Coordinating shipyard cranes between berths and plating sheds

A shipyard example places three fixed hammerhead tower cranes between two 550-foot building berths. Each could lift three tons at a 90-foot radius, and their overlapping reaches allowed loads to pass from one crane to another. A heavier crane at the lower end handled larger loads and material arriving by barge. A 15-ton travelling crane linked the plating shed with the berths, supplying the fixed cranes and placing heavier equipment aboard. The arrangement reduced building time and labour, but its success depended on bringing material alongside the berths. Different relationships between sheds, supply routes, and building positions required different crane layouts.