Anyone who uses mobile cranes or lifting equipment has to take special care to select outrigger pads rated for their equipment. Not only do they need to be the right size and thickness, they also need to provide support above and beyond your maximum lifting capacity. Pads without a high enough crush rating are disasters waiting to happen.
OSHA guidelines require cranes to be assembled on firm ground that is well drained and graded. But that puts concrete contractors in a tough spot, as they’re often the ones preparing the ground for everyone else. So they have to be even more careful when choosing the best outrigger pads for their equipment.
DICA CEO Kris Koberg kept hearing from concrete workers who needed more support for their equipment. So this March, DICA unveiled a new system that stabilizes outrigger pads on uneven, soft or uncompacted ground, a system designed specifically for the needs of concrete contractors.
The new crane pads stabilization system was recently featured in Lift and Access magazine, which reported that the new pads won’t be affected by the elements and heavy use, nor will they ever rot, delaminate, rust, decompose, or soak up water on the job, unlike wooden or steel crane pads.
“Concrete work frequently occurs in areas of disturbed, uncompacted softer ground. Our customers needed an engineered, lightweight, easy-to-handle solution that would allow them to achieve safe ground bearing pressures in these environments. FiberMax Dunnage Pads, constructed of our fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) material, are extremely rigid and durable,” Koberg told the magazine.
When choosing the right outrigger pads for your equipment, construction experts consider three factors: the size of the outrigger foot, the outrigger load for the equipment, and the ground conditions. While the first two factors are known quantities, the third is out of your control, or at least, it used to be.
That’s why DICA’s FiberMax crane pads are designed for cranes with lifting capacities of up to 600 tons, a crush rating of 1,000 psi, and rated capacity of 375,000 pounds. And now, concrete companies can buy the new stabilization system in two thicknesses, and the 1.5-inch super-duty option features a crush rating of 2,500 psi.
In the past, the only way to provide that much support was with bulky, expensive steel crane pads. DICA crane pads are engineered with thermoplastic material seven times lighter than steel and four times lighter than aluminum, helping cut down on transportation costs.
For more information on the stabilization system for crane pads and outrigger pads, check out the writeup in Lift and Access . nike air max hombre nike air max hombre nike air max hombre
