The Chinese crane market

One of China's largest B2B platforms, FRbiz.com, has issued a report on the state of the market for crawler cranes, mobile cranes, and the general market for cranes for sale. They predict the crawler crane market in particular will continue to grow.

The crawler crane sector was rather staid in China pre-2004, and was largely based on imports. However the breakneck rise of the Chinese economy, particularly infrastructural projects as well as power, steel and chemical industries, has fuelled a exponential increase in demand for crawler cranes. Between 2006 and 2007 the rate remained stable, but 2008 saw an increase of 69 percent, with 1648 units sold. The global economic downturn affected the market in 2009, and the sales of crawler cranes in China dipped by 31 percent, to 1131 units sold. The crawler crane market in China is still relatively young, and imports still account for 15 percent of sales. However, the broad range of incentives and road building and industrial projects instituted by the Chinese government means that projected sales for crawler cranes indicate a coming rise. Future infrastructural projects include a variety of wind power and nuclear power stations, which will further increase demand for crawler cranes. The next ten years will see an investment by the Chinese government of more than RMB 3 trillion, and with the need for wind stations and power plants, will come the need for all manner of cranes

Hiring Cranes

Construction is an industry that places demands on time, money and equipment. Equipment needs to be top quality, and yet project budgets need to be balanced. Added to this, some equipment seems to cost the earth, whilst being in operation for only a short time. This is because it may perform a function that is crucial to the project, and yet is only necessary once. An example of this is are cranes, which require a significant investment. This is the reason that hiring cranes has become such a common practice among contractors; buying and then assembling cranes is expensive, time consuming and potentially hazardous. Instead, contractors are hiring mobile cranes to do the lifting. This solution is beneficial for a number of reasons. Assembling a static crane requires a day or so of down-time whilst its assembled, which costs money, alongside the actual cost of acquisition. A mobile crane can be hired for a designated day, or number of days, and can come in and perform the necessary lifting, with no down time. It also creates more space on site, as static cranes tend to sprawl, whilst a mobile crane is anchored by its vehicle, and some outriggers.

Space is an important concept when considering the pros and, well pros, of hiring a mobile crane, for one key reason; manoeuvrability. Mobile cranes are capable of accessing spaces which wouldn't have been possible with a static crane, and can operate effectively in compact and demanding sites. Narrow roads, awkward building configurations, these things are now accessible, and the lifting apparatus of mobile cranes are powerful enough to handle the majority of applications.

Another benefit of hiring a mobile crane is that all of the auxiliary costs- maintenance, MOT, insurance and so on- are covered by the hire company. This ensures that the crane will be in excellent condition when it comes to yyyou, that it has been recently serviced, and it frees up your time, as these things simply don't have to concern you, as they would if you owned a crane. If the circumstances arise that you will need the crane for an extended period of time, but still don't want to buy one outright, then leasing a crane could be the right option. This is similar to renting, but over a longer period, and can work out as very cost effective. The only caveat is that in the case of leasing, maintenance and insurance are your responsibility. All of the key manufacturers are represented in the mobile crane hire world, with hire firms offering Liebherr cranes, Potain cranes, and so on. The hire firm will also be able to listen to the details of your project, and help you to decide which crane is best suited.