Cranes

Crane operation is one of the most essential activities on construction sites. However, operating a crane is a sophisticated job which requires the operator to have extensive skills and experience, and most importantly a comprehensive understanding of crane motions. Besides typical crane motions such as boom slew, hoist, and extension, monitoring and controlling the position of the load is extremely important to avoid struck-by accidents caused by crane load, especially when the load swings as a result of wind and inertia. Although typical motions can be captured by some existing techniques, a reliable approach to position the load and monitor the load sway remains missing. This study proposes an orientation-based approach for tracking crane load position and monitoring load sway in daily lifting activities. This approach adopts an off-theshelf inertial measurement unit (IMU) module for measuring load orientation, and an efficient algorithm for converting orientation measurements to load positions. The proposed approach was tested in two load sway scenarios in a controlled lab environment. Test results indicate that the proposed approach correctly converted orientation measurements to accurate load positions and reconstructed the load sway trajectory in both linear and circular sway motions. Enabling continuously monitoring of crane load motion, this approach augments the crane motion information obtained by typical crane motion capturing systems. The findings in the research will advance the safety practices in crane lifting activities.

The migration of Siberian cranes to India in winter months had been happening for several millennia, going by a description given in Mahabharata that cranes were annually visiting a place called "Shashayāna" on the banks of the River Sarasvatī. This paper traces the location of this place to Bharatpur.

A novel anti-sway control system for cranes is proposed. The proposed method is based on theformation of a predetermined sway angle as a piecewise-continuous function, the second derivative of which doesnot experience discontinuity. Its third derivative is a rectangular pulse of certain variable-sign amplitude, whichresults in eliminating the mechanical stress in the crane construction and kinematic gears. A comprehensivemathematical model and an experimental prototype of the crane are developed. Simulation and experimentalresults prove that the proposed anti-sway method enables damping of the oscillations of the suspended load duringits horizontal motion (in two orthogonal coordinates) and hoisting/lowering. The control method is invariant to themechanism/load mass ratio, lift height and hoisting speed.

Risk assessment is a tool that supports decision making and as such supports risk management. Risk management comprises the safety optimization of the system, the verification process and risk acceptance, which support safe crawler crane operations.

This research was done among communities living adjacent to Lake Victoria Shores in Mayuge District to generate knowledge on Shoebill, Grey Crowned Crane conservation status and linkage to livelihoods. This knowledge was necessary to guide design and implementation of interventions that would deliver on the species conservation and adjacent communities' livelihood benefits at the same time. We obtained information through individual interviews with 101 members of households from targeted communities and key informers-technical officials from the district, and analysed this data using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) by Bryman and Cramer, (2011) Version 20. The results were then subjected to validation using focus group discussions with 10 groups of between 8-15 individuals representing the targeted communities and other stakeholders and the results from this further validated with ≥250 representatives of these stakeholders in a one day workshop and with evidences collected during field observations, before synthesis. The findings show: Grey Crowned Crane habitats declining due to mining, agriculture, fishing activities by adjacent communities for their livelihoods (food and income from sale of produce obtained from the species' habitats). The communities say they need to be engaged in development and implementation of integrated interventions that will improve their livelihoods while securing conservation for Grey Crowned Cranes.

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and unified presentation of recent developments in skid-steer wheeled mobile robots (SSWMR) with regard to its control, guidance and navigation for the researchers who wish to study in this field. Design/methodology/approach-Most of the contemporary unmanned ground robot's locomotion is based upon the wheels. For wheeled mobile robots (WMRs), one of the prominent and widely used driving schemes is skid steering. Because of mechanical simplicity and high maneuverability particularly in outdoor applications, SSWMR has an advantage over its counterparts. Different prospects of SSWMR have been discussed including its design, application, locomotion, control, navigation and guidance. The challenges pertaining to SSWMR have been pointed out in detail, which will seek the attention of the readers, who are interested to explore this area. Findings-Relying on the recent literature on SSWMR, research gaps are identified that should be analyzed for the development of autonomous skid-steer wheeled robots. Originality/value-An attempt to present a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the field of WMRs and providing references to the most intriguing studies.

A Comparative approach is used that adopted analytical and numerical methods in analysing the vibration of a jib crane. The analytical method employed the use of planar serial-frame structures analysis which utilizes transfer matrix solution to the governing equation of motion. The jib and the mast are treated as different segment and analysed by the transverse and longitudinal motions of each segment while considering the compatibility requirements across the mast from the jib and the boundary condition of the entire jib crane system. Finite element analysis using ANSYS software was employed to analyse the jib crane system as the numerical method. The jib crane analytical approach derived theoretically was modelled in ANSYS and solved in other to evaluate and compare the vibration parameters of the system.

In this research work an attempt was made to develop a response surface model to predict
tensile strength of inert gas metal arc welded AISI 1040 medium carbon steel joints. The process
parameters such as welding voltage, current, wire speed and gas flow rate were studied. The
experiments were conducted based on a four-factor, three-level, face centred composite design
matrix. The empirical relationship can be used to predict the yield strength of inert gas metal arc
welded AISI 1040 medium carbon steel. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to
optimizing the MIG welding process parameters to attain the maximum yield strength of the
joint.

One variant is piled base cast in fixing angle type with top slewing tower crane which needs mast anchorage tie to ascertain stability beyond working manufacturer specified freestanding mast height. Major challenge arises at the time of fixing ties with the existing building or structure as shape, location, distance, load bearing capacity of the structure may differ from project to project. Consulting manufacturer service department may not be possible all the time. Attempt is made to find an approximate value of the forces to be encountered by the ties in service condition and designing the ties.

This paper discusses how the poet and novelist Ihara Saikaku (1642-1693) created an individual artistic persona in his semi-autobiographical work Saikaku nagori no tomo, by fashioning himself as ‘the Western Crane’, an accessory of a
tsukurimono (decorative ‘set-up’) of Mount Penglai, which can be identified as the castle of the daimyo of the Akashi Domain, Matsudaira Nobuyuki. This reveals intriguing connections between artistic persona, imaginary places and regional politics.

This paper proposes a new approach to robustly control a 2D under-actuated overhead crane system, where a payload is effectively transported to a destination in real time with small sway angles, given its inherent uncertainties such as actuator nonlinearities and external disturbances. The control law is proposed to be developed by the use of the robust hierarchical sliding mode control (HSMC) structure in which a second-level sliding surface is formulated by two first-level sliding surfaces drawn on both actuated and under-actuated outputs of the crane. The unknown and uncertain parameters of the proposed control scheme are then adaptively estimated by the fuzzy observer, where the adaptation mechanism is derived from the Lyapunov theory. More importantly, stability of the proposed strategy is theoretically proved. Effectiveness of the proposed adaptive fuzzy observer based HSMC (AFHSMC) approach was extensively validated by implementing the algorithm in both synthetic simulations and real-life experiments, where the results obtained by our method are highly promising.

EN 1990 presents load factors for the building, whereas EN 1991-3 presents the load factors for crane - supporting structures. Within most industrial buildings, there is no clear separation of the crane supporting structure and the building. The paper presents an approach on how to determine the correct load factors for these type of buildings.
The paper also focuses on how to cope with these factors, in case of retrofitting existing (Mill) buildings. Within the Netherlands, there is a special code for retrofitting of existing buildings (NEN8700), however, this code only specifies how to deal with factors presented within the EN1990. How to deal with EN1991-3 factors is explained within this paper.

Aquinas famously held that only intellectual beings can grasp the natures or essences of things and cognize universals per se.  Below these intellectual beings, however, were the non-human animals who shared many of the interior sense faculties in common with man; such animals’ highest sense was merely what is called the estimative power.  Aquinas’s account of animal cognition has largely been ignored in contemporary biological research, although hopes for a resurgence have been emerging in the Thomistic world.  In this paper I seek to explicate Aquinas’s account of animal cognitive activities, particularly by explicating a more detailed account of animal cognitive action as found in the biological works of Aristotle known by Aquinas.  I then turn to various contemporary biological findings to show that many purported modern discoveries (like dolphins rescuing a man or recognition of social hierarchies) shouldn’t be so surprising after all.  Many such cognitive acts were already there in the texts of Aristotle read by Aquinas.
PLEASE NOTE: this is (hopefully) the penultimate draft of the paper before publication with the Proceedings of the ACPA.  The paper still needs to go through the proofing process.  Please only cite the finalized published version!

In this paper, a new adaptive hierarchical sliding mode control scheme for a 3D overhead crane system is proposed. A controller is first designed by the use of a hierarchical structure of two first-order sliding surfaces represented for two actuated and un-actuated subsystems in the bridge crane. Parameters of the controller are then intelligently estimated, where uncertain parameters due to disturbances in the 3D overhead crane dynamic model are proposed to be represented by radial basis function networks whose weights are derived from a Lyapunov function. The proposed approach allows the crane system to be robust under uncertainty conditions in which some uncertain and unknown parameters are intractable to be determined. Moreover, stability of the sliding surfaces is proved to be guaranteed. Effectiveness of the proposed approach is then demonstrated by implementing the algorithm in both synthetic and real-life systems, where the results obtained by our method are highly promising.

Due to the central role of cranes in construction operations, specialists in the construction industries have cooperated in the development of structured methods and software to help select the best crane type in construction sites. Crane selection is a time consuming process which needs extensive data exploitation. Moderately few systems have been developed to aid in selecting cranes and in setting their lifts. These systems although may have rich databases, they lack the support of knowledge based decision making. The process of crane selection is a multi-criteria decision-making problem with conflicting and diverse objectives. In this work, a systematic methodology is presented under the consideration of multiple factors and objectives that are witnessed to be crucial to the construction process. The model includes building an analytic hierarchy structure with a tree of hierarchical criteria and alternatives to ease the decision-making. Three alternative crane types were considered, namely, Tower, Derrick and Mobile cranes. An Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to assist in building the model and help draw decisions. While deploying the crane selection objectives into layered sub-goals, conclusions could be drawn on the type to be used in construction according to knowledge based evaluation and assessment. Expert Choice™ software is used to conduct the experimental assessments. The judgments were found to be consistent, precise and justifiable with narrow marginal inconsistency values. The paper also presents a thorough sensitivity analysis to demonstrate the confidence in the drawn conclusions.

This paper analyses the Art Markets between the former Netherlands and Spain during the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century. With regards to the transport and marketing of the art works, documents held in Spanish archives show that a complex network of agents and infrastructure existed. Not all ports were equally equipped, and it is feasible to think that expensive triptychs and tapestries were shipped to seaports endowed with docks, ramps and suitable warehouses. Inexpensive, mass-produced works such as small statues were taken to any kind of port, as their transport would not require such detailed and careful planning. The role of the merchants is of paramount importance in art trade; evidence shows that whereas most merchants would include any kind of art works in their ships, a select group would focus only on expensive requests. Not only did this elite work just for wealthy patrons, but they also lent money to the Crown and became a very influential social group in the political daily life of their time. This is fairly proved by the use of their merchant marks, initially used as an identifying sign that later became included in their own artistic commissions, proudly displayed, just as the nobility did with their heraldic shields.

RESUMEN: En este trabajo se analiza el modo en que el geranos –danza de la grulla o del laberinto en la Antigüedad– es representado como motivo literario en la literatura neohelénica, concretamente en la Odisea (1938) de Nikos Kazantzakis. El estudio sugiere, primero, que el autor se basó en las conexiones documentadas entre la danza y la muerte en la antigua Creta para la elaboración de un pasaje específico del poema y, segundo, que en este pasaje el autor emplea una serie de mecanismos cercanos al “método mítico”, elemento característico del modernismo europeo.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Geranos, danza de la grulla, laberinto cretense, Odisea, Nikos Kazantzakis, “método mítico”, modernismo europeo.
ABSTRACT: This paper analyses the way in which the geranos –crane or
maze dance in Antiquity– is represented as a literary motif in Modern Greek literature, more specifically in Nikos Kazantzakis’ Odyssey (1938). The study suggests, first, that a specific passage of the poem is based upon the documented links between dance and death in Ancient Crete; and, secondly, that in this passage the author employs a series of mechanisms which are close to the “mythical method”, a key feature of European Modernism.
KEYWORDS: Geranos, Crane Dance, Cretan labyrinth, Odyssey, Nikos
Kazantzakis, “mythical method”, European Modernism.

A novel anti-sway control system for cranes is proposed. The proposed method is based on the formation of a predetermined sway angle as a piecewise-continuous function, the second derivative of which does not experience discontinuity. Its third derivative is a rectangular pulse of certain variable-sign amplitude, which results in eliminating the mechanical stress in the crane construction and kinematic gears. A comprehensive mathematical model and an experimental prototype of the crane are developed. Simulation and experimental results prove that the proposed anti-sway method enables damping of the oscillations of the suspended load during its horizontal motion (in two orthogonal coordinates) and hoisting/lowering. The control method is invariant to the mechanism/load mass ratio, lift height and hoisting speed.

Due to the central role of cranes in construction operations, specialists in the construction industries have cooperated in the development of structured methods and software to help select the best crane type in construction sites. Crane selection is a time consuming process which needs extensive data exploitation. Moderately few systems have been developed to aid in selecting cranes and in setting their lifts. These systems although may have rich databases, they lack the support of knowledge based decision making. The process of crane selection is a multi-criteria decision-making problem with conflicting and diverse objectives. In this work, a systematic methodology is presented under the consideration of multiple factors and objectives that are witnessed to be crucial to the construction process. The model includes building an analytic hierarchy structure with a tree of hierarchical criteria and alternatives to ease the decision-making. Three alternative crane types were considered, namely, Tower, Derrick and Mobile cranes. An Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to assist in building the model and help draw decisions. While deploying the crane selection objectives into layered sub-goals, conclusions could be drawn on the type to be used in construction according to knowledge based evaluation and assessment. Expert Choice™ software is used to conduct the experimental assessments. The judgments were found to be consistent, precise and justifiable with narrow marginal inconsistency values. The paper also presents a thorough sensitivity analysis to demonstrate the confidence in the drawn conclusions.

Perancangan tata letak gudang memiliki tujuan untuk dapat meminimasi biaya material handling. PT. KHI Pipe Industries merupakan salah satu perusahaan yang menghasilkan pipa electric resistant welded (ERW). Pada gudang area blok M di PT. KHI masih belum mempunyai aturan penempatan pipa ke dalam rak. Hal ini menyebabkan gerak perpindahan material handling bertambah dan akan mempengaruhi besarnya total jarak dan biaya material handling. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah (i) mengetahui usulan tata letak menggunakan metode dedicated storage dan genetic algorithm, (ii) mengetahui total jarak dan biaya material handling pada layout eksisting dan usulan, (iii) serta menentukan usulan tata letak gudang pipa ERW terbaik. Penelitian ini menyelesaikan masalah gudang yang memiliki 21 jenis pipa dan 21 rak. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, metode genetic algorithm memberikan hasil layout terbaik dengan biaya material handling paling kecil dibandingkan dengan layout eksisting dan layout menggunakan metode dedicated storage. Pada layout terbaik biaya sebesar Rp. 54.596.231 dengan jarak sebesar 4713,90 m dengan persentasi penurunan jarak sebesar 1518,1 meter atau sebesar 24,36% dan penurunan biaya sebesar Rp. 17.538.300 atau sebesar 24,31% lebih kecil dibandingkan dengan layout eksisting.

Purpose Information constitutes one of the main barriers for applying life cycle assessment (LCA) due to complexity and need for great amounts of it. However, most of the parameters that determine the data are defined early in the product development process. Knuckle boom cranes constitute a complex product which poses a particularly pressing need for simplification. This paper models the LCA inventory information out of design parameters. The paper also presents a tool implementing this. Materials and methods To develop the parametric model, a three-step approach is followed. In the first step, knuckle boom crane designers of an international manufacturer are asked to point out key design parameters. An LCA is then conducted for a representative crane of the same manufacturer. Interdependencies between design parameters and inventories are analyzed. Design parameters influencing the LCA results are defined as primary parameters. Parameters through which it is possible to calculate the LCA inventory are defined as secondary parameters. The relation between primary and secondary parameters is analyzed. Indicators are developed for comparison, and the validity of this parametric model is checked by analyzing six more cranes, different in size and performance. Results and discussion The parametric model presented in this paper contains 13 primary parameters. Their link to secondary parameters and inventory data is through formulas derived from existing documentation, physical interdependencies, or statistical data. To integrate this model in the design workflow, it is embedded into a software tool. Designers input the primary parameters, and the tool allows visualization and benchmarking of environmental impact results. Three indicators related to weight and environmental performance are defined, as well as the means to benchmark in relative terms. The model diverges in never more than 4% for six additional cranes analyzed. Conclusions Through the parametric model, a rigorous estimation of the environmental profile of a crane can already be assessed in an early point of the product development process. Results can be used to define targets for design decisions based on the best-performing products. Recommendations and perspectives The statistics-based estimations carried out by the tool can be further improved, getting a wider range of cranes involved. Differences between these products can increase the understanding of the effect of technology choices in the final environmental impact of the product. This may become particularly useful in early design decisions. The potentials of this parametric approach can also be extended to other types of products.

A two dimensional prototype tower crane was designed to pick up a metallic thing and place that in a prefixed location with a befitting electromagnet manipulated by a robust microcontroller. The proposed crane was powered by two stepper motors one for vertical movement and another for horizontal movement where both steppers were controlled with a powerful and programmable microcontroller. Both The vertical scale up and scale down were programmable with 360 deg freedom of horizontal rotation. Stepper motor provided with precise control over the crane and high holding torque. Microcontroller reduced the complex circuitry and provided with robust flexibility to change vertical elevation and angle of rotation. An AC Electromagnet with necessary shielding was used to pick targeted thing. The proposed designed has practically constructed with one NEMA 8 and one NEMA 11 stepper motors that work fine with holding torque 4 oz-inch. The prototype version was transformable into a system with t...

The paper addresses the problem of efficiently controlling a class of single input multiple output (SIMO) under-actuated robotic systems such as a two dimensional inverted pendulum cart or a two dimensional overhead crane. It is first proposed to employ the hierarchical sliding mode control approach to design a control law, which guarantees stability and anti-swing of the vehicle when it is driven on a prede-fined trajectory. More importantly, the unknown and uncertain parameters of the system caused by its actuator nonlinearity and external disturbances are adaptively estimated and inferred by the proposed fuzzy logic mechanism, which results in the efficient operation of the SIMO under-actuated system in real time. The proposed algorithm was then implemented in the synthetic environment, where the obtained results demonstrate its effectiveness.

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are important spatial elements providing humans with recreational, aesthetic, spiritual and other benefits. Yet, because of their immaterial, subjective, qualitative and unmeasurable nature, this means that scientists, decision-makers and general public often find their value difficult to grasp. We enrich the CES approach with theoretical insights from humanist geography, where we frame CES as arising from perpetual interactions between humans and their environment. Places are formed through various processes, both organic and planned, which endow people with unique identities, experiences, capabilities, knowledge and skills. We use the rural wetland area of Lake Hornborga, Sweden, with its complex history of restoration phases, to explore the profound interrelations between environmental spaces and cultural practices expressed in the everyday activities of learning, playing, creating, caring, producing, and consuming. The data was collected through qualitative methods, including interviews, observations and a focused group interview, in order to capture these unique senses and experiences. The findings outline CES as key drivers behind the formation of place, rather than mere labels for inventorying benefits people receive from nature. The presence of the iconic migratory crane is especially conducive to a positive sense of place and the practice of various activities, including tourism, around the wetland. We frame the implications for planning and future research of our findings within a context of ethics.