Crane lifting is something that is so incredible to watch, and when the cargo is performing a graceful arc through the air, it’s all too easy to think that using a crane and driving a load around must be this graceful, a simple thing that just happens. As I’m sure you’re aware, there’s a whole lot more that goes into making a safe and successful crane lift happen.
I was watching some cranes in Melbourne recently and was enjoying the sight of some cranes performing this very graceful art of shuffling items around on a building site. It was a great thing to watch as the drives moved and lifted with clockwork precision and painstakingly excellent attention to detail. The engineering and crane industry have been working on cranes to make them safer, more effective and more efficient, and I wanted to look at some of the important factors that need to be considered when it comes to the perfect crane lift.
We’re going to cover things like external factors (weather and ground conditions) to rigging and the crane itself. Let’s take a look.
Weight
Every job that is going to be taken on by a crane company is going to be different in some way or another. You need to understand the height and weight of every single item and the reach that is going to be required to move the item successfully. There are a whole lot of different equations and information that are needed in order to plan a lift, so knowing every detail about the weight first of all, is a vital thing.
Crane that will be used
Ask anyone on the street about what kinds of cranes they know about and they might not be able to name one. That’s pretty normal, to be honest, because while there are a lot of different types of cranes, most people don’t need to know what they are. No problem – because the people who do know their cranes know a whole lot about them. You need to know the capacity of the crane, any limitations, and if it has the ability to perform the lift that is being done. One of the most popular cranes used by Membrey’s, a Melbourne crane company, is the Liebherr LTM 1060. This crane has a maximum lift capability of 60 tonnes, and has excellent mobility. This makes it perfect for some of the most challenging lifts.
Access to site
Many of the mobile cranes out there are wide and heavy, and it’s important to make sure that the site being used is accessible and that there’s enough space for the lift. This includes ensuring that the powerlines in the area have been accounted for, and whether the ground on the site can be a sufficient base for the crane. This area needs to be level, clear, barricaded and made private for site access only.
Communication during the lift
This is a vital part of any successful lift, and it begins with a pre-site inspection which then extends on to during the lift itself.
At the end of the day, any crane lift, no matter how big or how small, it is an event in and of itself and can be fascinating to watch. Many people on building sites still get a great kick out of watching an item get hoisted up high above their heads, as they stand on the ground below (at a safe spot!).
The most important part of any lift is ensuring that the job is done safely and efficiently. After that, it’s all down to enjoying the process.
photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
