Climbing tower cranes are also called inner-climbing tower cranes. They are usually installed in elevator shafts or specially designed bays of buildings. They can also be installed in cylindrical structures. They can be raised by climbing structures as structures increase. Generally, for each construction of 3~8m, the crane climbs once. The height of the tower itself is only about 20m, and the lifting height depends on the construction height.

There are two kinds of hydraulic and mechanical climbing mechanisms. Hydraulic climbing mechanism consists of climbing ladders, hydraulic cylinders, climbing beams and legs. The climbing ladder frame is composed of upper and lower bearing beams, which are separated by two floors. When they are working, they are bolted to the wall or edge beam of the cylindrical structure. There are steps on both sides of the ladder frame. Its load beam corresponds to the four main limbs of the crane tower and is equipped with eight guide rollers that play a guiding role when climbing. The tower body is set inside the climbing ladder frame, the cylinder body of the jacking hydraulic cylinder is hinged on the cross beam of the tower body, and the lower end (piston rod end) is hinged to the middle part of the movable lower beam. The legs are mounted on both sides of the tower body. Legs are also installed on both sides of the movable beam. The pair of legs support the steps of the ladder in turn to increase the height of the tower. The advantage of the climbing crane is that the crane is supported by the building, the tower body is short, the lifting height is high, and it does not occupy the outer space of the building. The disadvantage is that the driver's operation can not always see the whole process of lifting, and it needs signal command; the construction is completed. After the demolition is complicated, the auxiliary crane is generally required to be disassembled.