Outrigger pads are tools used to keep cranes and other pieces of heavy equipment from sinking into the ground during lifting. Anyone experienced with rigging is probably familiar with the pads to at least some extent. We sell outrigger pads as part of our inventory of rigging supplies.
We cannot stress enough the need for safety when deploying outrigger pads. As with everything related to rigging, there are safe and unsafe ways to deploy them. Relying on general rules of thumb or intuition doesn&#;t cut it. To be safe, you have to do things the right way.
The place to begin here is with government regulations. According to OSHA, safety is always a requirement. OSHA . states that, in all instances in which a crane or other lifting equipment is used, the ground on which the equipment is placed must be firm, sufficiently drained, properly graded, and able to support blocking, cribbing, and outrigger pads.
OSHA regulations relate mainly to construction and industrial work. So for jobs outside their scope we look to ASME B30.5 code. This code has been approved by the U.S. government, making it legally binding. It states that any blocking or pads used to support heavy equipment must be sufficiently strong. They must be able to safely support floating and transmission of the load without excessive settlement, shifting, or toppling.
This is just a general outline of OSHA and ASME rules. For details, consult both documents online. They offer all the information you need for a safe lifting experience.
Next, it is important to know and understand the working load limits of your outrigger pads, blocking, or cribbing. The three models of outrigger pads that we sell have working load limits of 45,000, 55,000, and 60,000 pounds. All have a crush rating of 200 PSI.
These working load limits apply just to the pads themselves. They have nothing to do with the strength or support of the ground underneath. So just because you have an outrigger pad strong enough to handle the load you&#;re lifting doesn&#;t necessarily mean you&#;re good to go.
Lifting safely requires a few basic calculations, beginning with the total amount of force the operation represents. Total force is really just the sum of all the &#;moving parts&#;, so to speak. Add together the weight of the crane, load, rigging equipment, and any accessories. The total weight equals the force of the load.
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Next, you must calculate the amount of area needed to safely distribute the load across your outrigger system. For that, you&#;ll need to know ground (soil) pressure. The lift supervisor should provide you with that number measured as pounds per square inch (psi).
To determine area, divide the total force by the ground pressure. The resulting number will be the total area over which the weight will be distributed. Calculate the square root of that number and you&#;ll know how much area each of the four corners of your rigging system should cover.
In some cases, you may find your outrigger pads are sufficient in and of themselves to carry the load. Other cases might require additional blocking or cribbing underneath the pads. Just make sure you get it right one way or another.
Feel free to contact us if you have questions about our outrigger pads. Also, remember that we carry a full line of rigging supplies. Whether you need slings, straps, blocks or hooks, Mytee Products probably carries it. And if we don&#;t, contact us anyway. We might be able to procure what you&#;re after.
By Paige Cerulli
When you&#;re working with large, heavy equipment like cranes and backhoes, it&#;s important to have the tools you need to use that equipment safely on each job site. Outrigger pads are essential safety tools, and they&#;re important investments for your construction business.Outrigger pads are large, dense pads that you place underneath a piece of equipment&#;s foot, outrigger, or shoe. The pads help to stabilize the equipment, keeping it from sinking into the ground and preventing the ground from shifting while you&#;re using the equipment.Even though ground might seem flat and stable, it has slight imperfections that can potentially cause a heavy load to topple over. The pad distributes the machine&#;s weight more evenly and avoids a situation where you&#;re anchoring your machine on loose dirt or gravel.Keep in mind that OSHA requirements include the use of outrigger pads when using certain types of equipment, like cranes.Outrigger pads offer several benefits:Outrigger pads amount to increased job site safety. These pads could help to prevent accidents and potential equipment vehicle tip-overs.Those effects could also amount to increased safety for you and your employees. The use of these pads demonstrates to employees that you value and take steps to ensure their safety.By better stabilizing your equipment, you can help to prevent it from being damaged in a tip-over or other accident. Outrigger pads are an important investment in your equipment&#;s protection.When you use a larger size pad, you can even extend your equipment&#;s footprint, helping to prevent the foot from sinking down into softer earth. This type of usage can be ideal for equipment that will be parked for a longer period of time, like an RV, and makes it easier to remove the equipment again.Since outrigger pads allow you to safely place and stabilize your equipment even on surfaces that aren&#;t perfectly flat or firm, they give you more maneuverability around your job site.Looking for the perfect place to park your truck or crane without the use of outrigger pads could waste valuable time, and such a spot might not exist at certain sites.With outrigger pads, you&#;ll have more options and can save time as you move around the job site. You may be better able to maneuver around the site to get your work done, saving time and staying on deadline and within budget.As you look for outrigger pads, it&#;s important to choose pads that are the right mats for your equipment and your usage. You can look for several qualities to help you tell which pads are the best choice.The pad needs to be larger than your equipment shoes. If you want to buy one set of pads that you can use across all of your different equipment, then determine which piece of equipment has the largest shoes and buy pads that are larger than that.At Greatmats, our smallest pads measure 15x15 inches, while the largest are 4x4 feet. These larger pads offer more stability, so you will need to buy a pad that&#;s not only appropriate for the shoe size, but also for the type of material that you tend to work on.Our outrigger pads are made of a highly durable plastic, and they offer load capacities of 20,000 pounds and up. It&#;s essential that you choose a pad that will support the highest load that your equipment will ever carry, or you could damage the pad.When choosing the pad that&#;s right for your equipment, don&#;t forget to defer to your equipment owner manuals. Most manuals include specifications about pad dimensions and capacities.When your whole business is mobile, you don&#;t want to have to invest extra time into cleaning and maintaining your outrigger pads. It&#;s important that you can easily remove the pads, load them, and be on your way.Look for pads that can be hosed down and scraped off for simple and fast maintenance. Consider, too, how easy the pads are to move.When you&#;re working with 4x4 footpads, make sure they&#;re equipped with handles so that you can move them easily. Our pads have orange handles that not only make them easy to grip, but that are also easy to see.Pads are an important business investment, but you also want to be sure that the pad is going to last for years. At Greatmats, our outrigger pads are manufactured from an engineered thermoplastic, which makes them strong and supportive.The plastic resists challenges common on job sites, including water and oils, extreme temperatures, and chemicals. They&#;re built for repeated use, so their purchase is a long-term investment in your business.
Are you interested in learning more about Crane Outrigger Mats? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!