down the stack. Using humans to carry your parts to assemble the base isn't really bootstrapping, either, because where did the steel and concrete come from? For that matter, where did the humans come from?

Unfortunately, we don't yet know how to depict humans being bootstrapped from raw organic chemicals at this level of detail, and even if we did it would probably run a bit longer than 6:17.

jwecker• 17 years ago

It only gets interesting after about 4:30 - before that it's simply building a crane using an existing mobile crane (that just keeps getting longer and longer).

chimariko• 17 years ago

There are two points that surprised me here: 1. Rods and pins are used instead of classic nuts and bolts; 2. Crane's extension. It's amazing how self-sufficient a construction crane setup is.

asdlfj2sd33• 17 years ago

I am surprised by the load bearing power of steel, the total height of a crane made of steel + the counter weight + the weight of what it's lifting, that's a lot of force at the bottom of the steel tower.

jerryji• 17 years ago

Very cool, now where is the video on how a compiler is written?

chasingsparks• 17 years ago

It takes a crane, to build a crane

Yes, I am quoting a Jason Mraz song...

How a Construction Crane is Erected (Video)

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