Crane Rental Companies Share Secret to Fast and Safe Assembly and Disassembly
Safety reigns supreme in the world of crane operations, with efficiency following close behind. While crane manufacturers pour substantial resources into engineering mobile cranes for seamless transport and swift setup, industry veterans have uncovered an additional strategy to further streamline the assembly process.
Consider the new 300-ton All-Terrain (AT) crane from Link-Belt. Andrew Soper, product manager of Telescopic Truck and All-Terrain cranes, encapsulates customer demands succinctly: “Customers want a crane that travels down the road efficiently, goes together on a job site quickly, has a strong chart, and is reliable.”
This crane is deployed with a maximum counterweight of 162,000 pounds, requiring four overflow truckloads for full deployment. However, it offers flexibility, allowing setup with just two overflow loads and 74,000 pounds of counterweight to enhance mobility and efficiency across various job site scenarios. Yet, before this crane can tackle its primary lifting duties, it must undergo a series of self-lifts during assembly.
For cranes in the 100- to 450-ton class, the logistics of transporting, assembling and disassembling the crane typically require several truckloads of equipment. Depending on local Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements, crane rental companies may need up to 20 additional truckloads to transport all necessary components. Among these critical elements are crane pads, which many rental companies include as standard equipment.
Crane pads used by cranes with a lifting capacity of 100 tons cannot be lifted or moved by hand. However, the crane’s outriggers must be deployed to pick and place the pads, as well as any additional boom and counterweights. This is where the dual outrigger pad strategy adds the layer of safety that should be part of the standard assembly and disassembly process.
Save Time and Reduce Risk
Savvy crane rental companies are using a dual outrigger pad strategy that saves time and mitigates risk: employing a second set of outrigger pads specifically for the lifting work during crane assembly. As the crane arrives on site and begins its transformation into its working configuration. The outriggers must be deployed for the crane to boom up and swing around. If the outriggers go down, they should have supporting materials or outrigger pads placed under them to reduce ground-bearing pressures during the phase of assembly. However, the crane should not be picking and placing outrigger pads unless its outriggers are supported by outrigger pads.
Enter SafetyTech and FiberTech Outrigger Pads as the set-up pad solution. These solutions offer crane operators and assembly crews flexibility, allowing them to roll or manually position outrigger pads with ease. Industry insiders swear by Heavy Duty SafetyTech pads, ranging from 36″ to 48″ in diameter (such as models DR36-2, DR-42-2, or DR48-2), for the setup process. The weight of 3’–4’ round SafetyTech, 2-inch thick synthetic pads range from 68 to 120 lbs. pounds each. For situations where additional rigidity is required, the weights of the 1-inch thick FiberTech Outrigger Pads in similar diameters are 75-140 lbs. each. Both options provide the perfect balance of maneuverability for efficient setup and the necessary rigidity and strength for stability and load distribution.
Once the outriggers are deployed in a half-outrigger condition, larger crane pads such as DICA’s FiberMax and EcoMax can be picked and placed. These pads help ensure optimal support during the crane’s primary lifting operations. Once all pads are placed, the outriggers can be fully extended so they are supported by the crane pads. Now the crane is ready to add its counterweight and any boom accessories so it can go to work. The process repeats itself, but in reverse order, when going through the disassembly process.
By implementing this dual outrigger pad strategy, crane rental companies can significantly enhance assembly efficiency while reducing risks.
In an industry where every minute counts and safety is paramount, this insider tip could be the key to gaining a competitive edge while maintaining the highest standards of operational safety.
