TATA ALC Crawler Crane

A Crawler Crane is a crane mounted on an under carriage with a set of Caterpillar Tracks (also called crawlers) that provide stability and mobility. Crawler Cranes range in lifting capacity from about 40 to 3500 short tons (35.7 to 125.0 long tons; 36.3 to 3175 .1 t).

Crawler Cranes have both advantages and disadvantages depending on their use. Their main advantage is that they can move around on site and perform each lift with little set up, since the crane is stable on its tracks with no outriggers. Caterpillar tracks are also far better at traversing soft ground without sinking in, as they spread the weight out over a great area. Thus a crawler crane can move about an unprepared job site with less risk of getting stuck in soft ground. In addition, a crawler crane is capable of travelling with a load.

The main disadvantage is that they are very heavy, and cannot be easily moved from one job site to another without significant expense. Typically a large crawler must be disassembled and moved by trucks, rail cars, or ships to its next location.

Information Acknowledgements : Wikipedia

A TATA ALC 955 Crawler Crane being transported by a TATA trailer truck on NH4, at Bagewadi Ghat Section, near Belgaum (Karnataka)