There are many decisions involved in setting up a job site that requires heavy equipment. Even the smallest errors can lead to accidents or injuries. Projects requiring a crane involve special planning to safely set up the crane before the first lift can even occur.
Here are a few tips to ensure a successful crane setup at your job site so you can keep workers and projects safe and secure.
Assess Ground Conditions
When working with heavy equipment like cranes, assessing and monitoring ground conditions is essential. Since different ground and soil combinations can have drastically different bearing strengths, it is often worth consulting with a geotechnical engineer as part of the project planning. It is also important to consider any possible subsurface hazards, like buried plumbing or sewer lines, gas or electric service, and take steps to avoid any problems with these.
Ensure Proper Placement
You must establish the best location for your crane to be placed on the job site, depending on the type of crane you will be using for your project and the other heavy equipment involved. You must leave enough space for the additional equipment and ensure you aren’t overcrowding an area to avoid a safety hazard.
Test Equipment
Be sure to check your equipment before each lift and ensure everything is running properly. Get familiar with the controls, capacity, range charts, and machine limitations before you attempt to do any work. Taking the time to thoroughly review, understand, and adhere to the manufacturer’s operating instructions provided in the manuals will allow for a seamless operation.
Invest in Crane Mats and Outrigger Pads
Improve any ground that is not stable or safe before setting up the crane. These improvements may include soil compaction and importing rock or aggregate to solidify the ground. Wet ground may require delaying work until the ground is dry enough to support the equipment safely. Crane mats can provide a solid staging platform that evenly distributes your equipment’s weight over a larger area.
Be aware of the maximum pressure that may be exerted on the outriggers. An outrigger pad should be selected based on ground conditions and the potential pressure on the outriggers. Based on these calculations, Crane mats and outrigger pads should be strong enough to hold up.
At Ritter Forest Products, we are an industry leader in crane mats. We maintain a large inventory of hardwood crane mats in several sizes, along with outrigger pads & transition mats to meet our customer’s needs, and we can provide mats in specialty sizes upon request. Call us today or request a quote online to learn more about renting or purchasing crane mats for your next project!
