Understanding Crane Pads: Importance, Types, and Installation

Civil engineering is a vast concept with many facets. Each stage, from designing to executing the designs, has its importance. The construction stage is the most important of all. Choosing materials to put each piece together involves mental and physical hard work. Construction also requires heavy machinery and vehicles that contribute in different ways. One of them is the crane, a heavy vehicle that helps lift and move heavy-weighted materials from one place to another. Although cranes are powerful automobiles, they also require safety.

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Cranes have a unique feature called outriggers. These outriggers help the crane maintain its balance while lifting heavy-weighted material. Engineers use crane pads to ensure high safety. Usually round, the crane pad is essential in distributing the weight equally on both the outriggers. It is made of durable UHMW polyethylene, which essentially supports the outriggers to stay sturdy while bearing heavy loads. It also provides protection against corrosion, disintegration and rusting. Crane pads are lightweight and easy to handle. They are designed to handle heavy vertical pressure. 

• Arranging the site: Step 1 is to clear the site area where the crane pads are required to be installed. This includes removing unwanted debris from the surface that can cause accidents.
• Positioning the pad: The next step is to position the pad under the outriggers on the marked points.
• Flattening of the surface: While installing the crane pads, make sure to level the surface. This provides proper adjustments for the outriggers.
• Placement of crane pads: The last step is to place the crane pads as per the crane’s placement. It should efficiently be placed under the outriggers.

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• The first and foremost factor is the crane pad’s load capacity. It should have more load capacity than the crane itself.
• The surface area also plays a vital role while selecting the crane pad. Ensure the ground type, soil density and location.
• The next factor to consider is the frequency of use. If it is high, consider buying high-durability crane pads.
• The crane pad should be proportionate to the outriggers. Ensure to buy the proper size and dimensions of the crane pad.

Crane pads provide essential support to outriggers. They help in providing more efficient and safe usage of the cranes. Choosing an appropriate crane pad is the responsibility of the engineer. For this, they consider some important factors like durability, dimensions, and capacity.

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What is an Outrigger Mat?

An outrigger mat or pad is a pad that is larger than the outrigger itself, made out of a strong material. They typically comprise of dense polyethylene which is a synthetic material that is highly durable, water-resistant, and lightweight. The outrigger mat evenly distributes the weight of the outriggers on the ground. The larger surface area prevents the machine from sinking into soil or damaging hard floors.

The use of outrigger mats also provides extra stabilisation for heavy machinery as there is extra grip for the outriggers compared to some surfaces. The prevention of the outriggers sinking also means the machine will not lean to one side.

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Some machines that have outriggers are spider cranes or cranes such as our Starworker -D.

Types of Outrigger Mats

Wood

The use of wood sheets may seem like a cheap and convenient solution when you need an outrigger pad, but it can come with many drawbacks. If using wood readily available to you you will have to assess the capacity it can handle each time it is used, unless it is a purchased wood outrigger mat with a published pre-calculated capacity. This will take up time.

Wood outrigger pads can also be prone to breaking due to their inflexibility and their porosity which causes water to weaken the pads. The porosity can also cause the wood to become heavy after use in wet conditions which is not practical when needing to move the pads around site.

Steel

While steel is strong it is also heavy, adding unnecessary weight under a heavy machine. The heavier pads mean that more workers are needed to shift them between locations. As steel is expensive it also means your outrigger pads will be. This means you’re paying more for the same or worse performance.

Polyethylene

These synthetic pads are easy to lift and are non-porous, so you won’t need to worry about waterlogging. The long-lasting material means you will rarely have to replace the pads, saving you money in the long run. They are also more widely available so it is guaranteed you will find one that is suited to your needs.

What Size Outrigger Mat Do You Need?

Mat size requirements can be calculated yourself but if you do not have experience in this then we would recommend you avoid it and ask a professional instead. GGR Group’s experts can assist you with accurately choosing the best outrigger mat for you. We also offer crane operator hire and lift plans where needed.

You can speak to our team by giving us a call or contacting us here.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Crane Outrigger Mats(pl,de,ru).

Outrigger Mat Top Tips

• You should only refer to published values when selecting a suitable outrigger mat when the lift is simple i.e., the soil is not multi-layered, the ground is not sloped, not above a basement, etc.
• The outrigger should be in the centre of the outrigger mat.
• Suitability of outrigger mats should be assessed repeatedly if ground/weather conditions change i.e., rain, snow, earthquake.
• Consider the shape of your outrigger mats when choosing them – round and square mats can handle different pressures based on their size.