14.05.2016
Who needs outrigger mats?
Spotted in the past week or so on the Long Mountain windfarm in Northern Ireland a crane set up with an apparent disregard for basic safety.
In the words or our correspondent:
“You'll see the crane has no outrigger mat's, no counterweight mounted on the superstructure (it is still sitting on the crane deck) and a guy in the exclusion zone with no hard hat. We are add a large factor of safety to our outrigger loads and here we see the basic rules being flouted on other sites!”
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The crane setting up and no outrigger mats employed.
To be fair to the crane company and give the benefit of the doubt, it might just be possible that the crane has not set up yet and the operator has put the outriggers down to provide extra stability while he installs the mats and counterweight. Although we have previously published examples of cranes like this overturning while lifting large spreader plates/mats off of the truck.
So either regular mats are used for offloading or a larger modular outrigger mat system used that can be delivered by a van, and easily unloaded and set up by hand, before the crane boom is even raised is probably the best bet on uncertain ground conditions. And yes it does look as though some preparation has gone into make a platform – but wind farms are notorious places for poor ground and poor roads as many have discovered.
Crane lads
Why don't the people taking the pictures never stop the job??? Brothers keeper springs to mind
Crane lads
Why don't the people taking the pictures never stop the job??? Brothers keeper springs to mind
Crane lads
More than likely he is out has a 95 tonner and the company hasn't sent any mats.
Yeslad-82, you are really 'digging' now !
1) On a site where there is ample room, it would be unusual to extend o/r's fully in order to place support mats beside the riggers, then having to drive or reverse the crane onto them.
2) The chains look 'suspiciously' like they are suspended over the foundation ring ready for lifting it - if they were being slewed, they would not hang so straight.
3) The wheels still make contact with the ground, meaning even their weight does not act as ballast. Liebherr do not permit 1/2 riggers + tyres touching the ground scenario anymore.
4) I suspect the ground pressure exerted by the o/r float even without any weight on hook, exceeds the permissible ground bearing capacity !
Of course, I am probably all wrong and the scenario really 'IS' as per your description...
yeslad-82
I would like to confirm that I know this set-up and the crane is ready and waiting for the lorry to reverse back to the crane to lift off the rigger matts, also the ground had been plate tested and the ground was more than capable for the weight that would be on each rigger leg, when the rigger matts are below each rigger then the ballast is then attached to the crane, also I can confirm that the guy in the picture with no hard on is not an employee of the crane hire company... so who ever the person is that took this picture should have found out the proper information before posting this picture.
It looks like the operator is ready to lift, and in that case: bad practice. Who knows what he is going to do...?
For setting up a crane on a compacted and solid surface: level the crane as with the hydraulic suspension, block the suspension,extend the outriggers on half and put down the plates, wheels as close as possible to or even slightly on the ground, LMI in the correct program, place the mats with boom as short as possible, superstructure over the front or over rear, boom angle at 40-50°, block, pin the superstructure, put crane on fully extended outriggers and level again, change LMI, pick on counter weight. Done that all those years, never had issues. Only remember that non of the work spots are similar and that crane operators are no fools. Stay proud on what you know and can guys!
Sherm
If the crew didn't check check and double-check their work they might have dealt with disaster. I hope our advocacy for better and total safety will catch on.