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Content

lntroduction................................................................................. 6

Crane types .................................................................................. 8


lntroduction ................................................................................................ 8
Definition of a Heavy Lift Mast crane .......................................................8
Development of the Heavy Lift Mast crane ............................. ........ I 0
Propulsion................................................................................ ....... I 0
Fundamental concepts ............................................................ ..... ll
Safe Working Load ................................................................. ...... 13
Mass and weight (force) ......................................................... .... 14
Combining forces .................................................................... ... 16
Forces on cargo ..................................................................... .... 17
Attaching containers .............................................................. ..... 20
Summary ............................................................................... .... 21
Questions .............................................................................. .... 22

The main components of the heavy lift


mast crane................................................................ ... 26
lntroduction ........................................................................... ... 28
The slewing ring ............................................................... ... 28
The rotating masthead.......................................................... .... 28
800 tons mast crane ............................................................. ... 29
Jibs ..................................................................................... . . . . . 29
Pedestal (not present at HLMC) ............................................ ..... 31
Slewing mechanism ............................................................... ...... 32
Crane cabin ........................................................................... ....... 33
A-frame (not applicable to mast crane) ................................. ........ 34
Main hoist winch ...................................................................... ........ 34
Main hoist rope ........................................................................ ....... 35
Auxiliary hoist rope ............................................................................. 35
Hoisting hook ...................................................................................... 36
Block seafastening .................................................................. ........ 36
Summary ........................................................................................... 37
Questions .............................................................................................. 38

Safety ............................................................................................... 40
lntroduction ...............................................................................................40
Risk assessment ..................................................................................... 40
Communications & hand signals ............................................................. 44
Personal protective equipment ................................................................ 45
Capacity classification ............................................................................. 45
Sea state (only applicable for offshore applications)............................... 47
Constant tension system ......................................................................... 48
Wave compensator .................................................................................. 48
Loadlradius table ..................................................................................... 49
Overload protection ................................................................................. 49
Commissioning and testing ..................................................................... 52
Taking a crane int0 service ..................................................................... 52
Seafastening of 800 Ts mast crane ......................................................... 53
Precautionary measures ......................................................................... 55
Personnel baskets ................................................................................... 55
Leaving the crane .................................................................................... 56
Summary ................................................................................................. 56

@SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


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Questions ................................................................................................ 57

5 Lifting of heavy cargo ..................................................... 60


lntroduction .............................................................................................. 60
The stability of the load............................................................................ 60
The initia1 stability .................................................................................... 60
The stability moment ............................................................................... 61
Stability range .......................................................................................... 62
Stability of cargo when using a spreader- or lifting beam ....................... 63
Symetric lifting systerns ........................................................................... 66
Forces in lifting wires and shackles ......................................................... 68
Forces on lifting eyes ............................................................................... 71
Forces when using a spreader or lifting beam ........................................ 73
Strength of spreader ................................................................................ 76
Information on lifting equipment on board ............................................... 77
Calculation of Safe Working Load ........................................................... 78
Testing of lifting material - Certificates ................................................... 79
Calculation of breaking strength of lifting grornmets ............................... 80
Dimensions of lifting shackles ................................................................. 80
Summary ................................................................................................. 80
Questions ................................................................................................ 81

6 Lifting equipment: maintenance and


inspection .................................................................................... 86
lntroduction .............................................................................................. 86
Machinery Directive ................................................................................. 86
ldentification and markings...................................................................... 87
Checks and inspections .......................................................................... 88
Declarations and certification .................................................................. 89
Guidance for users .................................................................................. 91
Storage .................................................................................................... 91
Maintenance ............................................................................................ 92
lnspection ................................................................................................ 93
Colour coding lifting material Jumbo ....................................................... 95
Summary ................................................................................................. 97
Questions ................................................................................................ 98

7 Chains and hain assemblies ................................ 99


lntroduction .............................................................................................. 99
Definitions ................................................................................................ 99
Material .................................................................................................. 103
Quality classifications ............................................................................ 105
Working coefficient ................................................................................106
Lifting chains .......................................................................................... 106
Lifting hooks .......................................................................................... 107
Eyebolts, eye nuts and Ioad rings ......................................................... 115
Summary ............................................................................................... 116
Questions .............................................................................................. 117

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8 Steel wire ropes and steel wire rope
assemblies ................................................................................ 119
lntroduction ............................................................................................ 119
Materials ................................................................................................ 119
Working coefficient ................................................................................ 120
Construction of steel wire ropes ............................................................ 120
Strand constructions .............................................................................. 123
Lays .................................................................................................... 128
Pitch .................................................................................................... 129
Terminations and steel wire rope assemblies ....................................... 131
Steel wire rope slings ............................................................................ 134
Safe Working Load ................................................................................ 136
Summary ............................................................................................... 137
Questions .............................................................................................. 138

9 Fabric slings and fibre ropes................................ 141


lntroduction ............................................................................................ 141
. .
Fabr~csl~ngs.......................................................................................... 141
Manufacture........................................................................................... 142
Permissible Ioads .................................................................................. 146
Labels .................................................................................................... 146
Fibre rope materials............................................................................... 147
Resistance of ropes to fluids ................................................................. 148
Summary ............................................................................................... 148
Questions .............................................................................................. 149

lO Special lifting equipment ........................................ i51


lntroduction ............................................................................................ 151
Lifting equipment ................................................................................... 151
Lifting beams ......................................................................................... 151
Lifting clamps ......................................................................................... 152
Work platforms ...................................................................................... 153
Gas cylinder racks ................................................................................. 156
Tensioning and guying equipment ........................................................ 156
Summary ............................................................................................... 157
Questions .............................................................................................. 158

ll Sheaves. drums and crane blocks ............... 159


lntroduction ............................................................................................ 159
Deflection and surface pressure............................................................ 159
Fleeting angle ........................................................................................ 160
Rope sheaves........................................................................................ 161
Rope drums ........................................................................................... 164
Crane blocks .......................................................................................... 168
Serving sleeve ....................................................................................... 171
Summary ............................................................................................... 172
Questions .............................................................................................. 172

l 2 Attaching loads................................................................. 174


lntroduction ............................................................................................ 174
Attaching using the crane hook ............................................................. 174
Attaching using slings ............................................................................ 175
Centre of gravity of the Ioad .................................................................. 177
Safe Working Load ................................................................................ 178
Summary ............................................................................................... 183
Questions .............................................................................................. 184

GSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


l3 Procedures ............................................................................ 186
lntroduction ............................................................................................ 186
Behaviour in the workplace ................................................................... 186
Crane .................................................................................................... 187
Crane operator ...................................................................................... 187
Wave height ........................................................................................... 189
Banksrnen.............................................................................................. 189
Lifting tackle ........................................................................................... 189
Containers ............................................................................................. 190
Working platforms.................................................................................. 191
Personnel basket ................................................................................... 192
Ernergencies.......................................................................................... 193
Summary ........................................................................................... 194
Questions ................................................................................ ...... 195

14 Answer to questions at the end of each chapter .195

APPENDIX
Crane operators exercises on board.............................................. . . . . . 196

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The shipping world makes extensive use of cranes, indeed without cranes it is hard
to see how work could be done on ships at all. But the use of cranes is not without
risk. The aim of this book is to provide you, the crane operator, with al1 the
professional knowledge you need to carry out your work on board of Jumbo Heavy
Lift vessels safely and efficiently.

The original context of this book was composed by SBW in order to educate and
train offshore crane operators. lt has been extended and reduced in order to
comply with the specific requirements for a Heavy Lift Crane operator on board of
Jumbo Heavy Lift vessels.
The context is still subject to changes. Any recommendations, extra subjects or
alike from crew members are welcome and wil1 be considered for addition in later
issues.

Chapter 2 discusses the types of cranes and derricks most commonly found in use
on Jumbo Heavy Lift vessels. We then move on to definitions and the basic
knowledge that is required for an understanding of the later chapters.
These chapters can be skimmed through if these basic ideas are already familiar
t0 you.

Chapter 3 provides a brief explanation of the main components of the Heavy Lifi
Mast Crane (HLMC) and the terminology used to refer to them.

Chapter 4 deals with safety and the many factors that contribute to it, such as:
personal protective equipment
risk assessment
risk control
maintenance
communications
crane capacity classes
sea state
shock loading factor
offlead and side lead
constant tension
wave compensation.

Chapter 5 deals with lifting tackle, covering definitions, maintenance and


inspection.

Chapter 6 deals with lifting equipment: maintenance and inspection and colour
coding used on board Jumbo heavy lift vessels, as wel1 as rejection criteria of wire
ropes

Chapter 7 deals with lifting chains and the associated equipment including:
e Ming hooks
connections
eye bolts
eye nuts
a chain combinations
* chain slings
working Ioad factor.

Chapter 8 is concerned with steel wire ropes, their various terminations and
combinations of wire ropes.

6 0 f 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Chapter 9 deals with fabric lifting slings and also the use of fibre ropes as tailing
lines.

Chapter 10 covers specialised lifting equipment such as:


e lifting beams
lifting clamps
special crane hooks
e work platforms.

Chapter 11 is about rope sheaves, rope drums and lifting blocks.

Chapter 12 deals with the safe attachment of loads, and wil1 be useful to slingers
as wel1 as crane operators.

Chapter 13 discusses the various procedures adopted among the various


companies active in shipping and offshore.

Chapter 14 contains the answers to the questions at the end of each chapter.

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D Introduction
The term "crane" covers a huge
range of different types of lifting
machine:
telescopic cranes
e lattice boom cranes
crawler cranes
e knuckle boom cranes
e tower cranes
e dockyard cranes

ship's mast derrick systems


Heavy Lift Mast Cranes
(HLMC)
e Offshore pedestal cranes
e Or any combinations of above

Each type of crane has its specific


characteristics and is suitable for
particular duties. This wide variation makes it difficult to
discuss cranes in general terms and it is more sensible to
deal with the different categories individually. In this course
we wil1 concentrate mainly on Heavy Lift Mast Cranes used
on board of Jumbo Heavy Lift vessels.
In addition, subjects related to offshore
pedestal cranes wil1 be discussed in order to learn more about
offshore lifting. The terrns wil1 be defined and we wil1 then move
on to deal a.0. with the following topics:
the development of the heavy lift mast crane
e propulsion
e mass and weight
e forces and combination of forces
e lifting of heavy cargo
e stability of the lift

At the end of each chaoter


. vou. wil1 find practice questions. The
answers are in Chapter 14.

D Definition of a Heavy Lift


Mast Crane (HLMC)
A heavy lift mast crane is a permanently
installed crane of which the mast forms a
fixed part of the ships structure with the lower
slewing ring supporting the jib pivot points and
a second top slewing ring on top of the mast
structure, from which the topping wires lead to
the jib head. See fig.

Jumbo uses 250 Ts, 400 Ts, 800 Ts Heavy

8 0 f 197 O S B W & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


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,,
Lift Mast Cranes and in addition also still uses 500 Ts mast Derrick systems as
wel1 as 250 Ts mast derrick systems.
They all share the Same key features, namely:
a relatively small footprint in relation to load moment
a no counter weight required, therefore no tail swing
a winches are placed in lower part of mast foot, resulting in a low overall
Centre of Gravity (CoG)

For some examples see pictures below


These crane types are further described in chapter 3.

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D Development of the Heavy Lift Mast Cranes
(HLMC)
When lifting heavy loads, the ship cranes require a load moment (load x radius) of
10,000 ton meter or more. A conventional pedestal crane could not meet these
enormous load moments (unless a large slew ring diameter is used) and therefore
mast derricks were used. These mast derrick lift systems had a small footprint but
the disadvantage of a small slewing range (approx. 120').
The HLMC can be considered as a combination of a conventional mast derrick
system and a pedestal crane, whereby it combines the specific advantages of each
crane type. The mast derrick system has a large load moment with a relatively
small footprint, but only a limited slewing area of approx. 120, whereby the
pedestal crane has a fully revolving slewing range, but a large footprint.
The first mast cranes on board of a Jumbo heavy Lift vessel were the 40 Ts mast
cranes on the aft ship of the Jumbo Challenger and Fairmast (D-Type Heavy Lift
vessels).

In case a large load moment is required (> 10,000 ton meter), the slew ring
diameter increases and therefore the foot ~ r i nof
t the crane.

Pedestal Crane
Radius k4
y l
!

Mast Crane
Radius 4
!
!
!
!
!
!
Load

As the load moment of the HLMC is completely absorbed by the mast and not by
the slew ring hearing (like a pedestal crane), it can be built very slender.
As the winches are placed in a fixed position in the lower part of the vessel below
the mast foot, the slewing range is limited to 2x210' to either side from the .neutral
position

lPropulsion
The HLMC's or Mast Derrick systems on board Jumbo vessels are driven:
e electro-hydraulic high pressure (280 bar)
e electro-hydraulic low pressure (30 bar) (mast derrick systems only)
e fully electrically driven (440 Volt 60 Hz)

We wil1 not discuss in detail the various drive systems of the Jumbo derricks and
mast cranes, as the maintenance and repair of these drive systems fall under the
responsibility of the Chief Engineer on board and are not being repaired or
maintained by the crane operator

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lFundamenta
The following concepts wil1 come under discussion:
o lifting capacity
e lifting speed
e lifting force
lifting tackle
lifting gear
o useful load
e working load
o hoisting load
e safe working load
test load
e breaking load
e working coefficient.

lifting capacity
By lifting capacity we mean the mass of the load in relation to the radius, so for
example 400 tonnes at a radius of 18 m. The lifting capacity of a telescopic jib
crane is low in comparison with a crane with a solid-walled or lattice jib.

Lifling a 115 Ts Module on board of a Jumbo Heavy Lift A 300 Ts telescopic crane used to tail-in a reactor vessel
vessel

The most significant tasks carried out by a ships crane are:


e loading and unloading of cargo in and out of the hold or trom deck
e carrying out lifting operations during preparation of the vessel such as hatch
covers, stabilizer pontoon, spreader and lifting beams
e lifting stores and other equipment onlfrom board
e lifting operations fromlto vessel tolfrom the seabed or ontolfrom offshore
platforms or other vessels

A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


lifting speed
Lifting speed is the velocity with which a load can be lifted at a particular radius.
The lifting speed of the hoist block depends on the line speed of the runner wire
(runner wire = wire rope from hoist winch to hoist block) and the number of
reevings of the hoist block. The 800 Ts mast crane has a main block of 7 sheaves
and a max. lift speed at full load of 2,3 mlmin. This corresponds to a max. line
speed at the winch of 14x2,3 mlmin = 32,2 mlmin.

lifting force
Lifting force is the force necessary to lift the working load. This depends on the line
pull of the runner wire and the number of reevings in the hoist block.
The 800 Ts mast crane is equipped with a hoist block of 7 sheeves (14 parts) and
with a line pull of 67 ts can develop a max. force of 800 ts. Bear in mind that 14x67
ts = 938 ts, but that friction in the sheeves decrease the max. lifting load.
The 800 ts mast crane wil1 be upgraded to 900 ts SWL, by adding an additional
sheave to the main hoist block (8 instead of 7 sheaves). In normal operations, the
crane wil1 be reeved for 800 ts SWL, but can be re-reeved to 16 parts and have a
SWL of 900 ts.

lifting tackle
Lifting tackle is the equipment (2) which is needed to attach the useful load (1).
This includes slings, chains, spreaders and lifting beams. By useful load we mean
solely the load ( l ) , that is, without lifting tackle (2) the crane hook (3), rope bal1 (4),
block (5) and rope (6).

3 Lifling tackle and lifting beams can be significant


as shown in this example when lifting a 280 Ts
gasturbine

w. l l"",,

4. rope bal1
5. crane block
6 . rope.

A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


lifting gear
Lifting gear means the items needed to raise the useful load and the lifting tackle:
the hook (3), rope bal1 (4), crane block (5) and the suspended part of the rope (6).
Lifting gear is directly connected to the crane. Lifting tackle can be used separately
from the crane.

useful load
The useful load is the maximum load that can be lifted, minus the lifting tackle.

working load
Working load is the combination of the useful load (1) and the lifting tackle (2).
We make a clear distinction between the working load and the hoisting load.
With cranes, the working load is always less than the hoisting load.

Working load = useful load + lifting tackle

hoisting load
Hoisting load is made up of the working load plus the lifting gear (3, 4, 5, 6)
situated above the hook.

Hoisting load = working load + lifting gear

D Safe Working Load = SWL (also refered to as


Work Load Limit = WLL)
Any lifting equipment can only bear a certain load. If this is exceeded, there is a
risk of wrecking the equipment. The maximum permissible load which may be lifted
with the lifting equipment is termed the Safe Working Load. By "load" we are
referring here to the useful load, that is to say the mass which is to be lifted minus
the mass of the lifting tackle, crane hook, crane block or hoisting rope. This applies
to mobile cranes as wel1 as offshore platform cranes, where the main hoist block
can be exchanged for a smaller or bigger block with more or less reevings.
The abbreviation SWL is used to refer to Safe Working Load. The units used with
SWL are the kilogram (kg) and the tonne (t). Nowadays we refer to Work Load
Limit (WLL), which is the Same as Safe Working Load (SWL)
In the Jumbo heavy lift mast cranes, where the main hoist block is part of the
crane, we do not need to subtract the block weight trom the max. lift capacity. The
SWL of 800 ts is equal to the usefull load that can be lifted with the crane (despite
the weight of the main block of 25 ts).

test load
The test load is the load with which the lifting equipment was tested. Testing is
necessary to ensure that the equipment is fit for its task. Testing may take place on
a test bench or with a test weight. The unit for load testing is kN. (kiloNewton)

breaking load
The load at which failure occurs is called the breaking load. There is a difference
between the calculated breaking load and the actual breaking load. The calculated
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"

breaking load is the theoretica1 limit at which the lifting equipment wil1 fail. If the
load which wil1 break the equipment is determined in practice this is referred to as
actual breaking load. The unit for breaking load is kN.

working coefficien
Of course you must never load lifting equipment so heavily that it fails, and indeed
an ample safety factor must be adopted. The ratio between the breaking force and
the Safe Working Load of an item of Ming equipment is known as the working
coefficient or working factor. A working coefficient of 5 means that the SWL may
not exceed 115 of the breaking force. Since the SWL is a mass it is first converted
to N (Newton). The size of the working coefficient depends on the type of
equipment and in some cases on the SWL. The usual working coefficient for
chains and chain assemblies is 4. The coefficient for steel wire rope is 5, and for
fabric slings it is 7. We wil1 be looking further int0 this in the coming chapters.

Jumbo applies following working factors (Safety factors).


Safety Factor = Breakloadl SWL (Safe Working Load)

Chains =4
Steel wire ropes= 3,33 - 5 (depending on capacity) < 25 ts = 5. > 180 ts = 3.33
Hoisting cables = 3-4
Synthetic slings= 7

Mass and weight (force)


Mass is a basic unit and is expressed in kg. You might for example say that the
mass of a load is 100kg. People often use the word "weight" here but that is not
strictly accurate. Because of gravitational acceleration, a force acts upon every
mass. This force is what we refer to as weight (Fq). It is the product of mass and
the gravitational acceleration or expressed in a
formula F = m x a.

It means when we have a box with a mass of 1


kg laying on the table, the earths gravity wil1 pull
at the box with a force of F = m x a = 1 x 9,81 =
9,81 N (Newton). The unit for Force is Newton
(N).
But gravity is not the Same everywheie. The acceleration of gravity on the Moon
(gm)is 116 of the value of the Earth (g). Thus, if you put the Same object on the
Moon and weighed it, its weight would be 116 the weight on Earth In other words, a
120 kg man would only weigh 20 kg on the Moon. Even on the Earth. gravity is not
constant everywhere.

Unlike the mass, weight is dependent on the location of the object

This can be expressed in a formula:

Weight (F) = mass (m) x gravitational acceleration (g)

Gravitational acceleration is represented by the symbol 9,


where the g indicates
gravity and n is the normal force. On earth g, = 9.81 m/s .

So: Fg = kg x m/s2 = kgm/s2= N (Newton).

Weight as a force is therefore expressed using the Newton as a unit. The weight of
an object with a mass of 100 kg is therefore 100 x 9,8 N = 980 N.

When lifting loads the load is expressed in mass with units of kg or tonne (= 1000
kg). In practice this is equivalent to the weight in the unit N.

140f 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


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,,
Before hoisting a load, you must have an insight int0 the forces which a lifting
operation creates. The mass of the load causes a force and this force acts upon
the ropes lifting the load. Improving your insight int0 the interplay of forces
contributes to an improvement in safety.

Briefcase of 10 As the resultant


kg standing on l; . , .. is
~

floor of train with an pointing over


$"/S $n t; v ration of the tipping
point of the
Vertical force
due to mass of Horizontal
briefcase: Force due to
F1 = 10 x 9.81 acceleration of
= 98.1 N train: F2 =
IOx3=30N
in opposite
direction

Let's illustrate this with following example.


Imagine you are standing on a train with your briefcase next to you on the floor.
The mass of your briefcase is 10 kg. As the train starts to move it is accelerating.
This acceleration applies a 'pulling' force to your briefcase in a direction opposite to
the motion of the train.
The force acts from the CoG (Centre of Gravity) of your briefcase (see Fig. ).
At the Same time the earth's gravity applies a force of 10 kg x 9.81 m/s2 = 98.1 N
vertically from the CoG of the briefcase.
These two forces produce a resultant force 'R'.

If this resultant force crosses the point known as the tipping point, then the
briefcase wil1 fall over. The magnitude of the resultant force 'R' depends on,the
acceleration of the train (here we took 3 m/s2).

The Same theory applies in reverse when the train is stopping. The train's braking
is a deceleration. The Force 'F' wil1 now point in the opposite direction. Again, if the
force 'R' crosses the tipping point then the briefcase wil1 fall over, but this time in
the opposite direction. If you can understand these basics then a lot of the
principles in the transportation, lifting and rigging business wil1 become clear.

The principles outlined above should also explain why we move heavy loads
slowly, and why we avoid abrupt accelerations and decelerations.
The magnitude of the acceleration or deceleration directly affects the forces (in
Newtons, or in the US Poundforces; 1 Poundforce = 4.45 N) on the load.

Returning to the example above, if the acceleration of the train is slow enough then
the resultant force R wil1 remain in front of the tipping line and your briefcase wil1

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,,... ,

"
L-..
..... .. - ......
u.

not fall over. Naturally, if the braking is slow enough then the sarne principle
applies.

combining forces
Usually objects are acted upon by more than a single force and the various forces
often vary in direction and size. We are then required to find a force which can be
substituted for those varying forces, but still has the sarne end effect as those other
forces applied in combination. This is referred to as the combination of forces, and
the single substitute force is called the resultant.
Where two forces operate in the sarne line of action and in the Same direction, the
resultant is the addition of both forces. Where two forces operate in the Same line
of action but in opposite directions the resultant is equal to the difference between
the two forces.
Where two forces in a single plane operate at a particular angle with respect to one
another, we can determine the resultant by drawing a so-called "parallelogram of
forces".
We draw the forces to a particular scale (F1 and F2). We then move the forces
along their line of action until they cross at point S. Frorn S we then once again set
out the magnitude of the forces ( F l ' and F2').

Determining the resultant of two forces

By drawing a parallelogram, we can now find the size and direction of the resultant
between the points S and R.

resolution of forces
The resolution of forces is the opposite of
combination of forces. When forces are
resolved, a single force is replaced by several
forces. Taken together, these forces have the
Same effect as that single force. In lifting
operations forces are often resolved. Say for
example you need to lift a case. The weight of
the case creates a force equal to G Newton.
The lifting force G, must exceed G in order to
allow the lift to be performed. The lifting force Gl
can be resolved int0 two forces (Fl and F2)
which operate on the slings used to lift the case.
We can see from the angle drawn that the
forces F, and F2are smaller than the lifting
force G1.

Resolution of forces when lifting a case.

16 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


But what happens if we make this angle greater? In the second drawing we wil1 lift
the Same case with the slings at an angle of 150'.
We resolve the lifting force G, int0 two forces operating at an angle of 150'. We
can now see that the forces F, and Fz are each much larger than the lifting force

Calculation wil1 show that the forces in the slings and the lifting force are equal
when the angle is 120'. That angle must therefore never exceed 120' for any lifting
operation.

Wrong: the lifting angle is greater than 120"

lForces on cargo
Forces are created during the storage of containers, which they must be able to
resist.

These forces may be caused by:


e the motion of the ship or vehicle
e wind
high seas
e tensions in the lashings (the materials used to secure the container)
the container's own mass.

The container and or heavy lifts must be of sufficiently robust construction to resist
these forces and must be adequately lashed and secured.

Life can be hard for containers and heavy lifts when there is bad weather at sea.

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forces due to motion
The forces created by the motion of a ship can be very large. Containers or supply
vessel rnay experience forces equal to 60% of the force of the total mass of the
loaded container on the deck. Due to it's sea kindly behaviour of the Jumbo Heavy
Lift vessel's the forces on cargo are significantly less severe then on a supply
vessel or barge

The forces on cargo are mainly created by motion caused by:


o rolling
o pitch In addition we distinguish
o heaving. three more movements on
a free floating vessel,
T which are
o surge,
o yaw and
o sway

but these are not


significant for forces acting
on cargo

The ship rnay make a variety of rnovements including rolling (l),


pitching (2) and heaving (3)

D rolling

The horizontal force is even greater at the moment the ship begins to rol1 back in
the opposite direction. The container is still trying to move at full tilt in the direction
previously dictated by the rol1 of the ship.

Rolling of the ship tends to tip the container.

D pitching

Similar forces are created by the pitching of the ship, which is rotation around the
transverse axis of the vessel. The horizontal force created by pitching may reach
17% of Fg. This force is therefore much less powerful than the horizontal force
created by rolling, but it occurs in a different direction, namely along the length of
the container.

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, ,UMBO*
D heaving

Heaving of the vessel occurs as the ship moves from wave crest to wave trough or
vice versa. The movement from wave crest to wave trough creates an upward
force, while the reverse creates a downward force.

Pitching of the vessel results in upward and downward forces on the container

The magnitude of the force is dependent upon the loading of the container and the
speed with which the ship rises and falls. These movements don't occur in
isolation, the motion of a ship is usually a combination of the three main motions.
If the container is not properly secured on deck, there is a risk of it slipping from its
lashings.

wind force
The force of the wind influences the lifting of containers. The wind can exert a
considerable force which can cause the container to swing and roll.
Experiments have shown that the wind force can be calculated using the formula:
P = 0.625 v2
p = wind force in N/m2
v = wind speed in m/s

For example we can calculate the pressure exerted by the wind at Beaufort force
6. At force 6 the wind speed is 10.8 - 13.8 mis, giving a rounded mean of 12 mis.
The wind pressure is then p = 0.625 x 12 x 12 = 90 N/m2

For a 20 foot container, the side wal1 is 20 x 8.6 feet = 15.80 m2


For a 30 foot container, the side wal1 is 30 x 8.6 feet = 23.67 m2
For a 40 foot container, the side wal1 is 40 x 8.6 feet = 31.60 m2
For all three the end wal1 is 8 x 8.6 feet = 6.32 m2

The force acting upon each container is then:


For a 20 foot container 15.80 x 90 = 1422.00 N
For a 30 foot container 23.67 x 90 = 21 30.30 N
For a 40 foot container 31.57 x 90 = 2841.30 N
The force acting upon the end wal1 is 6.32 x 90 = 568.80 N

You wil1 see that a quite substantial force is exerted upon the container at wind
force 6.

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breaking seas
The forces exerted on the container by breaking seas are rnany times greater than
these caused by the wind. The container wil1 need protection in the form of good
seamanship and drainage.

Breaking seas rnay sweep a container from the deck.

lAttaching containers
Offshore, containers are usually lifted using the corner fittings. A 4-leg sling is
usually attached to the container. The container's corner fittings are then
horizontally loaded. This is only permitted with 10- foot containers, and the
diagonal included angle of the sling legs may not exceed 60'.

10- foot containers are usually lifted with a 4-leg sling offshore

The 10-foot container is therefore rnuch used offshore. There are 20, 30 and 40-
foot containers which can be lifted with a 4-leg sling, the so-called platform
containers.

The slings are usually connected to the container with a D-Shackle, and the top
link is left hanging over the side of the container.
This makes it easier to attach the hook.
Before attaching a container you must be aware of the inspection criteria.

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inspection of containers
EN 12079 states that containers must be inspected just like lifting machines and
lifting gear. The inspections are carried out by the Same bodies which inspect lifting
machines and lifting gear.
EN 12079 prescribes the periods for inspections.

When time letter


Annual visual date v
inspection by an
inspection agency
A visual inspection date
by an inspection
agency and an MP1
inspection every 60
months
after significant 1 date
repairs, a load test
and MP1 inspection

MP1 is a Magnetic Particle Inspection, which checks for cracks with the aid of
magnetism. Where this test is impractical a penetrant dye test wil1 be carried out.
The object in question is sprayed with a penetrant dyestuff which reveals any
cracks.

D load test

The load test is a test of the load hearing capacity of the container. The inspection
data are shown on a plate. A crane operator can always see whether a container
has been inspected.

DATA 1'1ATE
Ownei-s Name: ("TB 0 1 1 . SERVICES LTO

Container Iden~ili~;i~ion:CT131 234,


r .
l ;wc weighl 1,2 tonnes
SWLIl'ii yload 3,s (OIIIK'S
M,(ixiinum
: gross w c i g l ~ ~ 5 lonnes

L l
The most important data on the container, including the inspection details, are shown on the inspection
plate.

D Summary
We have learned about different type of cranes and the principle of the Heavy Lift
Mast crane and derrick systerns. What Safe Werking Load means and something
about masses and forces. Newton, kilogram and the difference between mass and
force and what effect accelerationldeceleration has on masses. Which safety
factors are applied and what it means. We have learned how forces can be
combined and what forces act on cargo on board of a vessel on the high seas.

21 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


-

B Questions
2.1 What is meant by lifting capacity?

A The maximum weight that can be lifted.

B The maximum radius.

C The combination of A and B.

D The maximum weight at maximum hoisting speed.

2.2 In this lifting situation using a crane, which items are considered
"lifting equipment"?

A Only 2

B The crane plus 2, 3,4, 5 and 6

C 3 , 4 , 5 and 6

D 2, 3,4, 5 and 6

2.3 What is meant by hoisting load?

A Only the useful load.

B Only the working load.

C The useful load + the working load.

D The working load + the lifting gear.

2.4 What is rneant by the actual breaking load of lifting equipment?

A The actual failure force of lifting equipment.

B The force at which the lifting equipment was tested.

C The maximum force that may be exerted upon the lifting equipment,

D The calculated theoretica1 value at which the lifting equipment fails.

220f 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


->

,, UMBO%
2.5 What does the abbreviation SWL stand for?

A Safe Work Limit = design factor

B Safe Working Load = max. permissible load

C Safe Working Level = useful load

D Safe Working Lift

2.6 What is the correct combination of forces F1+F2 = Fr ?

2.7 What are the specific features of the Heavy Lift Mast Crane ?

A. Small foot print and large load moment, one slew bearing,
winches at rear side of mast, high Centre of Gravity

B. Small foot print and large load moment, two slew bearings,
winches in lower part of mast foot, low Centre of Gravity

C. No counter weight needed, small foot print and large load moment,
one slew bearing, winches in upper part of mast

D. Low Centre of Gravity, small foot print and large load moment,
two slew bearings, trolley hoist under jib

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.
,--
.. ..,,. . ".. ... .
2.8 What is the slewing range of a Heavy Lift Mast Crane?

A. 360fu11 rotating

B. 2 x 2 1 0 to either side from neutral position

C. 2 x 1 2 0 to either side from neutral position

D. 1 x 180'

2.9 What is the rnax load moment of the Jumbo 800 tons mast crane?

A. 22400 tonmeter

B. 12400 tonmeter

C. 560 tonmeter

D. 42000 tonmeter

2.10 What is the safety factor for a 50 tons grommet?

A. 7

B. 4,6

C. 3

D. 5

2.1 1 What is the safety factor for a 200 tons grommet?

A. 7

B. 4

C. 3,33

D. 5

2.12 What is the safety factor for a 16 tons soft sling?

A. 7

B. 4

C. 3

D. 5

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2.13 What are the three rnain rnotions of a ship at sea?

A 1. heaving, 2. rolling; 3. pitching.

B 1. heaving; 2. pitching; 3. rolling.

C 1. rolling; 2 pitching; 3. heaving.

D 1. pitching; 2. heaving; 3. rolling.

2.14 A container with a length of 10 feet is lifted using a four-leg sling


What is the maximum diagonal included (top) angle?

A 50'.

B 60'.

C 70'.

D 80'.

2.15 What is the resultant force acting on a rnass of 10 tons, when it is subject to
a horizontal acceleration of 4 m/s2 and earth's gravity of 9.81 rn/s2 ?

A. 140 N

B. 107.70 N

C. 105.65 N

D. 10.6 ton

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1 The main components of the
1 Heavy Lift Mast Crane (HLMC)
D Introduction
The HLMC is a crane specially designed and fabricated for application on heavy lift
ships.

The key features of a HLMC are:


- relatively small footprint in relation to load moment
- no counter weight required, therefore no tail swing
- winches are placed in lower part of mast foot, resulting in a low overall
Centre of Gravity (CoG)

The HLMC can be considered as a combination of a conventional mast derrick


system and a pedestal crane, whereby it combines the specific features of each
crane type. The mast derrick system has a large load moment with a relatively
smal1 foot print, but only a limited slewing range of approx. 120, whereby the
pedestal crane has a fully revolving slewing range.

In case a large load moment is required (> 10,000 tonmeter) , the slew ring
diameter increases and therefore the foot print of the crane.
As the load moment of the HLMC is completely absorbed by the mast and not by
the slew ring hearing (like a pedestal crane), it can be built very slender. As the
winches are placed in a fixed position in the lower part of the vessel below the
mast foot, the slewing range is limited to 2x210' to either side from the neutral
position

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Jumbo operates a fleet of 12 heavy lift vessels of which only the older types are
equipped with a mast derrick system. See pictures below:

D-Type Jumbo Challenger, equipped with 2x50 I


mast derrick systems, unloading a pipe rack
module

All other vessels are equipped with HLMC's with the exception of the so called G-
types (mv. Stellanova, Jumbo Spirit and Fairload) which are equipped with a 250 ts
mast derrick system and a 250 ts HLMC. See picture below:

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D The slewing ring
The slewing platform, with the jib, pivots, together with the masthead connected to
the topping tackles. Due to the welded mast structure, the lower bearing is no
longer a critical construction item.

The specific advantages of Heavy Lift Mast Cranes are:

- Low construction weight in relation to load-moment


- Small installation area required
- Low centre of gravity if winches are located below mast foot
- Vertical lashing of jib is standard and possible in horizontal position
- No tail swing

On the larger HLMC's (400 ts and 900 ts HLMC) used on the Jumbo vessels,
there are additionally one or two tugger winches installed for load control.
These extra tugger winches are controlled from a separate transmitter control box

rotating mast head.


The main hoist wire leads
through the centre, while
aux. + topping wire at the

foot of the 800 Ts mast


crane 14
The masthead is pkced on top of the mast
construction and fitted on a slew bearing as well.
The main hoist wire, topping wire and aux. hoist wires are all guided through the
masthead to the crane jib head.
A special set of wire rope sheaves is arranged in the mast construction in order to
avoid entanglement of the various wire ropes from the 3 winches in the lower part
of the mast foot.

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-
900 tons Heavy Lift Mast Cranes of J-Type

lifting capacityloutreach

Seafastening position

800 ts at 32 m radius over


a slewing range of 45'

Originally the mast cranes of the J-Class were built as 800 Ts mast cranes. In
2006 both J-Class heavy lift vessels have been upgraded to 900 Ts lift
capacity/crane. Normally both cranes are reeved with 14 falls for 800 Ts lift
capacity and need to be re-reeved to 16 fall in order to reach 900 ts lift capacity.
The crane jib is normally stowed in vertical position against the sea fastening
supports in the masthead. For sea fastening of crane jib and load blocks one
should follow the detailed procedures as specified per crane.

D Jibs
Jibs can be constructed in various ways. We wil1 briefly discuss various jib types:
m Box girder jib
m telescopic jib
m lattice jib.
All jibs on the HLMC's of Jumbo Heavy Lift vessels are of the box girder type.
The jibs on the Sennebogen crawler crane of the J-Type vessels are of the
telescopic type

Box girder jib


A box girder jib is constructed of box-sections. This method of construction is
considerably simpler than a lattice construction.

The 800 tons mast crane with box girder jib assemblee! in the Huisman workshop.

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telescopic jib
A telescopic jib includes the following components:
o hollow jib sections which slide in and out of one another
rollers or wear pads between the jib sections
o hydraulic cylinders to push the jib sections in and out
0 hydraulic cylinders to raise and lower the jib.

The sliding in and out of the jib sections is referred to as telescoping. The rollers or
wear pads mounted between the sections facilitate smooth telescoping. They must
be regularly lubricated to cut down wear and you must always be careful when
telescoping.
The following guidelines should be kept in mind when telescoping the jib:
o Where possible, avoid telescoping with a load on the hook. The mass of the
load sets up considerable forces, causing extra wear to the rollers and wear
pads
o Raise the jib as high as possible before telescoping. The forces acting on the
rollers and wear pads are noticeable reduced when the jib is fully raised
o Don't work with the jib fully extended, instead withdraw it slightly. In that way the
forces are not always concentrated on the Same points on the jib.

The 15 tons Sennebogen crane on board of the J-Type

lattice jib
Lattice jibs are constructed of welded angle bars, U-shaped or tubular section of
steel. Tubular sections are more resistant to buckling in any direction than angle

A tube section lattice jib A lattice jib on an offshore vessel

30 of 197 @SBW &Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


A jib section consists of four mam beams interconnected by diagonals. The aim of
the construction is to allow the forces exerted on the mam beams to be carried
away by the diagonals, resulting in a strong whole. Lattice jibs are very often used
when the heaviest loads are to be lifted

For use offshore, all joints are blasted and welded water-tight to achieve maximal
strength and corrosion resistance. Blasting is a treatment where sand or grit is
driven against the object to be treated by high-pressure air. All corrosion is
removed.
High-grade steel is used in the construction of all components.
Manufacturers of lattice jibs do take int0 account that the pull on the crane rope
may sometimes be on the skew: that is, that lifting is carried out even though the
crane hook is not directly below the jib head. This may be due to the motion of a
ship for example. Weather also affects lattice jibs more than solid jibs. Lattice jib
sections usually have flanges at each end allowing the sections to be assembled
using nuts and bolts. Luffing is by means of a steel rope and drum. Jumbo mast
cranes and derricks are not using lattice jibs. This only applies to offshore cranes
or mobile cranes on land.

D Pedestal (not present at the HLMC)


The pedestal is the base of the crane and forms part of the platform or ship on
which the crane is installed. The connection between the pedestal and the crane is
the slewing ring. This is quite different from the mast crane, where the jib rotates
around a fixed mast structure and is supported by the rotating mast head on top of
the mast. See figures below:

Load i
!
!
!
!
Radius
i

Pedestal Crane Mast Crane

The difference between a pedestal crane and a mast crane is that the load
moment (load x radius) is in the pedestal crane absorbed by the two blue forces in
the slew bearing, while the mast crane slew bearing only has to absorb the
pressure force of the jib, the load moment is absorbed by the fixed mast structure.
The mast crane is often refered to as a "Kingpost crane" when applied on an
offshore platform

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b Slewing mechanism
The slewing mechanism consists of the slewing gear with a slewing drive and
brake. This is basically the Same for a mast crane as wel1 as a pedestal crane

slewing gear
The slewing gear consists of an internally or externally toothed ring rotating on a
slewring provided with bal1 or roller bearings. The toothed ring is attached to the
pedestal, while the slewring is attached to the crane (pedestal crane) or to the
slewing ring platform (mast crane).

D toothed ring

A smaller gear wheel (pinion) is fitted to the crane to turn the toothed slewing ring.
Turning the pinion turns the crane (pedestal crane) or jib and mast head (mast
crane) : the pinion pulls itself around the toothed slewing ring, taking the crane with
it (pedestal crane) or the slew gear (pinion) is fixed to the mast structure and
moves the slewring platform (mast crane).

A slewing ring and pinion ready for fitting

400 Ts mast
cranes, driving
the siew platform

Dslewing brake

The slewing brake must be applied when the crane is idle or when it stands still for
a short time with a suspended load, particularly in squally weather or high seas.
32 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus
D slewing lock

In general the crane must be prevented from slewing of its own accord when it is
not in use. This may be done by means of a slewing lock if fitted. The lock often
consists of a pin located in a seating in the pedestal. The Jumbo mast cranes are
not equipped with a slewing lock, as the slew gear brakes are automatically
activated when not slewing. When the ship sails, the jib is placed in vertical sea
fastening position and locked to the masthead.

D Crane cabin
All crane movements are controlled and monitored from the cabin or by a remote
control box. Jumbo still has cranes with a cabin, but all recent mast cranes are
outfitted with remote control boxes. The advantage of this control box is that they
do not obstruct cargo as they are small and not fitted to the crane slew platform.
One can easily walk around the ship and on the quay while operating the crane.
The disadvantage is that one gets easily disturbed from the control task which
could lead to dangerous situations. A standard procedure on board of Jumbo
Heavy Lift vessels is that a crane operator, who operates a crane with a remote
control box, must follow instructions from a signa1 man. Both functions should not
be combined, due to safety reasons.

A good overview of the lifting operation and the crane functions can be obtained from the cabin

The cabin must be provided with:

o heating and ventilation system


safety glass
0 lighting
screen washers
sun shields
e a comfortable seat
e operating levers
e monitoring and warning instruments
e overload/overmoment protection
o operating instructions

33 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


fire-fighting equipment.

For application on offshore platforms the cabin must be insulated against noise
and the doors must be capable of watertight closure. Crane cabins are sometimes
over pressured to prevent the ingress of gas. Electrical components in such cabins
are not protected against explosion. Cabins are often air-conditioned.

B A-frame (not applicable to mast cranes)


The purpose of the A-frame is to form a large triangle with the jib, which can
absorb forces well. The rope used to raise and lower the jib is also called the
luffing (or topping) rope. This luffing rope is led from the luffing hoist over sheaves
to the A-frame and from there to the sheaves in the auxiliary mast (11) and back to
the A-frame. The luffing rope is reeved in several times in this way.

Looking upwards in
mast structure of 400 ts
mast crane

B Main hoist winch


The main hoist winch is an important crane
component. lts drum is used to lower and
raise the hoisting rope. A grooved drum
supports the rope better and also allows it to
be wound on more smoothly. In the Jumbo
mast cranes, most of the winches are
installed in a fixed position in the lower part
of the mast foot. In the 250-400 Ts mast
crane we wil1 find a winch frame, which
houses 3 winch drums, being the main hoist
winch, the topping winch and the auxiliary
winch. See picture Winch frame of 400 ts mast crane on board
of H-Type

hoisting drum
The hoisting drum must be provided with over lowering protection to ensure that
three residual turns of rope remain on the drum when the rope is paid out to its
maximum working length. The protection is initiated when three turns of rope
remain on the drum. The motion in the opposite direction, where rope is taken in,
must still be possible. For offshore cranes the over lowering protection must be
capable of being over-ridden by means of an emergency lever.

34 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Should the rope become snagged on a departing supply ship, the drum must be
allowed to unwind completely. The expensive hoisting rope wil1 however be lost.
This feature does not apply to Jumbo mast cranes.

The main hoisting winch, auxiliary winch and luffing hoist drum of
an offshore crane.

D Main hoist rope


Heavy loads are raised with the main hoist. lts lifting capacity is greater than that of
the auxiliary hoist, partly because of the reeving of the wire rope. Both the main
and the auxiliary hoist rope are of high quality. Jumbo uses various diam. of wire
ropes.
The 250-400 Ts mast cranes have a 34-36 mm diam. main hoist wire rope, while
the 800 Ts mast cranes are outfitted with a 50 mm hoist rope. The construction of
the wire ropes depend on its application. In the 250 Ts mast cranes a 34 mm 6x36
crosslay 1960 ~ l m m 'runner wire is used, while for the 400 ts runners a 6x31
crosslay wire rope (2160 ~ l m m )' is used. As wire rope selection and application is
very sensitive to proper werking conditions, one should leave this to the specialists.

D Auxiliary hoist rope


The auxiliary hoist winch is used
to raise lighter loads so that the
main hoist can remain reeved for
the heavier loads. The auxiliary
hoist rope is a single rope with a
crane bal1 and swivel. The
advantage of a single cable is that
it can work at greater speeds than
the main hoist. All Jumbo mast
cranes are equipped with and
auxiliary hook, which is used for
loadinglunloading of general
cargo as wel1 as assistance during
sling handling.
10 ts sling handling hook of 800 ts mast crane

35 of 197 &%BW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Hoisting hook
Both single and double
hooks are used for the
attachment of loads. All
main blocks of the Jumbo
heavy lift cranes are
equipped with double hooks
(ramshorn) See pictures of
400 ts and 800 ts load
blocks

D Block seafastening
On all Jumbo mast cranes the jib is stowed and seafastened in a vertical position
against the masthead of the mast crane. Depending on the vessel the seafastening
procedure varies slightly. Basically the hoist blocks are connected with slings to the
jib and pulled under a certain tension to avoid movement of the hoist blocks during
sailing.

Two 400 ts mast cranes on board of mv Fairlane in sea fastening position

36 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


A typical offshore platform crane is this Kenz crane.
All parts are identified in the sketch below

All the parts mentioned are present on this rather older crane

pedestal aux. mast


cabin hydr.oil tank
engine room guy ropes
A-frame guide pulley
jib stops snatch block
radius indicator aircraft warning lights
main hoist winch block stowage
aux.hoist winch aux.hoist
jib main hoisting rope
jib guide main block

D Summary
This chapter has named and described the components of the Heavy Lift Mast
Crane in particular and some other cranes in general.

37 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Questions
3.1 State whether l and II are true or fake.

l The mast structure of the mast crane rotates by a slewring

II The toothed slewring is connected to the slewing platform which is


connected to the mast structure.

A Only l is true

B Only II is true.

C l and II are both true.

D l and II are both untrue.

3.2 Why are crane cabins sometimes over-pressurised?

A To reduce the risk of fire.

B To protect electrical components from external influences

C To keep gases out of the cabin.

D To provide insulation from noise and moisture.

3.3 Why can the mast crane not slew a continuous 360' ?

A The masthead does not rotate.

B The winches are placed in a fixed position in the mast foot.

C Hoisting and topping wires are running over sheaves in the mast head

D The cable conveyor does not allow this

3.4 Why should you try to avoid extension of the jib of a telescopic crane under
load?

A. To avoid overloading of the outriggers

B. To avoid excessive wear and tear on rollers and guide pads in jib

C. To avoid bending in the jib

D. To avoid overloading of hydraulic cylinders in jib

380f 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


3.5 State the correct names for crane components 1 to 4.

slewing gear
jib stop
auxiliary mast
latticework jib.

slewing gear
snatch block
auxiliary mast
fixed jib.

pedestal
A-frame
auxiliary mast
jib.

pedestal
auxiliary mast
fly-jib
jib.

3.6 Why are the winches of the heavy lift mast crane placed in the lower part of
the mast foot?

A. To enable 360' slewing range, low center of gravity of the


complete crane, no tailswing

B. To be wel1 protected from seawater, low center of gravity of the


complete crane, no tailswing

C. To be wel1 protected from seawater, low center of gravity of the


complete crane, creates larger load moment of crane

D. To do easier maintenance, low center of gravity of the


complete crane, no tailswing

39 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Introduction
Werking with ships cranes carries risks, some of which are related to the exposure
of the equipment to ever-changing loadinglunloading and weather conditions and
varying lifting tasks. The state of maintenance of the crane is determined by the
regularity and quality of the maintenance carried out by the operator Laws and
regulations have been introduced by governments to reduce risk
The maintenance on board of the Jumbo mast cranes and derricks is the
responsibility of the engineers on board.

D Risk assessment
In order to prevent accidents and damage, as wel1 as near misses i l is important
that an assessment be made of the risks involved in a lifting task or rnaintenance
activity.

The risks of lifting operations may be categorised as follows:


o the work itself:
o the place of work
e the complexity of the work
O the circumstances of the work.

Preparation is necessary before any task is commenced


The elements of preparation are:
0 technical preparation or lifting plan
o practical preparation.

The following questions should be answered in the technical preparation:


o what equipment is required?
o what tools are required?
o what information is required?

The following questions should be answered in the practical preparation:


o is a satisfactory working method to be used?
o is this the safest working method?
e how much time is required to carry out this work in a safe and efficient manner?

This approach wil1 produce a wel! thought out working situation taking account of:
safety
o health and welfare
o the environment
o efficiency.

Setting down procedures for different activities is a useful aid in ensuring that these
points are addressed.

OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


, UMBO*
risk assessment in practice
In order to assess risks during general lifting operations you should ask yourself
the following questions before starting work:
a are activities involved which could result in injuries, fire and explosion or
damage?
e are the applicable rules, stipulations and protective measures understood and
in place?
e is the correct personal protective equipment available and is it being properly
used?

So what does this mean in practice?

Before beginning any lifting task, you should make an assessment of the following
matters:
are the crane and the lifting equipment in good condition?
what is to be lifted, is it all on the quayside or does something need to be lifted
off or onto deck or int0 the hold of the vessel?
what is the allowable deck loading, i.e. the mass per m2?
what are the weather conditions? Is it only the wind that needs to be considered
(because the lift wil1 take place entirely on the vessel), or is the sea state factor
to be included because something needs to be lifted off or onto a supporting
vessel or onto the seabed, or is it the swell in the port which wil1 affect the
loadinglunloading conditions
how many banksmen wil1 be required and who wil1 control them?
what equipment is required to lift the load in question?
is the leading banksman aware of the use to be made of the lifting equipment
and the methods of communication?
is the full lift to be in the view of the crane operator or is part of it out of his
view? This is particularly important in the case of the personnel basket.

For lifting heavy loads onloff Heavy Lift ships we should keep following lifting
tios i n mind:
Inform personnel of planned operation and check
communication equipment

> Always check before lifting that all rigging gear is correctly
connected

Make sure personnel stays in clear area's and can not be hit by
swinging cargo

'r- Make sure stability of vessel has been checked and does meet
the Jumbo standards and that all sea fastening has been
released to lift safely

"f In case a stabilizer pontoon is used, check position of stabilizer


frequently

> In case of heavy lifting, blow horn of vessel and switch on alarm lights to
evacuate unauthorized people from board

i Use PPE (Personel Protection Equipment) at all times during work

> When lifting off or onto trailers make sure brakes are off

In case lifting a load from the quay, make sure vessel has room to adjust itself
in the mooring lines

41 of 197 O S B W & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


...."..-
> Slowly tension slings/grommets and check frorn at least two sides that the
runner tackle is exactly vertical above the load and keep hook block and boom
head always vertical above load to be lifted

42 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Below you wil1 find a document which can assist you in doing a safe hoisting job.
This document is a standard risk inventory in offshore use. It wil1 guide you through
the hoisting operation step-by-step. When you fill in the form properly, all risk
factors are mentioned. This Permit To Work form is not in use on board of Jumbo
Heavy Lift vessels.

Installation/ship/barge/other: 1 Location(maindeck, back deck, quaside etc):


Permit to work no: 1 Risk assessement no: 1 Liftplan no.

weight not verified 1 lifting of chemicals 1 conflicting tasks in area


D high centre of gravity 1 load on pallet requires 1 D dynamic factors involved
securing
stability of load D seafastening rernoved C] hazards to personnel in the area
awkward sizelshapelsharp restricted headroom or communication requirernents
edges confined work area
no dedicated lifting points on n0 lifting point directly above adequate lighting and visibility
t h Inad
~ the load
no certified suspension points appropriate and correctly is the use of tag lines required?
for the lifting equiprnent installed lifting equipment Then consider personnel positioning
and accessoiries

/f you can't answer the following , please fiil in fhe step-by step'section yes n0
1) are the route and laydown area clear of obstructions?
2) is the laydownllanding area adequate in terms of size and load-bearing ability D D
3) is suitable packing available for protection of the load, lifting equipment, slings etc.
4)are barriers ~ositionedto ~ r e v e nacces
t bv unauthorised nersonnel? D
5) have you confirmed that the laydown area is within the operation limitslradius of the equiprnent D
6) are environmental conditions been considered with regards to the safety of the lifting operation?
7) wil1 the lifting equipment operator be able to see the Banksman throughout the operation, or has
another suitable, risk-assessed rneans of communication been checked and made
available (e.g. radios)?

43 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


;ompetent person Print name: Signature: Date:

OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


> Communications & handsignals
Communications means the exchange of information. The intention is to make
something clear to another person, so that they act in accordance with instructions.
Arm and hand signals are helpful in giving instructions. Governmental agencies
and training organisations do publish suggested hand and arm signals, but there
are n o mandatory rules. Where companies have good systems of their own,
these wil1 be accepted by safety inspectors. Bear in mind these signals are not
compulsory.

What is important is that those signals used on board of Jumbo Heavy Lift Vessels
are known t o all crew members and used throughout the fleet.

A suggestion of hand signals is shown below:

f ^
% ,

i
T"?

t
l I,
STOP DOG EVERYTHING MOVE SLOWLY

l 11
BLOCK UP BLOCK DOWN USE MAIN HOIST

USE WHIPLINE BOOM UP BOOM DOWN

- SWING LEFTiRIGHT
J 1
M I S E BOOM
AND LOWER BLOCK
LOWER BOOM
AND M I S E BLOCK
A final signa1 system for Jumbo vessels wil1 be developed in due course.
Input from crew mernbers is welcome

45 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


The following conditions apply to the use of these hand and arm signals:
S the banksman can see the load;
S the banksman can see the crane operator;
S the crane operator can see the banksman.

If these conditions cannot be met, a walkie-talkie must be used. To prevent


confusion among other users of walkie-talkies, it must be clear who the message is
intended for. This may be done for example by stating the location of the work.
In the case of hazardous lifting operations outside the view of the crane operator,
the banksman must remain in continuous contact with the crane operator.

D Personal protective equipment


It is self-evident that approved head protection should be worn during lifting
operations. A helmet is always worn on the vessel or ashore when working, as it is
a steel construction with a risk of head injury or being hurt by falling objects.
The use of work gloves is necessary when working with lifting tackle. Safety
footwear is necessary to protect the feet against falling objects, impacts etc.
Hearing protection is required if the noise level is above 80 dB and safety glasses
must be worn when grinding or cutting work is done.

Circumstances and equipment at sea


When you lift a load from a supply vessel, another vessel or your own deck you
normally have the force of the wind and the associated rnotion of the sea to
contend with. The load must be lifted from a supply ship at the moment that the
load is at its highest point. A moment too soon or too late can cause the load to
impact with the vessel. The dynamic loading
onthe crane is then higher than is usual.
For this reason, offshore cranes are given a
capacity classification.
The Jumbo Heavy Lift Mast cranes are rated
for inshore work under calm circumstances
(sheltered waters). In case the cranes are
used under offshore circumstances, the
max. allowable lifting capacity must be
adjusted in co-operation with the
manufacturer Huisman-ltrec. Depending on
the circumstances and max. to be expected
dynamic loading factors, the crane SWL wil1
be adjusted. The Jumbo Vision overboarding a 350 ts valve
skid offshore Western Australia, Hs,<1.5 m

D Capacity classification
Various influences may be brought to bear on the crane during work offshore:
impacts
e shocks
offlead and sidelead.

The influence of the weather at sea is of major significance in designing and


constructing offshore cranes. A number of factors are taken int0 account in
determining the capacity class of an offshore crane. The classification of the crane
is used in determining the working coefficient. The working coefficient is partly
dependent upon the total effective duration of service. This duration of service is
expressed as the number of operating cycles, or as the intensity of use in a
number of operating cycles per hour.

46 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D definition

An operating cycle is defined as the whole of the activities commencing with the
raising of the load and concluding at the moment the crane is ready to piek up the
next load. To find the total effective duration of service, the classification of the
crane is first established and used to determine the working coefficient.
The working coefficient (Fd) tor offshore cranes is fixed at Fd = 1.2. If you are
curious about how this figure was arrived at, you might like to consult Lloyds Code
for Lifting Appliances in a Marine Environment (Chapter 3: Cranes and
Submersible Lifting Appliances).
The Dynamic factor for the Jumbo Heavy Lift Mast crane to be used in sheltered
water is Fd = 1. l .

impact loading factor


The average wave height in the North Sea is 3 m. If you lift a load at the wrong
moment, for example just as the supply vessel plunges into a wave trough, the
load falls just as you are about to lift it. The resulting dynamic loading may be more
than three times the weight of the load itself. The impact loading factor is
dependent on wave size and period. Increased wave height and period provide
extra impact loading to the jib if the ship moves off from under the load.

load is suddenly imposed on the hoisGng rope.

D offlead and sidelead

In poor weather the supply ship is often moved further away, to prevent damage to
the platform. This situation greatly increases the likelihood of off-lead (an inclined
force on the rope along the line of extension of the jib). Furthermore, the supply
vessel wil1 not remain in one position in such circumstances, causing side-lead, an
inclined force at an angle to t'he jib.

Offlead can cause a crane overload

47 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Suppose the load has a mass of lO tonnes and the distance to the centre of the
crane is 20m. In that case the load moment is 20 x 10 = 200 tm. The ship is
pushed away, creating an off lead of l o m . At a distance of 30 metres the load
moment is 30 x 10 = 300 tm. The crane can be overloaded due to off-lead. Keep in
mind that the ship may move, and include this in your calculations. If the load is
reduced to 6.66 the load moment wil1 be 30 x 6,66 = 200tm. If you follow the tables
and input the sea state correctly, the calculations above wil1 be handled by the load
moment computer. Side lead can also be caused by trimming, rolling, inclination of
the vessel or swaying or shifting of the load.

The Jumbo heavy lift mast cranes are designed with a max. off-lead = 1' and a
max. side-lead of 4'. For all offshore lifts with Jumbo heavy lift mast cranes one
should de-rate the cranes with dynamic factors taken int0 account.

'-*
There are established names for the motions of a ship.

1. Rolling: rotational motion about the longitudinal axis


2. Pitching: rotational motion about the transverse axis
3. Yawing: rotational motion about the vertical axis
4. Heaving: displacement along the vertical axis, for example from wave crest to
wave trough and vice versa
5. Swaying: displacement along the transverse axis, so that the vessel is moved
sideways
6. Surging: displacement along the longitudinal axis, for example when the vessel
is accelerated by an oncoming wave.

lSea state (only applicable for offshore


conditions)
"Sea state" refers to the relevant sea conditions. Sea state is a combination of
wave height, wave period and wind speed. Sea state is included in the lifting table.
A table has been prepared which (taking account of wind and sea conditions) is to
be used by crane manufacturers in making their calculations. The table shown
below is often adopted as a guideline.
Beaufort Seastate sidelead orofflead in degrees ShOCk-
nr. nr. factor
case 1 case 2
a b a b
5 2 2 5 1,3

6 3 3 6 1,61

1.8
8 4 4 B 2,07

12 6 6 12 2,73

This table shows the sea state values as applied by Lloyds Register of Shipping.

48 of 197 GSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


-
\..,
The above table does not apply for Jumbo heavy lift mast cranes, but for offshore
cranes only.
The wave height specified in the table is not the actual height of the wave but a
corrected value known as "significant wave height". Actual wave heights may be
taken for example from a platform leg with depth markings on it.
The Significant wave height, Hs,is approximately equal to the average of the
highest one-third of the waves measured over a certain time period
The highest individual wave in a wave field can be nearly two times higher than the
significant wave height.

D Constant tension system


Constant tension is sometimes confused with wave compensation, but the two
things are not identical. Constant tension means nothing more than that a certain
force is imposed on the lifting rope, so that the rope remains taut between the load
and the crane. Suppose that the constant tension is set at around 500 kg.
The lifting rope wil1 then remain taut without the load leaving the deck, and wil1
indeed as a result follow the motion of the waves. Attachment of the load is the
most critical phase. Once the load is hooked on, the constant tension or CT system
is switched on.
~ l c k - U DDrocedure

attaching the lead the cable remainstaut

The illustration shows the ooeration of the constant tension svstem

This applies to offshore cranes and not to the


Jumbo mast cranes.
Only the tugger winches placed on the slewing
platforms of the 400 ts and 800 ts mast cranes
are equipped with a constant tension device.

lWave compensator
A crane fitted with a wave compensator provides
the operator with the means to follow wave
motion automatically, with the crane takinq in and
paying out rope according to the motion of the 15 ts tugger winch on stew patform of 400 ts mast
ship. The system is used only on cranes carried
on ships and is intended for use offshore. The
wave compensator can be disabled as required. Jumbo mast cranes do not have a
wave compensator.
The wave compensator lowers the load in a wave trough and raises it as the wave
rises. It passes raise and lower commands to the rope drum which carries out the
relevant motion. You wil1 never be able to react as quickly to wave movements as
some advanced wave compensation systems now in use. We do not discuss this
matter in detail, as it is only applicable to offshore cranes.

49 of 197 GSBW &Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


- -U r n &
D Loadlradius table
Main display of the 800 ts HLMC
The main display shows the following items (See figure below).
Movement information boxes
Load curve
e General data

General status
* Alarm list
Huisman logo

The

above figure shows the loadlradius table (LCDdisplay) of the 800 ts mast crane.
The crane can lift a max. load of 800 metric Tons at a radius of 28 m over
Starboard and 800 ts at 32 m radius over a limited slewing area of 45' over
Portside. Since the upgrade in 2006, each crane can now lift 900 Ts at 25 m radius
(when re-reeved to 16 falls).The max. load moment of the 800 ts mast crane is
800x28 = 22400 tonmeter. All cranes and derricks on board of Jumbo vessels
have different loadlradius tables.

D Overload protection
Modern offshore cranes are equipped with a load moment computer, which has
become a vital tooi for the crane operator. The load moment computer sounds an
alarm when the maximum permitted load moment is reached.

The Mipeg 2000 load moment computer is


used on smaller cranes by both Liebherr and Kenz.

50 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Jumbo heavy lift mast cranes are all equipped with a load moment computer
(make: Huisman-ltrec), which wil1 alarm the operator when the load exceeds the
allowable limits.
However no alarm system can ever substitute for an experienced crane operator.
It can never be more than a tooi.

The system needs three items of information in order to determine whether the
load can be lifted or not:
e jib angle
e jib length (usually a single value for offshore cranes)
e mass of the load.

The crane operator selects programs by means of a switch, depending on whether


the main or auxiliary hoist is in use.
If the crane is overloaded when the load is picked up, the load moment alarm wil1
come int0 effect. The load moment must then be reduced.
Most systems provide an early warning before the crane reaches its maximum
permitted load. if the crane exceeds its maximum permitted loading, the load wil1
remain on the supply ship or quay.

A sea state selector wil1 be required where loads are transferred between ships
and fixed installations. The sea state selector effectively provides additional load
tables for the crane, taking account of the dynamic effects produced by the motion
of the supply ship.

All Jumbo offshore lifts wil1 be engineered lifts and clear limitations wil1 be set
before a load can be lifted. There are no sea state selectors on Jumbo mast
cranes.
Be aware that the Jumbo heavy Lift mast crane is designed for its max. load to be
lifted in sheltered water only. For offshore lifts a new max. lift capacity must be
calculated, taken int0 account the new dynamic factors.

51 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D wind force

In the wind force table the first column shows the Beaufor scala, the second
column shows the average value in nautical mph. 1 nautical mile per hour = 1 knot
= 1852 metres per hour. The third column gives the highest value, the fourth gives
the average value in mis and column five shows the highest value in mls. The
rernaining columns show the different descriptions in various European languages.

This wind force table give the relation between Beaufort and windspeed.

52 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


-
,,

D Commissioning and testing


Before a crane can be used it is necessary to have it
inspected and approved for safe use by a competent
person. Testing at sea is an expensive undertaking,
since test weights wil1 need to be taken out to the
platform. It is possible to carry out the tests using water
bags. The principle is straightforward: the bags are
filled with water to the correct weight, the test is
perormed, and the water bags are partly emptied to
serve as a smaller test weight. A water bag with a
capacity of 20 tonnes has a tare weight of around
210kg and measures 1.l x 1. l m when rolled. When
fully filled it has a height of some 6 metres and a
diameter of around 3.5 metres.
All Jumbo Heavy Lift Mast Cranes are tested upon
delivery at the manufacturers quayside. A detailed test
The Offshore crane of installation
program is executed and cranes are tested with a 10% vessel Toisa Polaris being tested with
overload. In most cases the Jumbo Heavy Lift Mast 8x35 ts water bags as test load
Cranes are tested with a pontoon filled with water as
test weight. This is an expensive exercise.

D Taking a crane into service


Before we can work with a crane the following checks need to
be carried out:
e Take crane or derrick out of it's sea fastening as per
procedure
e Maintenance (= regular checks of the whole crane)
The crane operator must ensure that maintenance of the
crane has been properly carried out. The oil, coolant and
hydraulic fluid levels must be checked and the condensation water drained from
the compressor before starting the engine (if applicable). This applies to
offshore cranes. The Jumbo mast cranes fall under the maintenance
responsibility of the ships engineers.
Visual checks on:
- loose nuts and bolts
- weid defects
- irregularities
- logboek (at cranelshift handovers)
- brakes
- corrosion
- lighting
- loose items, tools, cleaning rags etc. (to be removed)
Crane access:
- stairs and walkways free of snow and ice
- hand rails and arm supports free of oil and grease
- visibility from the cabin (use wipers or a cloth to clean)
- check operation of warning lamps.
Instruments:
crane hook top limit switch (pay attention in icy weather: the crane hook may
remain stationary while the drum pays out rope, because the rope is frozen in
the sheaves.)
- jib travel limit switches
- jib angle indication
- klaxon
- test communication channels.

53 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Some other protective measures found on offshore cranes are::
limits on jib angle
slewing range limitations where platform space is limited
three-winding protection on the drum (lowest crane hook position)

A checklist is frequently used to ensure that these checks are carried out.
The load moment computer must be properly set up before lifting. Points to
consider include the sea state and the number of falls of rope used with the main
or auxiliary hoist.

Most of above points remain valid for the Jumbo mast cranes and derricks.
In addition special attention must be paid to the sea fastening of each individual
crane or derrick. A description of the seafastening system of the 800 ts mast crane
is shown below:

D Seafastening of 800 Ts mast crane (as an


example)
Before sea travel or when not in use. the crane is to be sea fastened.

The procedure consists of:


Seafastening of the boom (topping) and main hoist lower block
Seafastening of the trolley and aux hoist
Seafastening of the sling handling hoist
Seafastening of the tuggers
Seafastening of the slew platform
The main part in the seafastening procedure is the yoke at the jib. This part wil1
tension both topping and main hoist in one single movement, namely during
hoisting of the main hoist lower block.

NOTE
Before seafastening of every single movement, hook-on seafastening slings at
the main block andhoist the main block
until the slings are just above the
seafastening yoke. This is to be done
before the boom is seafastened because
once it is, the main block wil1 only be
operable in creeping speed. (hoisting
direction only).

Seafastening of the boom

SIew the crane int0 the seafastening


position and boom up until the highest
position topping is reached. (boom at about
83 degrees).
Activate the key switch "sea-fastening" at
the remote control and keep it activated.
Boom up until the buffers at the jib touch
the mast head. (In this mode the topping
torque is limited at 30% to prevent damage)
Apply the struts at the masthead.
Lower the topping hoist until the boom is
hanging in both of the struts.
During this procedure observe the topping wir'e in order to prevent slack wire on
the drum.
Apply the main hoist seafastening grommets at the yoke.
Start hoisting and observe the main hoist block and tension. The main hoist drum
wil1 stop at 80.. ,100 tons.
Jib and main hoist lower block are secured now. The topping wire is still slack.
Operate the topping hoist in booming-up direction until is stops at 30%.
54 of 197 GSBW &Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus
Seafastening of Trolley and Aux Hoist

Position the trolley in the rearmost


position (near the main jib hinges).
Lower the aux. hoist and apply the aux.
hoist seafastening sling.
Connect the aux. hoist to the applicable
pad-eye.
Activate the "sea-fastening" key switch
and hoist the aux hoist until it stops at
approx. 6 ton.

Seafastening of Sling Handling Hoist

Lower the SLH.


Connect the SLH seafastening sling at the hook.
Activate the "sea-fastening" key switch and hoist the SLH until I!stops at approx.
3 tons.

Seafastening of the tuggers and tugger fairleaders

The two tugger fairleaders are to be seafastened to the support construction


using the supplied securing pin and safety clip. This must be done whenever the
tuggers are not in use. The wires of the tugger winches have to be fastened to
the deck.

NOTE
Seafastening of the tuggers can only be carried out with the jib in seafastening
position.
The seafastening procedure is to be followed in the order as described
previously, so first the topping hoist and ending with the tuggers
During seafastening every movernent is safeguarded via the inverter for max.
torque. This is a fixed value which rneans that it wil1 stop when this value is
reached. Nevertheless, always keep an eye on the load read-out when
tensioning one of the movernents.

WARNING:
BEFORE OPERATING THE TUGGERS ALWAYS CHECK THAT THE
SEAFASTENING PINS ARE REMOVED! (Refer to page 2-6 tor the location of
the seafastening pin)

Seafastening of the slew platform

The platform must be seafastened with a turnbuckle. The turnbuckle is located


between the two stainless steel junction boxes on the slewing platform.

See pictures below:

55 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


B Precautionary measures
It is wel1 known that many accidents are due to human error and improperly
thought out actions. Always be sure that you can follow the movements of the load,
and keep an escape route in mind.

The following precautions should be considered with safety in mind:


o ensure clear communications during the work
o keep the machine clear of grease, oil and ice to prevent slips
o check all safety equipment for correct operation
o preventive maintenance avoids a lot of trouble
o proper care of the lifting equipment is a necessity
o knowledge of lifting tackle is vital
o don't allow long loads to swing on the hook
o use a tag line whenever possible. There must be no knots in it.
o read the operating and maintenance handbooks carefully and follow their
stipulations closely
o never leave the crane with a load hanging free on the hook.

Maintenance
During maintenance you should make an assessment of the risks that might be
created. Take for example the greasing of rope sheaves. A "lock, tag, try and clear
procedure" may be introduced to prevent anyone switching the crane on during this
work. Before work begins, all forms of energy are switched off, locked and labelled.
Any stored energy is discharged (for example in hydraulic accumulators and
compressed air tanks). A check is then made to ensure there is no energy present
that might initiate a movement. Once you have actually checked that all sources of
energy have been removed, a safe working permit can be issued.

B Personnel baskets
Depending on the weather conditions and company-internal rules, the transport of
persons by means of personnel baskets may be permitted. The applicable
legislation requires that personnel baskets may be used exclusively for the
transport of persons and their hand luggage. In the illustration, the man at the left
has positioneel his arms incorrectly. The man on the right has his arms wrapped
right around the straps, which is correct.

The man at right has his arrns wrapped


around the straps in the approved rnanner.

56 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


;l
There are also requirements that the transport of persons by means of personnel
baskets must be adjudged reasonable by the manager of the offshore installation,
the master of the vessel and the crane driver. The crane driver therefore has an
important role and takes a major responsibility for the transport of persons by
means of personnel baskets.
Jumbo mast cranes in genera1 are not approved for man basket application, except
for the J-Class heavy lift vessels, for which this is allowed.

D Leaving the crane


At the end of the lifting operations the crane must be returned to the correct idle
condition. The jib should be placed in its resting position and the engine stopped.
A check for leaks of hydraulic and lubricant oil is advisable. The crane lights should
be extinguished. If the electricity supply can be isolated by means of a switch this
should be done to prevent fire due to short circuit or overheating while the crane
operator is absent. When work is
finished all slings and other lifting
tackle should be tidied away and
stowed in the appropriate place.
Lock the doors, windows and
hatches when leaving the crane.
Jumbo mast crane jibs and
derricks are always stowed and
seafastened in vertical position
against the mast head. Follow
the detailed procedures to do so.
In case the max. clearance
under bridges or when vessel's
stability is critical, the jib or boom
may be stowed in a different
position. This is to be decided by
the captain.

Due to vessel stability, the aft mast crane jib has been secured in
lowered position
D Summary
In this chapter you have seen
how risks can be reduced by
compliance with regulations and
by the method of approaching
work. The approach to a task
should begin with an assessment
of risks, allowing them to be
more easily controlled.
Communications using hand and
arm signals must be agreed, so
that everyone understands one
another precisely. If a walkie-
talkie is used, the recipient's
name or the name of the vessel
or platform must be used with
every command. You have also
learned what is meant by sea
state and how to set up the crane to match it, and you have also learned about
constant tension. You know what is meant by offlead and sidelead. You are able to
use a loadlradius table and a wind force table. Finally you have learned the
requirements governing the use of personnel baskets.

OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Questions
4.1 What is the function of the seastate selector?

A To select the overload safeguard.

B To select the wave compensator.

C To adjust the load moment system.

D To adjust the impact loading factor.

4.2 What has to be registrated in the crane book?

A The operating hours

B Repairs and examination of the crane

C Disturbances of the crane system

D Date and time of over ridings of the safety system

4.3 Which items can be transported with a personnel basket?

A Persons and all types of small parts.

B Small spare parts as long as their weight is within the limits of the
personnal basket.

C Small spare parts when accompanied with persons.

D Only persons with their hand luggage.

4.4 With safety in mind, what should you do before commencing a lifting
operation?

A Complete the right forms and notify the installation manager.

B Be in possession of a risk assessment.

C Carry out a risk assessment for yourself.

D Discuss the job with the installation manager.

4.5 You need to lubricate the rope sheaves in the jib head. The jib is
already in its rest. What precautions are required?

A Switch off all energy sources and notify the installation manager.

B After switching off, lock the switch and hang up a notice to say
maintenance is in progress.

C You are the only one who uses the crane, so you just need to switch it
off.

D The jib is in its rest so you can work in safety.

58 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


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. ,
4.6 What is meant by these handlarm signals?

A Stop; Boom up

B Start, attention; horizontal distance.

C Danger; shorten telescopic jib.

D Finish; put the crane away.

4.7 What is meant by these handlarm signals?

A right, from the signaller's viewpoint; move slowly.

B right, from the signaller's viewpoint; vertical distance.

C left, from the signaller's viewpoint; vertical distance.

D lower: a small amount.

4.8 What is meant by these handlarm signals?

A Lower block; jib down

B Raise block; Stop

C Lower block; use main hoist.

D Lower block; Stop

59 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


,""
4.9 What is meant by these handlarm signals?

A Jib in the rest position; jib down.

B a small amount; lower.

C Stop; move slowly.

D Jib in the rest position, move slowly.

4.10 What is meant by sea state?

A The predominant wind force.

B The wave height of the sea.

C A combination of wave height, wave period and wind force.

D A combination of wave height, wave period and wind speed.

4.1 1 What is meant by impact loading factor?


A The shock to the load caused by picking it up too abruptly.

B The dynamic loading created when a load is picked up.

C The static loading created when a load is picked up,

D The shock to the load from the sea and the bouncing ship.

4.12 What is meant by "side lead"?

A Loading up a supply ship.

B Irregular loading of a supply ship.

C A slanting force on the rope at an angle to the jib.

D A slanting force on the rope along the line of extension of the jib.

4.13 What is the most important when lifting a heavy load


A Check mooring lines of vessel, inform crew members of operation, check
rigging gear.

B Check jib head position and verticality of hoisting tackle, inform crew
members of operation, check stabilizer position when in use

C Inform agent of planned operation, blow horn of vessel, release brakes of


trailers.

D Check mooring lines of vessel, release brakes of trailers, blow horn of


vessel

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5 l Lifting of Heavy cargo
D Introduction
When lifting heavy cargo with crane(s) placed on a floating vessel, stability of the
vessel when lifting the load is crucial to safety of ship and crew. In case stability of
the vessel, when lifting is not correct (GM must be > 1.O m) it may result in
capsizing of the vessel.
Be aware that one should also consider in which way the load has been rigged and
whether the "lift system" is safe or not .

We must consider two situations:

5.1. The stability of the lifted (free hanging) load


(this has nothing to do with ship's stability)

5.2. The forces in slings, grommets, shackles, lifting eyes etc.

D 5.1 The Stability of the Load


We must check if the load has the tendency to be supported in the slings under an
angle or tilt completely when it hangs free in the slings.

A very important basic rule is that the Centre of Gravity of a freely supported load
(CoG) is always directly vertically underneath the boom head and hoist block.

In a number of cases as shown in figures below, the CoG is not directly


underneath the hoist block, as we are investigating what wil1 happen when a
moment or force acts on the load from the outside (i.e wind force or a force cause
by swinging of the load).

We consider 3 basic concepts when considering the "stability of a lifted load".


(same as with ship's stability):

5.1 . l initial-stability
5.1.2 stability-moment
5.1.3 stability-range

5.1 . l The INITIAL STABILITY must be positive i.e. the cargo has
a righting moment when turned over a small angle.
This requires the CoG of the cargo to be inside triangle AHB ,
see figure 5.1 . l
disturbing moment
Figure 5.1.1 from outside

negative initia1
stability: the load
not come upright
anymore !

A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


,.-.

5.1.2 The STABILITY MOMENT is the up righting moment [ton-meter] due to the
cargo at a given heeling angle. see fig. 5.1 .Z.

STABIL.MOM. at angle a is G x a disturbing moment


from outside

The stability moment can be calculated as follows:


(see fig. 5.1.3):

Stab.mom. = G x h sina - G x v sina = G x (h-v) x sina


this is valid til1 angle p .
i
i a
v
-z \

l ^
p-,
Conclusion: ! T B
The stab moment is positive and so is the initial ! j ' /
stabilitv if h > v $3.
or in oiher words if the Co G. of the cargo is inside the A
triangle AHB .

for angles larger than 0 the following applies :


esa -
Fig. 5.1 .Z
Stab. mom. = G x b coso. - G x v sina = G x (b cosa - v sina)

vsina-
h sin a --
Figure 5.1.3

620f 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


5.1.3. The STABILITY RANGE represents the angle, where the stability moment is
positive.

This should be minimal abt.lOO; see fig. 5.1.4

Figure 5.1.4
Larae stabil. ranae Small stabil. ranae

The stability range is defined by the angle where the stability moment becomes
zero; in ether words: when line of force F coincides with line through points GA, or :

stabil. range = 0 . 1 = ~ ~tg (b1 1 vcg.)


~ arc see fig.5.1.5

whereby b1 should be smaller or equal to b2 .

- u2 rnax

"B

Figure 5.1.5

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,"

b 5.2 Stability of cargo when using a spreader- or lifting bearn


If a spreader- or lifting beam is used as in fig.5.2.1a, we have not only to consider
the stability triangle AHB. If the cargo wil1 get a list by a disturbing moment from
outside, also the spreader- or lifting beam wil1 turn independent from the cargo.
The centerline of the beam and the cargo wil1 not be in line any more (see
fig.5.2.1b)
Point G wil1 not stay at a fixed position in triangle AHB .
If however we assume the points D en E to be replaced to D' en E', point G wil1
stay at a fixed position in triangle A'H'B' and we can apply the theory mention
before to triangle A'H'B' and point G,

Figuur 5.2.1 a

Figuur 5.2.1 .b

Conclusion :
If a spreader- or lifting beam is used (as in fig.5.2.1) the vertical wires D-D"en E-E'
do not contribute to the stability and must be ignored for judging the lifting stability.

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The stability of a lifting system always must be checked in two directions. (see
fig.5.2.2).
The lift system can be stable in longitudinal direction, while it is unstable in the
transverse direction

See Figure 5.2.2 below

in this plane lifting system in this plane lifting systern


is stabile is NOT stable

Lifling a patrol boat out of the water. Lifling a locomotive using a lifting beam
Note the triangle above the lifling combined with 2 spreaders
beam

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.....................
~ -,

Some examples are given in figure 5.2.3, where the lifting systems left are not
stable, and at the right side are stable.

Figure 5.2.3

NOT stabile Stabile lifts

H-Type discharging a Piperack


module at Melkoya Island,
using a a lifting beam and
transverse spreaders. Always
a stable lift as lifting points are
above CoG.

@SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


-
,, urn
D. 5.3 SYMETRIC LIFTING SYSTEMS.
A free hanging load wil1 always tend to hang right under the suspension point (top
of the derrick or jib).
If the CoG. is not exactly in the centre, the cargo wil1 not hang level. (see fig. 5.3.1)

Figure 5.3.1

In order to keep the load level, one should use different lengths of slings.
The correct sling length can be determined by drafting the load CoG, slings and
hook block.
If all is drawn to scale, one can easily rneasure the sling length with a ruler.

The right length of lifting grommets can also be determined by following formula:
(see fig. 5.3.2) :

X=d + 2 x tcg.x (b-e)

Figuur 5.3.2

If it still occurs that the load rernains under an angle, despite ti-ie fact that we have
drawn and calculated everything correctly and in case we are sure that the lift
system is stable, then we know the CoG must be in a different location then
assurned.

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U .........
With some practica1 experience we can often estimate how much a certain sling
should be lengthened or shortened in order to lift the load level.

A good approach for the realistic shift of CoG ( = tcg) compared to the estimated
CoG can be obtained by following formula:

shifting of tcg. = d x (h- vcg.) 1 b

Figure 5.3.4

When using a single lift spreader bearn while CoG is not in the centre, the beam
wil1 be not level before fixing to the cargo. A counterweight could be used.

In order to establish the correct lifting height one should first draw the lower slings
to check if we clear the load with the lifting beam hanging under an angle.
In order to keep the free hanging load with lifting beam level, the combined GoG of
load and lifting bearn must be vertically under the hook block. See example below:

Question:
How much and which sling
should be lengthened to
make sure that the trafo is
lifted level?

Answer:
With formula
X = d L2 + 2 x tcg.x (b-e) we can calculate
the correct lengthening as follows

X = 5183 mm, so the required lengthening


is: 5183-4620 = 562 mm.

The right top ding should be lengthened


with 562 mm

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D 5.4 FORCES IN LIFTING WIRES AND SHACKLES.

In order to check possible overload in slings and shackles, one should calculate
the forces in each individual sling or shackle.

The total force in slings is in general bigger then the total load of the cargo. In other
words: if a load of 100 ton is supported by 2 slings, then the average load in each
sling is in general more then 10012 = 50 ton. This is caused by:

- the lifting wires are not vertically but connected under an angle with the load.
(see fig. 5.4.1)

- the CoG of the load is not symmetrically to the lifting points.


NOTE: For weight (G) one should calculate all loads under the hook : such as wire
ropes; shackles; lifting beams; auxiliary lifting frames etc.

Figure 5.4.1
100 t

The forces in slings under a certain angle can be established by:

Drafting a force diagram on scale (graphical method) In general we use a


scale 1:l 00, as most of Jumbo's stow- and lift plans are drawn to scale 1:l 00.
For the forces one could i.e take 1 cm = 1 Ton.

Example Fig. 5.4.2


nH

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Calculate the forces by means of goniometric fomulas

The vertical force per side Fv = 10012 = 50 t

The force in sling is: S = Fv1cosfl or


Fv1 sino.

The horizontal force on the lift eye is:


F, = Fvx tanp or FvI tga

In which
HL = 100 ton = hook load
S = tension force in sling under angle a
Fv = vertical force
t HL = 100 Ton

fl = top angle between sling and vertical


a = angle between horizontal and sling

Figuur 5.4.3

m The forces in unequal slings can be


calculated with:

fl- -
-k-
UNI3
,-"--
Calculation of forces in slings of unequal lengths

SI = HL x sin p, i(sin (180+3,+3,))

S2 = HL x sin p, i(sin(180- p, -Q,))

S1 = 100 x sin45O / (sin(18G-25-45) =


\1 SI = 70,71 Ton
/ l
i Weighl = 7 00 T -2 B s2 = I 00 X sin25O / (sin<I80-25-45) =
1 S2 = 42,26 Ton

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When the CoG is not in the rniddle of lifting positions, the vertical forces in S1 and
S2 can be calculated as below:

(see figure 5.4.3)

See figure below:

Calculate forces in S1 and S2 when L1=2300 mm and L2 = 6500 mm.

Be aware that when a load is lifted in two cranes and belly slinged and not lifted
horizontally, a horizontal reaction force wil1 occur and slings may slip away.

Always use extra securing slings to avoid this.

When a load is lifted with two cranes and the load is not kept horizontal, the load in
each hook block can very significantly. This depends on the location of the CoG of
the load.

See figure below:

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D 5.5 FORCES ON LIFTING EYES
In a similar way as for slings we can calculate the forces acting on lifting eyes
One must consider following important points when considering lifting eyes:

the direction of the pulling force acting on a lifting eye must be in line with
the eye (correct direction)

Correct
Less Correct

Correct

Correct Wrong
Correct

Wrong
that the diameter of the pin of the shackle is not too smal1
and in relation to the hole of the lifting eye, as it wil1 cause higher
pressures and forces in the lifting eye.

A bending moment wil1 act upon the welding and plate of the
lifting eye in case one does not pull in the plain of the lifting eye
plate. (zie fig. 5.5.1 and pictures below)
;"l
: L-.

i
1

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\ 2 UMBC
Before lifting one should inspect the lifting eyes on:

1. Deformations ; hair cracks in weids. In case of doubt contact the Jumbo office
for advise.

2. The correct dimensions (as indicated on the construction drawings), in order to


fit the planned shackles

So check :
- thickness eye plate - in relation to jaw width of shackle
- pin diameter - in relation to pin diameter of shackle
- outside diam. eye plate - in relation to inside height of shackle
+ thickness grommet (be aware of tolerances of shackles)

3. the correct position 1 direction of lifting eyes

4. accessibility for safe connection of slings such as but not limited to:
ladders; staircases, platforms; temporarily scaffolding; connection line for "life-belt"
; etc. .

I n case serious defects o n the lifting eyes are detected, one should
immediately:
- notify the merchant
- refuse to start lifting the cargo, even in case this wil1 be done by shore crane or
floating crane.
- give the merchant a written report with a clear description of the defects
- immediately inform the Jumbo head office in Rotterdam.

l Lifting with two cranes


On board of the Jumbo Heavy Lift vessels, lifting heavy loads with two cranes is a
very common practise. The vessels are equipped with two mast cranes or derricks
positioned on Starboard side of the vessel or opposite of each other (D-Type).

When lifting a load with two cranes it is crucial that the lifting tackles stay exactly in
a vertical position above the lifting points. This is easily said but not so easyly
done. When a long load is lifted from the quay and must be slewed in between
both cranes in order to be placed on deck, both crane operators have to watch
carefully and control three crane movements such as
slewing, topping or lowering of boom, lifting or lowering
of main block and by doing so keep the lifting tackles
vertical above the lift points and keep the load in
horizontal position.

In case the lifting tackles are not kept vertical a side


load wil1 act on the lifting points and jib, which could
lead to mechanica! failure or slippage of lifting slings
with disastrous affects. When lifting a load with two
cranes, make sure that the lifting slings cannot slip
away and secure the slings if possible.

Avoid lifting with two cranes during night time, when visibility is limited.

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D 5.6 FORCES WHEN USING A SPREADER 1 LIFTING BEAM
The forces that arise in using liftinglspreader beams greatly depend on the type of
lifting lspreader beam and how it is used.

In principal we know 2 types of beams:

5.6.1. Spreader- 1 lifting bearn whereby the lifting wires are connected to the
beam.

The forces in the (inclined) slings from the hook to the spreader can be calculated
as per part 5.4. See fig. 5.6.1 below:

lower angle top angle


a P
S = Fv lsina S = Fv lcosp
Fh = Fv ltana Fh = Fv x tanp

S = actual force in wire


Fv = vertical force (incl. weight of lift beam)
Fh = horizontal force in lifting beam

In case a = 45', the force S = 50 1 sin a = 70.7 ton (take 71 Ton)

The additional component due to the own weight of the spreader beam is:
2.5 lsin 45' = 3.5 ton, so the total force in S = 74.5 ton.

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5.6.2 Spreader beam in which lifting slings are spread by the beam and not
connected to the beam.

In this case the force in the lifting sling wil! be the Same every where and equal to
10012 = 50 t.

The forces in the additional slings to support the own weight of the spreader beam
as wel1 as the downward component of the main lift slings can be calculated as
below:

We immediately notice that the total force S fig. 5.6.1 per side in the upper slings
is: 711 + 3.5t =74.5 t, while in fig.5.6.2 (when a and p are 45') this should be 50t +
3.5t = 53.5t.

The missing 21 t should in this case be absorbed by the extra lifting slings that
support the spreader beam.

It is clear that the necessary SWL of the lifting slings do not only depend on the
weight of the spreader beam but greatly depend on the load that is lifted and the
top angle p of the slings.

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s-

The pressure force in a spreader beam can be calculated as below.

0.5 x own weight


rtf crtfn^rlnr

' - - - / Force S' in aux. lift

l / Pressure in spreader
............... Neutral axis

Figure 2.6.3

Fv=50t !
S = Fs = Fv = force in lifting sling below and above spreader bearn are equal
S' = force in sling to support spreader beam

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,
D 5.6.3 STRENGTH OF SPREADER
If correctly used the force in a spreader beam wil1 only be a pressure force.
That is only true in case the work lines of the forces in the slings cross each other
in the neutral axis of the spreader beam. (See fig. 5.6.4.)

If this is not the case, a bending force in addition to the pressure force wil1 act upon
the spreader beam.
A relatively smal1 bending moment can make the spreader buckle.

One should at al1 times check the design criteria of the spreader beam before use
in relation to:

The max. allowable forces on the lifting eyes


The allowable angle under which the slings can go from the
spreader beam to the hook block
The max. allowable pressure force in the spreader beam

Figure 5.6.4
Fs

Cross point
of worklines /
/ /7
,-
Correct
spreader

L-- >
\
Neutral axis -- --

FV FS FS Not a Correct

/ spreader

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D 5.7 INFORMATION ON LIFTING EQUIPMENT ON BOARD
On all Jumbo vessels the technica1 and administrative information of lifting
equipment on board is layed down in the book: "LiftingILashing material"

In case of changes to the liftingllashing material on board, this must be reported


directly through a change order form to the Jumbo head office.

It is important that all relevant information is filled out, in order to avoid


misunderstanding and miscommunication between vessel and office.
It is i.e important to mention
the reason why something has
been rejected or changed and
not only state that it has been
rejected.

In case a wire rope has been


rejected, then it is not allowed
to use the Same wire for a less
SWL, i.e. a 100 tons grommet
that has been rejected for use
can not be used for 50 tons, as
it is very difficult to judge the
correct reduction of a
damaged grommet. Do not do
this as it could lead to
dangerous situations.

As per change order forms,


new equipment in case
necessary wil1 be ordered via
Jumbo's head office.
The Jumbo head office wil1
adjust the relevant pages in
the book "LiftingILashing
material" and copies wil1 be
sent to the vessel to replace
the old pages.

We are trying to standardize


all lifting grommets as much as
possible, whereby per ship a L
logica1 length and SWL capacity is chosen:

For SWL.'s i.e.: 25t ; 50t ; 100t ; 125t ; etc.


and for lengths i.e. 2,5m ; 5m ; 10m ; 15m ; etc.

COLOUR CODE
In order to identify the differences in SWL and lengths and to avoid
misunderstandings, Jumbo wil1 adhere as much as possible to the standard colour
codes as defined in "Colour Code Lifting material"

Please do not only pay attention to the size of the lifting equipment.
A 55 Tons SWL Crosby shackle could have the Same dimensions as an 85 tons
SWL Crosby shackle and grommets with the Same diameter could have different
SWL's, depending on the used type of wire rope steel. A 110 Ts Greenpin can
have Same dimensions as an 85 Ts SWL Greenpin.

9 MONTHS INVENTORY
Every 9 months the actual quantity of lifting- and lashing material must be
checked.
The checked quantities with possible remarks must be communicated through a
standard form with the Jumbo head office.

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D 5.7.1 CALCULATION OF THE SAFE WORKING LOAD (S.W.L.)
For the establishment of the safe working load of lifting material, the rules as
shown on next pages must be adhered:

For lifting grommets and slings the safe working load is the breaking strength
divided by a safety factor of 3.333 - 5.000 (depending on lifting capacity)

For polyester lifting slings the safe working load is the breaking strength divided by
a safety factor of 7

Lifting beams are all being tested after fabrication with a test load of 10-100% more
then the actual SWL. The correct proof load can be calculated with the forrnula:

Ltesi= 1.04 X WLL + 9.6

Shackles (and turnbuckles) are all being tested after fabrication with a test load of
2 x SWL . The breaking strength is in most cases 4-6 times the SWL
As the known manufacturers "Greenpin" and "Crosby" do not use standard safety
factors, a stamped L.R. (Lloyds Register) certificate is leading

PAY ATTENTION
In case a grommet or sling leads under full load over sharp edges it can darnage
the steel wire ropes severely and reduce the SWL significantly
In all cases cable protectors ("cable shoes") must be used.
The damage or cutting to polyester lifting slings by sharp edges is even greater
than for steel wire ropes.

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D 5.7.2 TESTING OF LIFTING MATERIAL - CERTIFICATES
All lifting material wil1 be tested and delivered on board with valid certificates.
All certificates are stored in the book "Liftingllashing material" and are available for
inspection by surveyors and clients

In addition following matters are periodically tested and inspected

SHACKLES
Every 12 'l2years the lifting shackles > 12 Ts are being tested.
These tests wil1 be witnessed by Lloyd's or another approved authority.
Tests wil1 be conducted by the Jumbo head office.

Shackles wil1 be tested with a test load according following formula:

Lies, = 1.22 x WLL + 20, i.e. a 55 ts shackle must be tested with a proof load of

1.22 x 55 + 20 = 87.1 Ton.

A 180 ts shackle with a proof load of: 180 x 1.22 + 20 = 239.6 Ton

Llyod's test certificaat


This certificate must be issued in two fold

GROMMETS
Before use, slings and grommets must be visually inspected by the Captain or
mate.
Grommets must be inspected every 5 years by Lloyd's or another approved
authority.
A certificate of this inspection must be issued by Lloyd's in two fold.
In case grommets are smaller or equal than 10 m and more then 12 Vi years old,
they need to be replaced.
Old grommets must be destroyed. The out of date certificate together with the
change order form need to be sent to the Jumbo head office

SLINGS (up to 15t SWL)


Before use, all slings need to be visually inspected.
For more info see pt. 4.5.3.1.3d and 4.5.3.1G in the LiftILashing book

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D 5.7.3 CALCULATION OF BREAKING STRENGTH OF LIFTING
GROMMETS
As a lifting grommet is being manufactured from a single steel wire rope that is
twisted around 7 times, only the breaking strength of that single wire rope is
known.

See also the LiftILashing book

With this information the breaking strength of the grommet can be calculated

From this calculation it can be seen that in case the grommet is used in double
configuration we may use twice the SWL (and not 1.5 times)
The reduction in strength due to the bending of the wire rope over a small radius
has already been accounted for in the breaking strength calculation

When a sling (= one single wire rope with 2 eyes) is used in double configuration
over a small radius, we must take into account the reduction in strength.
Now only 1.5 x SWL may be lifted.

D 5.7.4 DIMENSIONS OF LIFTING SHACKLES.


All important dimensions of lifting shackles are per type identified in the book
'LiftinglLashing material"
It is the intention that all new shackles that are delivered on board are being
checked and verified and that dimensions do not fall outside the standard
tolerances.

In case they do differ from the standard, then this must be reported by means of a
standard change form to the Jumbo head office.

This all is to avoid that a certain shackle does not fit in a certain lifting eye.

D Summary
This is one of the most important chapters in this syllabus. We have learned that
when we lift a load below the CoG, the stability of the load, when lifted is an
important point to be considered. We now know when a load is stable and when
not. We also have learned about forces in slings under an angle and the relation
between angle and load. A description is given on how the lifting equipment on
board of Jumbo vessels is stored, inspected and used and which safety factor
should be taken into account.

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, ,-
. . ....-...

D Questions
5.1 Which is a stable lift

5.2 What is the correct use of the lifting eye?

5.3 What is the load S1 in each lifting sling?

100 Ton
A. 71 kg

B. 58 Ton

C. 71 Ton

D. 100 kg

100 Ton

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5.4 What is the load in S1 and S2?

60 Ton

A. S1 = 40 Ton and S2 = 20 Ton

B. S1 = 20 Ton and S2 = 40 Ton

C. S1 = 36 Ton and S2 = 24 Ton

D. S1 = 24 Ton and S2 = 36 Ton

5.5 When we use this lifting beam, what is the load in S1 and S2?
Ignore own weight of the lifting beam.
i

A. S1 = 142,8 Ton and S2 = 57,2 Ton

B. S1 = 100 Ton and S2 = 100 Ton

C. S1 = 50 Ton and S2 = 150 Ton

D. S1 = 66,66 Ton and S2 = 133,33 Ton

T 2 0 0 Ton

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5.6 Can we lift a load of 70 tons with these 2 x 50 Ts SWL grommets, using a
spreader 1 lifting beam with own weight of 30 Ts as shown below?

A. No

B. Yes

5.7 When using lifting shackles, what is most important to check?

A. Check shackle dimensions in relation to lifting lug, check lifting lug


for deformations like hair cracks, position etc., good accessibility of lifting lugs

B. Check shackle dimensions in relation to lifting h g , check color of shackle,


good accessibility of lifting lugs

C. Check shackle dimensions in relation to lifting lug, check lifting lug for
deformations like hair cracks etc., check correct position of lifting lugs

D. Check shackle dimensions in relation to lifting lug, check with


agent that we are allowed to lift, check test date of shackle

5.8 What is the correct spreader beam design?

t 7 Fs

snijpunt
werklijnen

A. Both spreaders 1 and 2 are correct

B. Only 2 is correct

C. Only 1 is correct

D. Spreader 2 is correct because lines of forces cross in neutral line

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,
5.9 What is the test load for shackles and turnbuckles after fabrication?

A. 2 x SWL

B. 4 x SWL

C. 1,5 x SWL

D. 5 x SWL

5.10 What is the breaking strength of a sling or shackle of 15 Ton?

A. 90 Ton

B. 60 Ton

C. 75 Ton

D. 30 Ton

5.1 1 What load can max. be lifted at the tip of the crowbar when pushing down at
one end with 50 kg?

5.12 Jumbo grornmets on board must be inspected by Lloyds every?

A. 2 years

B. 4 years

C. 10 years

D. 5 years

5.13 Jumbo shackles must be tested every?

A. 2 years

B. 5 years

C. 10 years

D. 4 years

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5.14 What is the max. load of a 50 tons grommet used in double configuration?

A 2 x S W L = 100Ton

B. 1 , 5 x S W L = 7 5 T o n

C. 1,6 x SWL = 80 Ton

D. 4 x SWL = 200 Ton

5.15 What is the max. load of a 50 tons steel wire rope sling used in double
configuration over a small radius?

A. 2 x SWL = 100Ton

B. 1,5 x SWL = 75 Ton

C. 1 , 6 x S W L = 8OTon

D. 4 x SWL = 200 Ton

5.16 What is the max. test load of a spreaders and lifting beams after fabrication?

A. 5-25% more then the actual SWL, depending on the SWL

B. 10-25% more then the actual SWL, depending on the SWL

C. 10 % more then the actual SWL

D. 25% more then the actual SWL

5.17 What is the load S in both slings, when lifting a load of 100 Tons?

100 Ton
A. 100 Ton

B. 58 Ton

C. 71 Ton

D. 194 Ton

100 Ton

5.18 What is the load S in both slings, when lifting a load of 80 Tons?
80 Ton
A. 64-8 Ton

B. 58 Ton

C. 46,4 Ton

D. 92,8 Ton

80 Ton

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Lifting equipment:
maintenance and inspection
D Introduction
The useful life of lifting equipment can be extended if it is regularly cleaned and
lubricated. When we do this, depends on the circumstances in which the
equipment is used. These circumstances vary widely: lifting work may be carried
on in highly corrosive environments (damp), or in an environment with aggressive
substances in the atmosphere, or in a highly contarninated environment (dust and
dirt).
High temperatures may also have a part to play.
For the user, the maintenance of the majority of lifting equiprnent is limited to
regular cleaning and light oiling. The rnaintenance of wire ropes requires more
knowledge. We wil1 be looking into this in depth later. When a steel cable is bent,
the wires slide against one another. Wear occurs at the contact points. Wire ropes
need lubrication to limit this internal wear, and to combat corrosion. Tests show
that a well-lubricated rope can last three times as long as a poorly lubricated one.

At the time it is delivered, lifting equiprnent meets certain safety requirements.


This level of safety needs to be conserved. Regular maintenance and inspection
and proper storage are required. We wil1 be discussing in turn:
* the Machinery Directive
0 identification and markings
0 checks and inspections
* declarations and certification
guidance for users
storage
0 maintenance
* inspection.

D Machinery Directive
Manufacturers are required to meet certain minimum requirements to promote the
safety of rnachinery. These requirements are set down in the Machinery Directive
which came int0 force on 1 January 1995. Machines which meet the requirements
are given a CE mark. The letters CE stand for the French "Conforrnit
Europenne", rneaning "European Conformity". Machines that satisfy the Directive
are provided with a CE sticker.

The Machinery Directive includes requirements relating to the preservation of


safety, health and the environment. They cover for example design, guarding,
controls, maintenance and operating manuals. Lifting equipment falls under the
Machinery Directive and is treated in a similar way to rnachinery. It must therefore
meet the requirements set down for rnachinery.

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Lifting equipment should be CE rnarked.

lIdentification and markings


Lifting equipment must be identifiable. The following information should be
displayed:
manufacturer's name
o serial number.

This information is usually marked on the equipment itself. Where that is


impossible it wil1 be displayed on an identification plate, firmly attached to the
equipment. The information must be easily legible and so applied that it is not
obscured by wear. The lifting equipment must not be weakened by the application
of the information.
You wil1 find other information on the equipment alongside the makers name and
serial number, for instance:
o Safe Working Load (SWL)
date of last test
CE mark
o mass (if 100 kg or above).

We may distinguish between:


o chains and chain assemblies
steel wire ropes and wire rope slings
o lifting equipment with mass > l 0 0 kg
o lifting clamps.

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chains and chain assemblies
Chains and chain assemblies show the maker's mark and the material quality or
quality classification. On chains these are shown at least once per metre. On chain
slings and chain strops at least one end link is provided with these details.

x.

Lifting equipment identification plate.

lifting equipment with mass > 100 kg


The mass of any lifting equipment of 100 kg and above must be legibly displayed
on the equipment.

lifting clamps
The following information must be shown on lifting clamps:
o Safe Working Load
o serial number
date of last test
e mass, if required
e minimal clamping force.

lChecks and inspections


Users of lifting equipment must have it regularly inspected by a competent person.
This must take place at least once per year. Chain assemblies must be inspected
as often as is necessary for safe use. Chain assemblies in C-type steel need
regular heat treatment, but these are not common. Manufacturers prescribe the
periodic inspections and tests that must take place. Any prescribed test must be
conducted by a competent person. Tests like breaking tests and measurernents
between reference points must be carried out only by competent persons.

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D Declarations and certification
The Machinery Directive states that an EC declaration of conformity is required for
some products. This declaration wil1 show which directives and standards the
product complies with. There are various declarations of conformity to suit the
category of machine involved. We wil1 not go further into this here.

For lifting equipment the appropriate declaration is HA. This displays the Same
serial number as that applied to the equipment. Declarations of conformity must
always be available for inspection during the work.

The declaration of conforrnity must be kept with the lifting equiprnent

A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Manufacturers often use their own certificates. This dates back to the time when an
authenticated certificate was mandatory for every item of lifting equipment.

A certificate must be Rept with each item of lifiing equipment

The certificate must show the applicable type of EC declaration, which as we have
seen is the HA declaration in the case of lifting equipment. A product description
and the Safe Werking Load wil1 also be stated. These certificates are often
combined with test certificates. These certificates must also be available during the
work. As wel1 as the EC declaration of conformity, manufacturers must also provide
information on operation and maintenance and about situations where it would be
better not to use the product.

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mislaid certificates
If a certificate is lost, a new one must be obtained as soon as possible. Lifting
equipment without a certificate may not be used. The competent person wil1
determine whether a new inspection, test or heat treatment is required. Certificates
relating to missing equiprnent must be kept for at least five years after the last
inspection.

D Guidance for users


Lifting equipment should be provided with guidance for users. The following
information should be included as a minimum:
normal conditions of use
guidance on use, fitting and maintenance
usability limits.

Suppliers are required to provide guidance for users in the language of the country
of use. It is permissible to combine the guidance for users of a range of types of
lifting equipment into a catalogue.

B Storage
The useful life of lifting equipment is shortened when it is subject to contamination
and moisture. You must therefore provide a dry and well-ventilated storage space,
without aggressive vapours and fluids. It is a good idea to hang the equipment up
in a systematic manner. You could separate:
e chain assemblies
e wire ropes
lifting strops and fibre ropes
lifting blocks and cable sheaves
special equipment.

A further categorisation is possible, according to the Safe Working Load. Cables


on reels or drums may be subcategorised by end use, for example according to the
machine with which they belong.
Fibre ropes and lifting slings made from man-made fibres should be stored out of
direct sunlight. The UV radiation in sunlight can age them. Wet fibre ropes should
be dried in the wind but out of the sun and only then put into storage.
Ropes in natura1 fibres which are not used for long periods should be aired from
time to time, otherwise they may rot.
Storage in the open air is to be avoided whenever possible. If it is really ,
unavoidable, do ensure that the equipment stays dry. Cover it with a tarpaulin.

@SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Maintenance
A wire rope should be dressed with the appropriate conservation and lubrication
agent. The properties of this agent should be adapted to the circumstances in
which the rope is used.
The following aids may be found useful for maintenance:
rope grease
e wire brush
o oil bath
neutral cleaning agent
o other cleaning aids.

rope grease
Good quality rope grease is of mineral
origin and is acid and alkali free. It leaves
behind a firmly adhering lubricant film.
This film wil1 not crack or blister and also
does not form a crust round the rope.
The lubricant should not be sticky where
ropes may come in contact with soil and
sand. Apply a thin but complete coating
to the steel wires. This is better than
smearing the rope with a thick paste that
will only drip or fly off later. That only makes the area around the rope greasy and
dangerously slippery.
Another problem is that cable sheaves may become full of grease When this
hardens as it ages the cable may no longer fit the sheave correctly and it may even
fall out. So clean sheaves regularly, even with moderate greasing of ropes.
User maintenance begins from the moment that the rope is first reeved Lubricate
the rope with a good quality grease when reeving, and repeat periodically
thereafter. The tarry types of grease used on open gear wheels are not suitable.
These greases run off the rope too quickly in summer and provide insufficient
protection in winter.

Good rope grease has the following characteristics:


o It reduces friction between the wires and the core, minimising internal wear.
Galvanised and stainless steel ropes should therefore also be lubricated.
o It protects the rope against corrosion for long periods.
It has a good penetrative capacity, which means that it will sink through to the
rope or steel core of the rope.
e It wil1 have a high lubricant film strength. This prevents gaps appearing in the
lubricant film when the rope is bent or loaded.
It is not easily washed off with fresh or salt water.
o It resists the adhesion of soil, dust or sand.
It is effective across a wide range of temperatures: from
+
-+ 90C t0 -40C.
e It is transparent, allowing the rope to remain visible.

From time to time you should remove the old layer of grease, along with the
contaminants it has picked up. The period between cleanings wil1 depend on the
circumstances of use. The condition of the core should be checked at the periodic
inspection. Flushing oil and waste oil must never be used to clean wire ropes.
Flushing oil contains chemica1 agents that may damage the rope. Apart from
chemicals, used oil also contains metallic particles which get between the strands,
causing damage.

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wire brush
The rope is cleaned with a special wire brush. Brushing is in the direction of the
wires. The rope should subsequently be lubricated.

oil bath
Wire ropes exposed to the weather should first be immersed in an oil bath to
prevent the core drying out. Rope grease is usually applied with a brush, by
spraying or by immersion, and automatic lubrication equipment is also available.

neutra1 cleaning agent


Lifting equipment must be kept clean and protected against rust. A neutral agent
like turpentine should be used for cleaning. Flushing oil, used engine oil and
chemica1 cleaners are not suitable. Wire ropes are cleaned by moving a special
wire brush back and forth along the length.
To prevent rust the rope should be lubricated regularly with a little oil. Un-
galvanised ropes are protected with a layer of rope grease which wil1 not only
protect against rust but also:
e penetrates to the core
e forms a strong film
e is water resistant
e is not inclined to piek up dust and other contaminants
e is suitable for a broad range of temperatures, from around
-20C t0 +60C.

other cleaning agents


Steel wire ropes should be lubricated with a brush, by spraying, by immersion or
with automatic cleaning equipment. Before commencing lubrication, place the
cable first in an oil bath. The oil wil1 penetrate the cable and prevent the fibre core
drying out.

D Inspection
The following points wil1 be dealt with in this section:
e periodic inspection
colour coding
e rejection criteria.

periodic inspection
As wel1 as cleaning and lubrication we also monitor the condition of the lifting
equipment by means of periodic inspections. This is important both for safety and
for control of costs.

The Safe Werking Load of an item of lifting equipment wil1 decline through fatigue,
wear, corrosion and damage. Regular inspections wil1 reveal the condition of the
equipment at a single moment in time and ensure that its safety has not fallen
below an acceptable minimum. The interval between inspections depends on the
conditions of use. In any event the interval must be short enough to prevent any
risk of danger through excessive wear, fatigue or aging.

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The inspection of lifting equipment requires thorough professional expertise, and it
is preferable therefore to give responsibility for management and maintenance to a
nominated competent person.
But of course the user also carries out inspections. He wil1 check the equipment
for:
breakage
wear
hairline cracks
corrosion
damage
a deformation.

In other words, before and during its use, the user must ensure that the lifting
equipment is in good condition.

colour coding
Lifting equipment offshore is marked with a colour code, established by the IMO,
the International Maritime Organization and adopted by most other bodies.
The colour code is marked on the equipment with paint and is as follows:

Brown 1992 1998 2004


Blue 1993 1999 2005
Yellow 1994 2000 2006
Red 1995 2001 2007
Black 1996 2002 2008
Green 1997 2003 2009

You can carry out a close inspection while you are cleaning and lubricating
equipment. If you detect one or more of the defects mentioned above, report this
immediately. The equipment may not be used further.
In an organisation approved by 1-SZW, the defect wil1 then be further investigated
by a competent person who wil1 decide whether the equipment can be repaired or
whether it has to be rejected. Only the manufacturer or a recognised body may
carry out such repairs.
Visual inspections only reveal external defects. Internal defects can only be
identified by an expert. The competent person not only has the necessary
knowledge but wil1 also have available special equipment like X-ray and ultrasound
apparatus. The competent person carries out his inspections at regular intervals,
which may not exceed two years.

Jumbo uses the colour code as shown below to identify the SWL and lengths of
lifting grommets.

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6 COLOUR CODE LIFTING MATERIAL Jumbo

The SWL and working length of grommets and slings are indicated by painted color
codes on the wires as given below. The color codes for the SWL of shackles is the
Same as for the grommets 1 slings.

SWL LENGTH- SWL


m m m - 1 0 0 mm

Colour code Colour code


Workinq lenqth Safe Workinq Load

25 m - orange 250 t orange


20 m - yellow 200 t yellow
15 m - blue 175 t blue
10 m - white 150 t white
5m - grey 125 t grey
2.5 m - green 100t - green
1m- orange 85t - brown*
75t orange
50 t yellow
35 t black*
25t blue
15t white
lot grey
5t green

* = not standard
-
IDENTIFICATION NR. ( EQUIPMENT NR. CERTIFICATE NR.)

W L = Working Length

.-f- -
eter

All lifting accessories are clearly marked with an idenfificafionnr.


For all lifting grommets - slings and shackles this identification nr. exists of the
cerfificafe nr.
For all other lifting accessories (spreaders ; liftingbeams ; polyester belts ; triangle-
plates ; etc.) this identification nr. exists of the equipmenf nr.

For more details see documents JSM 4532d

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rejection criteria
Inspectors wil1 reject lifting equipment if they find the following defects:
deformation
hair cracks
e significant damage
serious wear
breakage
illegible markings
inadequately functioning moving parts
poor state of maintenance
e absence of a HA certificate.

Usually you the crane driver are the first to identify a defect. You must report this to
the technica1 department in your firm. Take detective equipment out of service
immediately and send it to the responsible person. Below we give rejection criteria
for:
chain and chain assemblies
steel wire ropes.

" chain and chain assemblies


Chain and chain assemblies wil1 be rejected if:
0 wear exceeds 10%
markings are illegible
permanent deformations are found
alterations or repairs have been carried out by other than competent persons
e the HA certificate is missing.

steel wire ropes


Rejection criteria for steel wire ropes are contained in EN 3233. The standards are
fairly broadly framed, so that in practice it is possible for hazardous situations to
arise. For your own safety it is better to adopt higher standards.

Rejection is possible because of:


o broken wires
wear
corrosion
e reduction in diameter
o external damage and deformation
e ruptured and broken core rope
o a combination of broken wires, wear, corrosion and reduction in diameter
e HA certificate missing.

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different wire fractures, kinks etc.
Types of damage most commonly seen in steel wire ropes.

k Summary
This chapter has dealt with the Machinery Directive. You now know what
requirements lifting equipment is required to meet, and what to look for when
inspecting it. You know how to rnaintain lifting equiprnent and how to store it. You
also know that a colour code exists and that you can expect to see two colours
marked on the equipment. Finally you know the criteria leading to the rejection of
lifting equipment.

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D Questions
6.1 What documents must be available with lifting equipment?

A Crane book, inspection report, manual.

B II A certificate, inspection certificate.

C User manual, maker's declaration.

D Crane book, user manual, maker's dectaration.

6.2 Lifting equipment in good condition may only be used if:

A the correct papers and certificates are available.

B the installation manager orders it.

C it has been checked by the installation manager.

D you are sure it was used just recently.

6.3 What is the most important information for the crane operator on the
(coloured) label on a lifting strap?

A The certificate number HA certificate.

B The CE marking.

C The werking coefficient.

D The Safe Working Load (SWL).

6.4 What certificate should accompany an approved connection?

A At least a HA certificate.

B An inspecqon report from the company's own competent person.

C A Magnetic Particle Inspection certificate.

D There only needs to be a handboek.

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7 l Chains and chain
assemblies
D Introduction
Chains deserve a place of their own among the different kinds of lifting equipment,
and wil1 be considered here along with their accessories like hooks, rings, swivels,
eyebolts and the like. There are numerous lifting hooks suited to different lifting
tasks.

In this chapter we wil1 be dealing with:


definitions
materials
fabrication
quality classifications
werking coefficient
lifting chains
crane hooks
shackles
eyebolts, eye nuts, and lifting eyes

D Definitions
Chains and chain assemblies are defined as follows.
Chains and chain assemblies are arrangements of interconnected, closed,
identical links. The links are made of round steel.
A chain assembly is an item of lifting tackle made up of separate components in
chain connected mechanically.

chain assemblies
Chain assemblies are permanently connected chains, rings and hooks. All parts
are made in the Same material. We wil1 now discuss mechanically connected chain
assemblies, chain slings and the Working Load Limit. (= WLL = Safe Working Load
= SWL)

D mechanically connected chain assemblies

Chain assemblies are now mechanically connected where formerly welding was
the norm. This has two advantages:
e they can be assemblee! by the suppliers themselves.
a they are easily modified and repaired.

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The components of mechanically connected chain assemblies are joined together
using a removable link. Shackle connectors are also available. The illustration
below shows various formats for chain assemblies.

Various forms of mechanically connected chain assemblies.

The shackle connectors can be seen at top left, and the hooks of the left hand
three-leg sling have a shackle connection. Mechanically connected chain
assemblies are made of high quality steel, usually of class T. All components are
made in the same material so that strength and resistance to wear is the Same
throughout. The legs of mechanically connected chain assemblies are usually
identical in length, but different lengths do occur. Single, double, three and four-leg
slings are found. The included angle between the legs of a sling may be no greater
than 120'. Provided account is taken of the applicable Working Load Limit, this wil1
prevent the lifting
tackle being What factor do we use for each chain assembly
overloaded. with a top i gle of 90-12O0?

Jumbo does not SWL= 6 T SWL= 8 T


make extensive
use of chain and
wire rope
assemblies, but
for loading and
unloading of
general cargo
these are useful F=1
tools and we
should at least F = 1,5 F = 1,5
know how we What max. What max. What max. What max.
should use them. Load can be Load can be Load can be Load can be
liffed? lifted with 1 lifted with 2 lifted with 3
chain? chains? chains?

6 Ton 12 Ton 5,33 Ton 10,66 Ton


101 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo
.......................
... *-.. UfABO
........
""

We wil1 now investigate chain slings.

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D chain slings

Chain slings may be run around a load. They can be less damaging than wire rope
or fabric slings. The following illustration shows various chain sling configurations.

0 @
Various mechanically connected chain sling assemblies.

D single leg slings

Single leg slings usually have a master link at the top and a flat hook at the bottom.
They are used if the crane hook is too large to take the lifting equipment attached
to the load. They form a connection between the crane hook and the lifting
equipment at the load.

Chain slings are often usedbetween the crane hook and lifting equipment attached to the load

103 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo C r a c Operator Syllabus


D multi-leg chain slings

Loads with several points of attachment can be lifted using multi-leg chain slings,
which are called two-leg, three-leg and four-leg slings as appropriate. The top link,
master link or crane hook link is usually oval to provide more room for the crane
hook. The illustration below shows a selection of the very wide range of multi-leg
chain slings available.

@ @ c3
A load with several attachment points rnay be lified using a two, three or four leg chain sling

D working Load Limit

If you lift a load with a single leg sling, you may load the sling up to the SWL as it
appears on the identification plate. However if you are using a two, three or four-
leg sling, you may not simply multiply the SWL by two, three or four. This is
because the legs of the multi-leg sling wil1 be at an angle to the vertical. The mass
of the load creates a loading on the sling, and this loading is greater when Ihe sling
is at an angle than when it hangs vertically. The force acting on the sling increases
as the angle with the vertical increases. With an included angle between the legs
of 120, the force is equal to the working load.
Angles above 12O0are therefore prohibited to prevent overloading of the lifting
equipment. Since there are different types of lifting equipment and you can attach a
load in different ways, Working Load Limits have been introduced and
standardised. The Working Load Limit varies according to the type of lifting
equipment and its manner of use, and also according to the sling leg angle.

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-
,,,UM
The following illustration shows a Working Load Limit table for chain assemblies

worhng ioad limit table for chains assemblies

threc leg and four teg


-,"-u --

The Working Load Limit depends on the ding leg angle and the manner of attachrn~nl

In order to find the maximum load that may be lifted with a particular item of lifting
equipment, the WLL must be multiplied by the utilisation factor. The WLL and the
utilisation factor are stated on the equipment identification plate

B Material
Chains and chain assemblies are made from steel, and that steel is an alloy. The
proporties of steel can be improved by the addition of certain substances. This
addition is called alloying. The most important alloys used in steel for chains and
chain assemblies are nickel chrome and molybdenum. The addition of these
materials makes steel:
stronger
tougher
more resistant to wear
more resistant to corrosion
o resistant to aging.

The addition of chrome and nickel makes steel corrosion resistant Corrosion in
this context means rust. Steel which wil1 not rust because of the addition of chrome
and nickel is called stainless steel.

What factor do we use for each chain assembly


with a top a gle of 0-90?
l

What max. What max. What max. What max.


Loadcan be Loadcanbe Load can be Load can be
lifted? lifted with 1 lifted with 2 lifted with 3
chain? chains? chains?
6 Ton 12 Ton 16,8 Ton 33,6 Ton
manufacture
All chains are nowadays made by machine and butt welded. The butt weld is in the
straight section of the link.

several production steps in chain fabrication

The butt weid is in the midpoint of the link.

In butt welding the section of the link to be welded is brought to welding


temperature by an electric current. The ends are then forced together and the weld
is formed.
Long-link and short-link chains are made. Only short-link chains are used for lifting.

p.--.- - . ..-....-

The upper chain is a long-link chain, the lower one is a short-link chain.

A specialised form of short-link chain is the calibrated chain. Here the links are cast
precisely to size in a mould. We wil1 also be discussing tempered and fully killed
steel in this section.

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calibrated chain
Calibrated chain is used as hoisting chain in chain blocks. The chain runs over
nested sheaves, and so the links must be precisely dimensioned to fit the nests.
This chain has greater resistance to wear than a normal chain.

double socket disc

The hoisting chain in a chain block is made from calibrated links

hardening and tempering


Steel can be heated to make it harder. Steel that has been hardened by heat
treatment and then tempered at 450 to 600C is called refined steel. Tempering
involves exposure for a period to these ternperatures, which reduces internal
stresses, increasing the strength of the material. Chains of this type are now rarely
used. Refined steel has high tensile strength, high resistance to shock loads and
high resistance to wear. The most significant advantages of alloy steel chains as
opposed to unalloyed steel are:
o higher tensile strength, allowing smaller dimensions
lighter in weight
wear resistant
resistant to shock loadings
not sensitive to aging, so annealing is not required.

fully killed steel


There is a third type of steel alongside unalloyed and alloyed steel, known as fully
killed steel. This is steel with the addition of a fixed amount of aluminium, usually
0.025% or sometimes another substance. lts properties are similar to unalloyed
steel, but it does not require annealing.

D Quality classifications
Steel exists in so many different forms that chains and chain assemblies are
divided int0 classes. The standards distinguish between 6 quality classes. The
classification rnainly indicates the strength of the steel. The table below shows the
classification. Breaking strength is the lowest tension at which the material wil1
break (the minima1theoretica1 breaking force). The symbol for breaking force is o,
the Greek letter sigma. The unit of breaking force is ~ l m m ' .

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Classification 1 breaking force a
in ~ l r n m '
L or 3 315
M 4 400
P l) 5 500
S 6 630
T 8 800
v l) 10 1000
~ ointernationally
t accepted.

Chain and chain assernblies of classes S, T and V are made in alloy steel.
Strength class T is usually used for chain and chain assernblies used in lifting. The
expressions high-grade alloy steel or sirnply alloy steel are often used for chains
and chain assemblies in steel of strength class T.

B Working coefficient
The relationship between the breaking force and the Safe Working Load is known
as the working coefficient. We have dealt with this already in Chapter 5. Chain and
chain assemblies have a working coefficient factor of 4.

B Lifting chains
Chains formed of links are used for lifting work. The internal length of a link is
known as the pitch. The length of a chain is the pitch multiplied by the number of
links.

The pitch (t) is the internal length of a link,

Chains corne in various formats and may have long or short links. The difference is
in the length of the link. Only short-link chains are used for lifting. The linksof such
chains are short and strong. Lifting chains have the following dimensions in relation
to material diameter (d).

internal link length 2.75 to 3d


internal link breadth 1.25 to 1.5d

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external link length

! internal link length

link width

Link dimensions have fixed relationships

Long-link chains are lighter and cheaper than short-link chains. They are often
found in rigging and tensioning applications. Long-link chains must never be used
for lifting operations.

D Lifting hooks
We wil1 deal with lifting hooks along with chains, although they are also used with
wire ropes and also blocks and sheaves. Hooks can be divided into three groups:
e sling hooks
e special purpose hooks
e crane hooks.

sling hooks
Sling hooks are used to attach to lifting eyes and connections. Various patterns
exist. Common types include:
e flat hooks or eyehooks
latched safety hooks
e safety hooks.

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We wil1 now look at these and a few other common hooks.

D flat hook or eyehook

Flat hooks are also known as eyehooks, and are often used with chain and wire
rope assemblies. The dimensions are such that removable connecting links wil1
pass wel! over the throat. Hooks must always be provided with a safety latch to
prevent the load unintentionally corning loose.

A flat or eye hook with a safety latch

D latched safety hooks

These safety hooks are fitted with a latch which is forced against the hook tip when
the hook is loaded. A ratchet then ensures that the latch remains locked. Latched
safety hooks are used when there is a chance of the hook fouling on projections.

Latched safetv hooks are used when there


is a chance of !he hook fouling on projections.

110 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D safety hooks

Safety hooks have a hook and a gate which hinge together. There is a recess in
the end of the gate which fits over the hook tip. When the hook is loaded, the gate
is pressed against the hook, just as with the latched safety hook. However these
safety hooks are sometimes less safe than latched safety hooks.

This forrn of hook may remain open


and may therefore be less safe than
a latched safety hook.

special purpose hooks


Special purpose hooks include:
o grab hooks
o shortening clutches
o swivel hooks
drum hooks
drum clamps.

D grab hooks

Grab hooks have a jaw which precisely fits the links of a chain. They are made for
chain sizes from 6 to around 18mm. They are used to temporarily shorten chains.
You may for example shorten one leg of a two-leg chain to allow a load to hang
straight.

Grab hooks are mostly used to shorten chain slings

A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D shortening clutch

A shortening clutch is also used to shorten chains. Shortening clutches are found
in use with chain slings.

-
A shorening clutch is handy when shorening chains.

D swivel hook

Normal hooks cannot rotate in chains and ropes. If a load begins to rotate, the
chain or rope wil1 turn with it. In these circumstances a swivel hook can be used.
This has a pivot which turns in a drilling in the base of the eye. It is kept in place by
a nut, and the nut is prevented from coming loose by a weid or a retaining pin.

A swivel hook rotates in its eye

112 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D drum hooks

A variety of hooks are available for lifting drums. The drum hooks shown below are
used for lifting a drum in a horizontal position. The hooks are placed opposite one
another and engage beneath the rims of the drum. The paired drum hooks are
joined with an endless chain and a ring. When the load is taken up the hooks are
pulled tight against the drum.

Drum hooks are used to lift a horizontal drum

These hooks are not suitable to lift upright drums or thin walled drums. They
should not be used with drums containing hazardous substances. There is always
the chance that the hooks may slip along the drum rims, which is an unacceptable
risk in the case of hazardous substances.

D drum clamps

Other forms of drum-lifting equipment are far safer. The following illustration shows
a simple type of drum damp with a clamping mechanism. This type is suitable for
drums with a mass up to 1000 kg per set. The damp opens when the button is
pressed.

Drum clamps for vertical transport.

113 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


crane hooks
We may distinguish between double and single
hooks. Both types are discussed here and we
also look at crane balls and swivel hooks.
All main hoist blocks of Jumbo mast cranes and
derricks are outfitted with double hooks
(ramshorn type). The 500 tons main block of the
D-Types are even outfitted with 2 x ramshorn
hooks. See picture

D single hooks

A single hook is usually fitted with a bal1 hearing


swivel, and may then also be called a swivel
hook. The swivel ensures that the load can
rotate without twisting the rope or chain.

v.,,
./""
A single hook with block and sheave.

The hook may have a self-closing safety latch. A single hook is ofen used as a
component of a crane block.

D double hook

A double hook is often called a ramshorn hook. This type is used in very heavy
work where the load is held by several slings. Just like the single hook, the double
hook is often used as a component of a crane block.

Y
A double hook can make the use of multiple slings easier.

114 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


The jib hook is used on cranes with a single reeved hoisting rope. With their
massive cast forrn they have a fairly high weight, and can therefore be used as a
weight on the hoisting rope to allow the hook to be lowered in an unioaded
condition. The hook can rotate about its centre, so that both the load and the hoist
rope can rotate. The whole arrangement is again sometimes known as a swivel
hook.

A jib hook consists of a crane bal1 and a swivel pear.

shackles
Shackles are used to attach a chain or rope to an object. The shackle is closed
with a bolt, enclosing the chain or rope. There are two types:
D-shackles
H-shackles

Shackles are available in other patterns and may be made in a variety of materials.

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D-shackles are used with single-leg lifting equipment, while H-shackles are used to
link two or more items of lifting equipment together. Their shape gives the H-
shackles ample room and the different items lifting tackle do not lie over one
another. An example of the application of an H-shackle is to place two chains
together.

H-shackles can connect several items of lifting tackle

D-shackles must NOT be used in this manner.

Various types of securing bolts are available for shackles.

The most important are sketched out below


1 eyebolt with collar
2 countersunk bolt
3 eyebolt
4 bolt, nut and split pin.

Various types of shackle bolt.

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Shackles with eyebolts are used for fastenings
requiring frequent removal.
All shackles used on board for seafastening on
Jumbo vessels are of the eyebolt type.
Countersunk b o k are used where a bolt head
might foul on projections. A bolt with nut is used
when it is difficult to teil whether a bolt is fully
screwed home. Securing the nut with a split pin
ensures that it remains in place.

lEyebolts, eye nuts and load rings


It is often not possible to attach an object using a sling and another method must
be found. Eyebolts, eye nuts and load rings have been developed for this purpose.
They are provided with an eye to allow attachment. They wil1 be exarnined in more
depth below.

eyebolts and eye nuts


Eyebolts and eye nuts are very similar but eyebolts have a male thread and eye
nuts have a female thread. They must be tightened until the collar rests against the
object.

2 D

screwed into a threaded hole with the Same thread and eye nuts are threaded onto a stud.

~yeb6ltsma for~ example be used to lift an electromotor. Electro motors have a


threaded hole above into which an eyebolt may be screwed. The threaded hole is
provided above the centre of gravity, so that the motor wil1 hang straight during the
lift.

F) checking

Eyebolts and nuts have a tough life and need regular inspection. Look at the
condition of the thread and check for wear. Eyebolts and nuts in poor condition
must be replaced.

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D lifting angle

Eyebolts and eye nuts are unsuitable for lateral forces. Try to load them axially as
much as possible and avoid sideways loading. The maximum permissible angle
with the vertical (1) is 45'.

y
Eyebolts and eye nuts may only be loaded to a maximum of 45' in a lateral direction.

D load rings

Load rings look quite similar to eyebolts and eye nuts. The difference is that the
load ring eye hinges so that it can be swung out of the way, preventing obstruction.

Load rings hinge and sorne can be swung out of the way, preventing obstruction.

lSummary
You have learned how chains are manufactured and from what materials. You
know that short-link chains are used for lifting work and that calibrated chains are
used as hoisting chain in a chain hoist. Chains and chain assemblies are strong
and resistant to wear. If made from unalloyed steel they wil1 need regular heat
treatment and may be brittle in cold conditions. Unalloyed steel lifting chain is no
longer produced. You have also learned about the different types of chain
assemblies, what the utilisation factor is and how to use it.
You know how and when D and H shackles are used, that locked bolts and nuts
are safer, and that eyebolts may be side-loaded only up to a certain angle.

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D Questions
7.1 Chain comes in various quality classes.
What does the classification show?

A The corrosion resistance of the steel.

B It is a classification used during manufacture.

C It indicates the breaking strength.

D It is a manufacturer's brand name.

7.2 What is meant by the designation L, M, S or T on chain work?

A It indicates the maker.

B It is a classification used during manufacture.

C It indicates the quality classification.

D It indicates the year of manufacture.

7.3 Chain equipment has a working coefficient of:

7.4 What is the SWL in the following situation?

A 0.8 x the SWL

B 1 x the SWL

C 1,4 x the SWL.

D 1,6 x the SWL

7.5 What is meant by the working coefficient of quality class T chain work?

A It has to be inspected every 4 years.

B It means that the WLL of the chain is Vs, of the breaking load.

C It means that the breaking load is 4 times the test load.

D It means that the test load is 4 times the breaking load.

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7.6 What is the maximum included angle between the legs in the
situation below?

A 45 degrees.

B 60 degrees.

C 75 degrees.

D 120 degrees.

7.7 A two-leg chain sling has an included angle < 90 degrees. The SWL
of a single leg is 10 tonnes. What can be lifted in this situation?

working koad limit table for chains asembties

A 7,14 tonnes.

B 14 tonnes.

C 14,3 tonnes.

D 10 tonnes.

7.8 A three-leg chain assembly has an included angle < 90 degrees. The SWL of a
single leg is 12 Tonnes. What can be lifted in this situation?
working b a d limit table tor chains assemblies

A 25.2 tonnes.

B 12 tonnes.

C 16,8 tonnes.

D 18 tonnes.
120 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus
Steel wire ropes and steel
wire rope assemblies
D Introduction
Lifting is often carried out with the use of chains, but steel wire ropes are also very
useful for this. Chains and ropes each have their advantages and disadvantages,
and their own fields of application. This chapter is concerned with the different
constructions of steel wire rope. We wil1 confine the discussion to the steel wire
ropes and terminations that are used for lifting slings.

The following points wil1 be considered:


materials
working coeficient
steel wire rope constructions
core constructions
lays
terminations and steel wire rope assemblies
steel wire rope slings
utilisation factor.

lMaterials
Wire ropes have to meet many requirements, and so they are made from high
quality steel. The steel contains little phosphorus, sulphur or other contaminants
and has a regular structure. The alloy manganese is used to increase resistance to
wear. Wire ropes are made up of steel wires drawn through a drawing plate.
They are then put in bundles and twisted together. The large number of wires
makes wire ropes flexible enough to bend easily and to pass over wheels.
We wil1 discuss the requirements steel wire ropes must fulfil, and how steel wire
rope is to be protected against corrosion.

' requirements
Wire ropes for slings must resist:
high temperatures
acids
a high pressures
corrosion
e rough treatment.

Steel wire ropes have been developed which meet specific requirements in a wide
range of applications.

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l corrosion protection
Wire ropes are often used in difficult conditions. They are worn down by repeated
use and rough handling. They rust if they get damp. This rusting is also called
corrosion. Norrnal wear cannot always be prevented, but measures can be taken
against corrosion. Wire rope slings are usually made with galvanised steel wire.
We wil1 be taking a look at galvanisation and how galvanised steel wire rope can
be protected against corrosion. We wil1 then deal with galvanised steel wire and
post-drawn galvanised steel wire.

D galvanised steel wire

Wire ropes made frorn galvanised steel wire have a thin coating of zinc.
After drawing, the wires are passed through a zinc bath and the coating of zinc that
is left behind on the surface ensures that no corrosion can occur. The zinc coating
is applied in a hot bath so the process is sometimes called hot dip galvanisation.
The heat of the bath reduces the strength of the steel. Since the zinc coating is
slightly porous and can be damaged, it is wise to lubricate galvanised wire ropes
wel1 with grease.

D post-drawn galvanised steel wire

A coating of zinc does protect against rust but penetration by contarninated


atmospheric air often leaves sornething to be desired in the quality. The zinc layer
is rather porous and the galvanisation process reduces the strength of the steel.
These drawbacks can be overcorne by using post-drawn galvanised steel wire.
Galvanised steel wire is forrned like any other wire, by passing it through a drawing
plate. The difference is that the diameter is initially left a little larger than the
finished dimension. The wire is subsequently galvanised and finally "post-drawn" to
the finished diameter. The final cold drawing restores the strength which the steel
lost in the heat of the therrnal galvanising bath. The zinc layer is less porous and
offers rnuch better protection against rust.

D Working coefficient
The working coefficient applied to steel wire ropes is the relationship between the
actual breaking load and the Safe Working Load of the equipment. Steel wire
ropes for lifting slings with a SWL up to 25 tonnes have a working coefficient of 5.
With a higher SWL a working coefficient of decreases to 3,33 depending on the
SWL..

D Construction of steel wire ropes


Steel wire ropes are composed of a nurnber of strands laid around a core. The
strands are composed of thin wires. The core must allow the strands to lie
correctly, since only then can the load be evenly distributed between the strands.
The core must be large enough that the strands barely press against one another,
even under load. To prevent the strands contacting one another, the core must be
thick and it can therefore be seen between the strands. A wire rope with a thin core
wil1 be cornpressed during loading or bending and the strands wil1 contact one
another. They can then slide against each other with the consequence that they
break more quickly.

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-w-w
Such wire ropes therefore wear more quickly. Cores may be made from fibre or
steel.
We wil1 now discuss these core materials one at a time:
fibre cores
steel cores.

Finally we wil1 discuss tensile strength.

fibre rope cores


Fibre rope cores are made from strong fibres such as jute or manilla. Manilla is a
fibre of vegetable origin. The fibres are treated with oil to repel water and prevent
mould and rot. Later, the grease which is used to dress the rope finds its way to
the core. After oil treatment the fibres are made into a rope strand which supports
the wire strands around it.

The fibre rope core provides support to the steel wires


8

The steel wires in the strands surrounding the core can slide easily along the rope
core without wear or damage. The disadvantage is that fibre rope itself is
vulnerable to damage, and ages and even decomposes in rapidly changing
temperatures. The core becomes thinner and its supporting function is lost.
The consequence is rapid wear, or one of the strands may be pushed inwards.
When a rope in this condition is loaded it makes a corkscrewing motion and the
strands are loaded unevenly. The life expectancy such a rope is short.

D lubrication and flexibility

It was long believed that a fibre rope core would provide internal lubrication, but it
has emerged that this is only the case with new ropes. Compression gradually
forces the grease out of the rope core, and it can then take up water. Water rots
the fibre core and rusts the steel wires.

It has also often been said that a wire rope with a fibre core is more flexible than a
steel cored rope. That is not completely true either. Wire ropes with fibres cores
are initially more flexible, but that flexibility declines rapidly in use.

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steel core
A steel core is not capable of compression and is more wear resistent than a fibre
core. It wears less quickly, deforms less and the wire rope strands rust less
quickly. Steel wire ropes with steel cores are also strenger than those with fibre
cores.

Steel cores may be made from a:


core rope or a
* core strand.

D core rope

A core rope is really a rope within a rope. The core generally consists of six
strands of seven wires with a core strand of the Same construction at the centre.

Wire ropes generally have six strands of seven wires with a seventh strand at the core.

Eight-strand wire ropes are found in various patterns. The core rope usually
consists of six strands. The centre of the core rope may then be a strand like those
in the other core rope strands. In another pattern, the centre of the core rope is
also a rope, with six strands and another at its centre. The illustration below shows
both types of core in eight-strand rope.

Two types of eight-strand rope with wire rope core

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D core strand

There are also steel wire ropes with a core strand. The core strand is exactly like
the strands in the rope itself. This type is very rarely used for steel wire rope slings
as it makes the rope too stiff.

A rope with core strand.

tensile strength
Steel wire ropes are available in three tensile strengths, 1570, 1770 and 1960
m mm' The 1770 ~ / m m ~ c l a sissmost common. Wire ropes with strength
classification1960 m mm' are used for special purposes. Nowadays even tensile
strengths of 2160 m mm' are available and used by Jumbo in several heavy lift
mast cranes (400 ts and 800 ts mast cranes)

lStrand constructions
The strands of steel wire ropes can be built up in several ways.

Two principle methods are found:


e normal construction
e parallel construction.

We wil1 look at these individually.

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normal construction
In a wire rope strand made according to the norrnal construction the wires are laid
in different layers over one another. The wires are all of the Same diameter.
The core wire is the sarne diameter as the other wires. The first layer after the core
wire has six threads and each subsequent layer has six wires more than the one
before. Strands with three layers therefore have 37 wires, as follows:
a first layer with a single wire
a second layer of six wires
a third layer of twelve wires
a fourth layer of eighteen wires.

0 0
Build-up of strands in the normal construction.
@

To spread the load evenly across all wires, the wires in each layer have the Same
angle of lay.
The following illustration shows what is rneant by an angle of lay
l

Angle of lay, and other dimensions of a rope made by the normal construction.

1, 3, 5, 7 intersection
2 angle of lay
4, 6 pitch
8 angle of lay is the sarne in each layer
9 point contact

126 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


The diameters of the layers are different however, so that each layer has a
different pitch. The consequence is that the wires of subsequent layers cross one
another, and that there is point contact. Point contact causes wear to the wires
which is not detectable frorn outside. This may eventually cause the wires to break.
This disadvantage of point contact does not play such a major role with sling
applications, so steel wire ropes of norrnal construction are often used for slings.
Comrnon types include:
6 x 19 + 1 fibre core
6 x 24 + 7 fibre cores.

0 @
Normally constructed wire ropes are much used for wire rope slings,

parallel construction
The parallel construction is far more cornrnon. This construction is so called
because all wires run parallel to one another in all layers. This creates line contact
rather than the point contact which can be hazardous. This construction is
achieved by using wires of differing diameters. The pitch of all wires is the sarne
and each layer has its own angle of lay. Line contact spreads the forces over a
greater surface, reducing wear.

The advantages of parallel construction over norrnal construction are:


e greater durability through line contact of the wires;
e smaller cross section, since the wires have different diameters and fill up ernpty
spaces;
e better resistance to jarnrning and less darnage as the wires lie in the grooves of
the layer beneath;
e greater flexibility through reduced friction between the wires;
thicker wires are less sensitive to corrosion.

127 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


There are no crossing wires in the parallel construction

1 intersection
2 point contact

The parallel construction has many variants. The WarringtonISeale-construction is


primarily employed with slings. To understand this we wil1 first consider the Seale
and Warrington constructions separately.

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D Seale construction

In the Seale construction the layers of the strand have the Same nurnber of wires.
Wires in the Same layer also have the Same diameter. The wires in the outer layer
are thicker than those in the inner layer. The number in the specification indicates
the number of wires. So a 19 Seale consists of a thick core wire, a layer of nine
thin wires and a layer of nine thick wires. The thick wires of the outer layer reduce
damage and wear.

u
In the Seale construction the layers of the strand have the sarne nurnber of wires

D Warrington construction

In the Warrington construction the core wire and the wire in the first layer have the
Same diameter. The outer layer is known as the Warrington layer and has twice as
many wires as the layer beneath. The Warrington layer consists half of thick and
half of thin wires. The thick wires lie in the grooves between the wires in the layer
below.

w
The Warrington construction has differing nurnbers of wires in each layer

A 19 Warrington rope has a single core wire, with a layer of six wires of the Same
diameter as the core, followed by a final layer of twelve wires. This outer layer
consists of six thick and six thin wires.
Just as in the Seale construction, the strands in the Warrington construction are
resistant to wear and damage. The Warrington construction is more supple
because of the high number of outer wires.

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D WarringtonISeale construction

The WarringtonISeale construction is a combination of the Warrington construction


and the Seale construction. The specification 36 WarringtonISeale means that a
strand is built up of a single core wire, a layer of seven wires with the Same
diameter, a layer of seven thick and seven thin wires, and an outer layer of
fourteen wires. The layer with seven thick and seven thin is the Warrington layer.
The layer with seven thick wires of equal size is the Seale layer.

u w
Construction of a 36 WarringtonISeale rope

In the WarringtonISeale construction he inner wires are thicker than the outer wires
and that makes such ropes better resistant to internal fatigue. These are the most
suitable ropes for lifting slings.

D Lays
In describing wire ropes a distinction is made between the type of lay, direction of
lay and pitch (or length of lay). We wil1 discuss these concepts individually below.
We wil1 then look at preformed ropes and a rotation-free construction.

type of lay
The strands of wire ropes can be twisted into a rope in the following ways:
e regular lay
e Lang's lay.

D regular lay

Wire ropes with a regular lay are most common. In the regular lay the direction of
lay of the individual wires is the opposite of that of the strands in the rope. Regular
lay ropes are less inclined to unwind. Only regular lay ropes are used for lifting
slings.

In the regular lay, the direction of lay of the wires is opposed to that of the strands.

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D Lang's lay

The Lang's lay is named after its inventor, the Englishman Lang. In the Lang's lay
the wires and the strands are laid in the same direction.

In the Lang's lay, the direction of lay of the individual wires is the Same as that of the strands

Wire ropes made using Lang's lay are more supple and less sensitive to wear than
regular lay ropes. Their disadvantage is the tendency to unwind. This can be seen
when a free load is taken up and begins to spin. Lang's lay wire ropes are
therefore only suitable for guided loads, for example counterweights, lifts and
rammers. They are not used in lifting slings.

irection of lay
Direction of lay refers to the manner in which the strands are twisted together. The
strands turn to the left in a left-hand lay and to the right in a right-hand lay. The
right-hand lay is most common.

D Pitc
The pitch or length of lay of a rope is the length required for a strand to make a
complete turn around the rope. We are concerned here with the linear length,
measured in a straight line along the rope. The illustration shows a rope with six
strands and indicates the pitch.

The pitch or length of a complete revolution is the distance from 1 to 7.

131 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Wire ropes with a short pitch are elastic and flexible. The best pitch to use depends
on the application. For lifting work, a pitch of around 6.5 times the rope diameter is
normal.

pre-forming
Without special treatment, wires and strands have a tendency to resume their
original shape. This characteristic causes internal or twisting tension, but these
tensions can be removed if the rope is pre-formed. In this process the strands are
given the spiral form which they wil1 later have to adopt in the rope.
This makes them easier to handle. The disadvantage is that broken wires are not
seen, because they stay neatly in place instead of springing out as a non-pre-
formed wire would.

non-rotating constructions
Non-rotating wire ropes consist of two or more layers of strands around a fibre or
steel core. The inner layer or layers are laid opposite to the outer layer. When such
wire ropes are loaded, the outer layer tends to open (lengthen) and the inner layers
tend to close (shorten). Under load, a certain balance is achieved between the
inner and outer layer. At the moment equilibrium is reached the internal rotation of
the rope ceases. A non-rotating construction has a higher working coefficient
factor.

The construction of a non-rotating


rope consists of layers laid in alternate
directions.

132 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


lTerminations and steel wire rope assemblies
We have already met with assemblies in the section on chains and chain
assemblies, and similar assemblies can also be made from steel wire rope.
Just as with chain assemblies there are single and multi-leg rope slings. They can
however only be made with the use of special terminations. We wil1 deal with the
terminations first and then the slings.

terminations
Steel wire rope assemblies, like chain assemblies, are made to length and
supplied with the necessary accessories. To attach loads to wire rope assemblies
they must be fitted with hooks, eyes, thimbles and the like. This is achieved with
the use of terminations.
Two groups of these are distinguished:
e permanent
e temporary.

Temporary terminations may not be used in lifting or mooring. The permanent


terminations used in steel wire rope assemblies wil1 be discussed here.
Two types of permanent terminations exist:
e Talurit
e Supersplice.

Permanent terminations may only be prepared by competent persons. We wil1 look


at the poured socket and the swaged socket, and finally we wil1 look briefly at one
form of temporary termination, the wedge socket.

D talurit

A Talurit connection provides an eye without splicing. A light metal tube is pressed
onto the rope after the eye has been formed.

Prior to pressing the clamping tube is oval. It fits tightly over the cable and the free
end. The end of the cable is cut off with an electric cutting machine. The wires fuse
together during the cut and the rope cannot therefore unwind. The rope is passed
through the damp, the eye is formed and the free end is passed back through the
clamp. The free end should protrude slightly from the damp to ensure that it is
clamped over its full length. The hard, burned-off part is also better placed outside
the damp as this part of the rope is less easily compressed. A thimble is often
used to prevent the bend in the eye becoming excessive.

133 of 197 GSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


.- ,. ...............,.....
.*~ ,

The thimble also protects the rope from damage. The clamp is then firmly pressed
onto the rope. After pressing the shape of the clamp is almost cylindrical. The
cable and the cable end are pressed together and the clamp fits tightly around
them.

Talurit connection before and after compression

A disadvantage of the Talurit connection is that the force of the clamped part is not
along the centreline of the rope but a little to one side. This reduces the strength of
the connection. A Talurit connection reduces the breaking load of the cable by
10%.
Talurit connections may only be loaded in line with the axis of the rope.
They are not suitable for bending forces as there is a high risk of them coming
open. So be careful with slings in particular that the terminations are not bent
around round sections and corners. Talurit connections are not resistant to rough
handling.

D SuperSplice

The SuperSplice or Superloop connection closely resembles a Talurit connection.


However the clamp here is made from steel and the eye is prepared in a special
way. The clamp is first slid onto the cable. Half of the rope strands are then
unwound from the other half along a prescribed length. One half is then formed
int0 an eye along with the rope core. The other strands are then wound around the
eye in the opposite direction so that all the spaces between the strands are filled.
This termination is called a Flemish eye. Finally the clamp is pressed around the
base of the eye.

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The breaking load of a Flemish eye without the compression clamp is only 35% of
the rope's breaking load. A Flemish eye may therefore only be used with a damp.
When the clamp is used, the breaking load is equivalent to that of the cable.

D poured socket

The poured socket provides a safe terminal connection. There are closed and
open sockets, all made of forged steel. All poured sockets have a tapered hollow
section int0 which cold-curing resin is poured.

Poured sockets are found in damp,


eye or shackle patterns.

The securing of the cable end is specialist work and rnay only be done in specially
equipped workshops. Synthetic resin is also currently used for this purpose. It
gives a safe connection, resistant to seawater and a variety of chemicals.
Polyester resin is not resistant to acetone and may not be exposed to
temperatures above 115'C.
If all conditions are satisfied and the rope is attached in the correct manner, then
this connection may be subjected to the Same loading as the rope itself

D swaged socket

Swaged sockets are found in use with mooring ropes and also in extending ropes.
The clamping element forms a unit with the eye or shackle, Swaged sockets are
used up to a rope diameter of 65mm.

135 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D temporary terminations

The most important temporary termination is the wedge socket. Wedge sockets
are used when the rope length requires frequent adjustment, or to connect the
hoisting rope to a lifting block. The wedge socket should be fitted so that the rope
carrying the load is in direct alignment with the eye of the socket clevis pin. A
wedge socket must be given additional security by means of a U-bolt damp,
positioned on the dead part of the rope as shown below.

Fixing the hoist wire in an open wedge sockci


of the 400 ts mast crane of the H-Type

There is only one correct way to attach the wedge socket,


but the dead part of the rope may be secured in two ways,
with and without an eye.

lSteel wire rope slings


Wire slings are lengths of steel wire rope used to go around a load.
They are available in several patterns, including the following:

1. eye, thimble and sliding hook


2. eye and thimble
3. two thimbles
4. two eyes
5. endless sling.

@
Some examples of wire rope slings.

136 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


UMBC
.
.. . ,y ., ........

The sling with two eyes is most common. Sliding hooks do little damage to the
rope. The terminations are often Talurit clarnps, SuperSplice clamps or sometimes
spliced. The endless steel wire rope sling is of spliced construction.

D grommets

A special version of the endless steel wire rope sling is the grommet. Grommets
are made of six or eight strand rope. They have six strands laid up six times over
the core. The core is also a rope and is identical to the other strands.
This construction is called wire rope lay. Grommets are very flexible and are rnuch
used offshore and in the dredging industry.

They are used:


as a short, non-rotating rope extension when a large eye is required;
to dampen out shock loadings on a wire rope;
to attach a wire rope to a large lifting hook.

Grommets are special endless slings

You can teil from the shape of the gromrnet whether it is under load. Be sure to use
grommets correctly. Check that both strand ends are correctly tucked away.
The area where the ends are is marked with red. No hooks or eyes should be
attached in this region, as that would force the ends outwards, leading to snagging
projections and internal birds-nests. You must
also ensure that the seizing has been carried
out correctly.

For all heavy lifting operations Jumbo uses


grommets in various standardized lengths and
SWL's as they are more flexible and easier to
handle then slings with the Same SWL.
Only for lifting hatch covers slings with sockets
are used.
Slings with Talurit clamps are not used by
Jumbo for lifting operations, only for lashing
and securing.

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steel wire rope slings
The terminations of wire rope slings are not passed through one another.
Some types have eyes protected with thimbles and are therefore suitable for
prolonged use. Slings are used to attach hooks, rings and links. Slings are often
used as leads to connect the crane hook to the other lifting tackle.

~ x m ~ l of
e srope slings

steel wire rope multi-leg slings


Multi-leg rope slings are sets of slings connected together by a ring. The number of
legs varies from two to four, and we talk about two-leg, three-leg and four-leg
slings. Usually only two legs are connected to a ring, as that prevents the legs from
twisting together. The slings may terminate in eyes, thimbles, hooks or shackles.

B Safe Working Load (same as WLL)


The Same conditions apply to steel wire rope assemblies as to chain assemblies.
The included angle may not exceed 120'. For steel wire rope assemblies the SWL
also differs depending on the lifting equipment and the manner of attaching the
load. The size of the included angle is another factor. The following table shows a
werking load table for steel wire rope assemblies.
wfkinq tantt tewt w "f& TRpB ',^Z"tfitthiM

The Working Load Limit is dependent upon the manner of attachment and the included angle

138 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


In order to calculate the maximum load to be lifted with a particular piece of lifting
equiprnent, the SWL must be multiplied by the working coefficient. The SWL and
the working coefficient are shown on the equiprnent's identification plate.

lSummary
Steel wire ropes are made of thin steel wires and are constructed in a variety of
ways. We have learned to recognise the normal and the parallel constructions The
most comrnon construction for lifting slings is the WarringtonISeale. Steel wire ropc
assernblies include single and multi-leg slings. Patterns are similar to those of
chain assernblies. Terminations are needed in constructing steel wire rope
assemblies. Only permanent terminal connections are suitable for use in lifting
work. The most cornmon type of sling has two eyes.
Multi-leg slings are attached to a common eye or link. Finally, the working
coefficient can be adapted to any situation with the use of the table.

139 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


8.1 What is the maximum perrnitted working load for a four-leg sling assernbly in
steel wire rope? The exterior angle is 55'.

A I x the SWL of a single sling.

B 1.5 x the SWL of a single sling.

C 3 x the SWL of a single sling.

D 4 x the SWL of a single sling.

8.2 There are three marked areas on a grommet. One red area and two green
areas. What does this rnean?

A The red area is the SWL color. The green areas are the lifting
points.

B The red area is the place of the splice (tuck area). The green
areas correspond with years.

C The red area is the place of the splice (tuck area). The green
areas are the lifting points.

D The red area is the year code. The green areas point to the SWL.

8.3 What is the maximum size of the included (top) angle between diagonally
opposite ropes in a four-leg wire rope sling?

A 60'.

B 90'.

C 120.

D 150'.

8.4 What is the working coefficient for steel wire rope lifting slings with a SWL of
25 ton?

A 4.

B 5.

C 7.

D 9.

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8.5 What is the Safe Working Load in this situation? The included angle is 100.
The slings are of steel wire rope.

* w c t'. C

A 1.4 x the SWL of a single leg.

B 2.1 x the SWL of a single leg.

C 1.5 x the SWL of a single leg.

D 1.6 x the SWL of a single leg.

8.6 The wire rooes shown below have two different lavs. State the lavused in
rope A (leftj and rope B (right).

A rope A Lang's lay, rope B Lang's lay.

B rope A regular lay, rope B regular lay.

C rope A regular lay, rope B Lang's lay.

D rope A regular lay, rope B Lang's lay.

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8.7 The pitch of the rope shown here is to be determined. Measurement
starts from number 1. Where does it end?

8.8 What type of termination is shown here?

A A Superloop.

B A splice.

C A Talurit connection.

D A SuperSplice.

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slings and fibre

lIntroduction
Fabric slings were originally used only for loads without sharp edges, but they are
increasingly being used in stead of chain and wire rope slings, since these can
often cause damage. Fibre rope slings may no longer be used, and in their place
have come fabric slings in man-made fibres. Fibre ropes are no longer used in
lifting, but they are used to guide loads. This chapter wil1 discuss the different
materials from which rope is made and their properties.

The following topics wil1 be covered in this chapter:


e fabric slings
e manufacture
e permissible loads
e materials used in fibre ropes
e applications
resistance of ropes to fluids.

lFabric slings
Chain and wire rope slings are heavy and can damage loads, and so fabric slings
from man-made fibres are becoming increasingly common. Fabric slings are light
but still strong. They may be made from polyamide (PA), polyester (PES) or
polypropane (PP). Polyester is most common.
Fabric slings are strong but you can't always teil if they have been weakened in
use. A working coefficient factor of 7 is therefore applied.

properties
Fabric slings are light, strong, inexpensive, they don't rust, don't damage the load
and require virtually no maintenance. A three-metre long sling with a SWL of 5
tonnes weighs only around 1 kg. Fabric slings therefore save a great deal of mass.
Fabric slings do have certain disadvantages. They are less resistant to high
temperatures and aggressive chemicals, although this can be solved to some
extent with the use of a protective sleeve. The sleeve material can be matched to
the chemicals which the sling might come int0 contact with. Some sleeves protect
against temperatures up to 250C.

143 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


,-.. *..- ....
.. .U, . .
Another disadvantage is that fabric slings can be damaged by objects with sharp
edges, but this can be prevented by using protection on corners and edges.

Corner protectors can prevent sling damage by sharp objects

Plastics are sensitive to the UV rays produced by the sun. The consequence is that
mechanical properties such as strength, elasticity and flexibility may be
significantly reduced. Plastics used for fabric slings therefore have a chemica1
additive which reduces sensitivity to UV rays. This is referred to as UV
stabilisation.
The mechanical properties of the sling are preserved longer through the addition of
a UV stabiliser to the base material.

lManufacture
Fabric slings are produced in two different ways. The man-made fibres may be
woven int0 a flat sling or gathered int0 a round sling. In round slings the fibres lie
side by side and are kept in place by a seamless woven sleeve. Round slings are
always endless.
A distinction is made in the manufacture of lifting slings between:
o woven slings
round slings.

woven siings
Many fabric slings are woven. Weaving the man-made fibres provides strength.
Woven lifting slings are called flat slings. There are two types, single and double,
and we wil1 discuss each of these now.

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D single flat fabric slings

A single flat fabric sling consists of a single woven layer. These slings are available
in widths of 30mrn upwards. The rnethod of weaving prevents lateral tearing.
This single pattern has two ends with eyes or connectors. Flat endless slings are
als0 found.

Flat, endless Ming belt

The eyes are often reinforced with leather and have a prescribed internal
dimension. The seams at the eyes are stitched with threads of the Same rnan-
made fibre material as the sling. The ends of the sling are trimmed and fused
together. This prevents the ends unravelling.
The terminal eyes may be flat or twisted. Twisted eyes are covered on both sides
and either side can therefore be used, increasing durability. The eyes may be
doubled over, folded in half or to 113 of the breadth, with the advantage that the
eye now presents a greater bearing surface to the crane hook.

he terminal eyes of fabric slings may be flat


or twisted as in this photo

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Flat single lifting slings may als0 be equipped with connecting equipment, most
commonly the D-shackle and the triangle. The connectors are often selected so
that they can be passed through each other. They are usually in refined alloy steel
of strength class T.

D flat double slings

Sewing h o sling layers together


creates a double fabric sling. The
terminals of a double sling may
appear identical to those of a single
sling. Endless flat double slings are
als0 available. Double lifting slings are
used for heavy Ioads where extremely
broad single slings would otherwise
be required. They are much stronger
than single slings, in part because the
forces are better distributed between
the fibres. This als0 cuts down on
tearing. Double slings are als0 easier
to handle than single slings.

round slings
In round slings the man-made fibres are formed int0 endless strands. A round sling
consists of numerous parallel endless strands side by side within a woven
protective sleeve. The sleeve protects the strands and keeps them together. lt has
no effect on the strength of the sling.

A round lifting sling has a woven polyester sleeve

The sleeve must be a little longer than the sling itself since the fibres extend a little
under Ioad and an excessive force would otherwise be placed upon a short sleeve.
The stitching would give way and the fibres would be exposed. A sling in that
condition must no longer be used.

A round lifting sling is always endless. To enable it to be attached more easily, the
protective sleeve is sometimes stitched through along its length. This produces
what is known as a Win sling. The ends are left open, creating two eyes at the
ends. These eyes are reinforced with leather or fabric. The Ioad bearing part of a
twin sling is often reinforced with a layer of polyester.

'l46 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


togeiher to produce a twin sling.

D sling assemblies

Round endless fabric lifting slings can als0 be used as components in sling
assemblies. A plastic sleeve is fitted to the sling, short enough to create eyes at the
ends. The eyes are used to attach connecting links. Master links or hooks may
then be attached. This assembly can then be used as a single leg sling or as part
of a 'wo-leg or four-leg sling. Sling assemblies are sometimes known as sling
combinations.

.
, Wo leg fabric sling, made UD of Wo round E!ndless
slings, cGnnecting liiks, hooki and a master link,

The metalwork in such assemblies must be made of steel which is not sensitive to
ageing. The links and hooks are generally made from refined alloy steel of strength
class T.

147 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Permissible Ioads
Man-made fabric slings have specific permissible Ioads, often indicated by:
m colour coding
m labels.

We wil1 als0 be considering the working coefficient.

colour coding
Fabric lifting slings have a colour coding which indicates the SWL. These codes
are set down in a European standard. Some manufacturers have adopted their
own systems, which makes it unsafe to rely entirely on the colour code. lt is better
to check the details on the label. The following table shows the standardised colour
coding.

SWL coiour
in kg
500 olive

l 2000 l areen l

4000 1 grey
5000
- - - - 1 red
6000 brown
8000 blue
l O000 oranae
u

15000 1 oranae
ll 20000 1 orange
25000 l oranae l
1 30000 1 oranae 1
The colour of the sling indicates the SWL.

D Labels
Fabric slings have a label showing a variety of information.

The following information is mandatory:


m makers name
m SWL in kg
m length
m serial number
m inspection report number
working coefficient
m production date
m CE mark.

The colour of the label indicate the material of the fabric sling.
The label of a polyamide (PA) sling is green, polyester (PES) is blue and
polypropeen (PP) is brown. But, read the label! Not every manufacturer of fabric
slings is using colour codes on his labels.

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working coefficient
The conditions applied to wire rope and chain lifting slings and sling assemblies
als0 apply to fabric slings and sling assemblies. The included angle between the
legs must therefore not exceed 60".

Similarly, it is als0 the case that the working coefficient for fabric slings and sling
combinations differs according to the type of Ming equipment and the manner of
attaching the Ioad. The size of the included angle als0 influences the working
coefficient. The following table shows a working coeficient table for fabric slings
and sling assemblies.

The working coefficient depends on the method of atiachment and the included angle

In order to determine the maxima1 Ioad which may be lifted with a particular piece
of lifting equipment, the SWL must be multiplied by the working coeficient factor.
The SWL and working coefficient are shown on the sling label. The practica1
application of working coefficients and included angles is covered in Chapter 5.

D Fibre rope materials


A variety of plastics and one natura1fibre, manilla, are used to make fibre ropes.
Many materials are theoretically suitable for use as tagging lines, but it would take
US t00 far afield if we were to consider every possible material. lnstead we wil1
concentrate on polyester and manilla, the two materials you are most likely to use.

polyester
Polyester (PES) is strong and resists wear well.
Other advantages of polyester are:
e wet and dry strength are identical
8 good resistance to UV rays
8 moderate shrinkage
8 moderate stretching.

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manilla
Manilla IS a natural fibre which comes from the acaba plant which grows in the
Phillppines. This is the strongest plant fibre in existence. One advantage of manilla
over man-made fibres is that it does not melt. A disadvantage is its sensitivity to
UV rays, which means that the material ages quickly.

applications
F~brerope is more flexible than steel rope and stretches more. Fibre rope is no
longer used for lifting purposes. The rnain reason for that is the aging process,
which makes fibre rope less reliable. But fibre rope is still employed where
flexibility is important, for example:
o in warping lines, mooring and tow ropes in shipping applications
o in guying lines
in tag lines used in lifting operations.

This latter application is the most significant for US.

D Resistance of ropes to fluids


Many materials used in making (man-made fibre) ropes have limited resistance to
the effects of various fluids. The table below shows the resistance of different
ropes to fluids like diesel fuel, battery acid etc. The table is indicative in nature
since the precise effects can only be determined if the precise properties of the
fluid, the extent of contamination, the temperature and the time for which the rope
has been in contact with the fluid are al1 known. In some cases the contamination
may not be seen with the naked eye.

Resistance of rol e made from:


substance manillalsisal polyamide polyester polypropylene
(nylon)
battery acid none poor good very good
hydrochloric none poor good very good
acid
rust remover Door reasonable good very good
caustic soda none good reasonable very good
liquid bleach none good very good very good
creosotel reasonable none good very good
crude oil
phenols good reasonable good good
crude tar
diesel oil good good good good
synthetic poor good good good
detergents
chlorinated poor reasonable good poor
solvents:
trichlor-ethylene
other organic good good good good
solvents

D Summary
Fabric lifting slings are light, economical and prevent damage to the Ioad. They are
usually made from polyester (PES). A colour coding indicates the SWL, but not al1
manufacturers use the Same code. You must therefore always look at the
information on the label. Fabric slings may be flat woven, or round and filled with
bundles of loose strands. Two-leg, three-leg and four-leg slings can be made from
round endless fabric slings. Rope is sometimes made with the natural fibre manilla,
but is more usually in a man-made fibre. When used as a steadying line, that is
often polyester. Fibre ropes may no longer be used for lifting purposes.

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l Questions
9.1 State whether sentences l and II are true or false.

l A round sling may not be used if the sleeve is damaged.

l The sleeve gives the sling extra strength

A Only l is true.

B Only II IS true.

C l and II are both true.

D l and II are both untrue.

9.2 What is the purpose of the colour of a fabric sling's label?

A To show the year of manufacture.

B It shows the material the sling is made of.

C It is a colour code showing the length of the sling.

D It shows what weight the sling can lift.

What is the maximum included angle between the diagonally


opposed legs of the sling in the situation below?

A 45 degrees.

B 60 degrees.

C 90 degrees.

D 120 degrees. this sling has a smal1 top angle what is the
right way

The working coefficient factor for man-made fibre lifting slings is:

A 3.

B 5.

C 7.

D 10.

9.5 The included angle of the legs of fabric lifting slings is:

A maximally 60 degrees.

B maximally 120 degrees.

C minimally 60 degrees.

D minimally120 degrees.

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- 9.6 What is the SWL of a lifting sling in the situation below7

A 0.7 x the SWL of a single leg.

B 1. l 2 x the SWL of a single leg.

C 1 x the SWL of a single leg.

D 0.8 x the SWL of a single leg.

9.7 When can a fabric sling be used?

A If the sling cannot be damaged by the load.

B For loads with sharp edges.

C Where the lifting tackle may come into contact with chemicals.

D At high temperatures.

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0 l Special Iifting equiprnent
b Introduction
A load may secured to the crane hook in a variety of ways, and the chosen method
depends upon the circumstances of the lift. For one-off lifts you wil1 use the
avaitable slings, chains, wire ropes and assemblies. But if the Same types of load
are lifted regularly, special lifting equipment may be introduced. The costs are
quickly recovered as you work with improved efficiency as wel1 as safety.

D Lifting equipment
Special lifting equipment is taken to include the following:
o lifting beams
o lifting clamps
e special lifting hooks
werking platforms
e gas cylinder racks
e tensioning and guying equipment (not strictly lifting equipment).

b Lifting beams
A lifting beam allows a large number of items to be lifted at the Same time. Lifting
beams can therefore save a lot of time. There are various patterns, including for
example a beam for lifting upright drums. These are not used offshore. Lifting
beams are sometimes called spreaders or levellers.

A lifting beam, spreader or leveller.

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In its simplest form, a lifting beam consists of beam with hooks. A lifting beam
can also be used to provide support beneath sagging load, allowing it to be lifted.

Lifting beams can also be used to support a sagging load

B Lifting clamps
Special lifting clamps have been designed to lift certain objects. The construction is
such that the load itself assists with the clamping. Such equipment is used for
exarnple with:
o steel plate, either horizontally or vertically
O steel profiles, for example rails.

An automatic plate clamp.

Clamps with vertical clamping surfaces must hold loads automatically and ensure
that they are not loosened by impact. Clamps intended to move several objects at
once must have a fall prevention device. You must always use the fall prevention
during lifting operations.

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D beam clamps

Beam clamps are used to hold steel profiles. Two hooks clamp the profile and an
eye is provided for lifting. The clamp is secured for safety with a threaded rod. The
advantage of beam clamps is that they are easily moved allowing speedy
balancing of loads. The Same clamp can often be used for different width profiles.

Beam clamps are available for all kinds of profile

Beam clamps must not be used to raise a steel profile from a horizontal to a
vertical position.

D Work platforms
Work sometimes needs to be carried out in places that are very difficult to reach
without the use of work platforms. These are cage-like constructions in steel or
aluminium. The base is enclosed while the sides must be provided with guardrails
and toeboards. The toeboard must prevent persons falling beneath the guardrails.
Transporting persons on work platforms is hazardous and is therefore subject to
legislation.

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The legislation sets down exactly what needs to be done. Duties are placed upon
the crane operator, the crane and the working platform. Operations using work
platforms may only be carried out under strict conditions and only when other
methods, such as purpose-made mobile elevating work platforms, stagings or
stairs are impossible. Only work platforms which are specially designed and
equipped may be suspended from a crane and used to transport persons. Work
platforms must be thoroughly inspected and the inspection report must be
available on the job. Work platforms must satisfy a variety of requirements:
they must be in good condition and be suspended by suitable lifting equipment
they must be protected against being displaced from the crane hook.

Work platforms must comply with the Machinery Directive.. Since the use of work
platforms is so hazardous it must only be done in exceptional circumstances, for
example with short-term work in difficult locations.

A work platform must meet a range of stringent requirements.

Persons carried in work platforms must wear safety harness and be firmly attached
to the platform.

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' inspection
Before lifting a work platform you must carry out a careful inspection. The condition
of the platform, hoisting rope, crane hook and lifting tackle should be assessed.
The inspection should be recorded in writing, for example on an inspection form.
This is mandatory! A sample inspection form is shown below.

l. l Safety of the work platform


l l
Is there a CE mark and a Certificate or self-
declaration?
1.2 Has a competent person's periodic inspection
been carried out within the last year?
1.2.1 Have any faults identified in this periodic
inspection been rectified?
1.3 Is there any unacceptable damaqe or
1
deformation to the work platform?
1.4 1
Does the lifting sling used conform to the local 1
ruleslusers manual?

hook and the platform properly carried out, or


where applicable, the attachment of the

2. 1 Crane safety
2.1 1 Does the crane conform to the legal
1 requirements?
2.2 1 Has a periodic inspection been carried out

condition, and have they been inspected by a

1 swivel or hookin good condition?


2.3.3 1 Is the swivel free-running? Has the hooklblock 1
attachment been checked?
3. Instructions for use
3.1 Are the instructions known to the user(s)?

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lGas cylinder racks
Gas cylinders must be lifted using a special rack where the cylinders are kept
properly separated.

A gas cylinder rack provides the necessary protection for gas cylinders.

lTensioning and guying equipment


Once the load has been placed on a provisioning vessel, someone has to secure
it, using tensioning and guying equipment. We wil1 discuss these items now.

turnbuckles
The following equipment may be used to secure a load:
e rapid action turnbuckles with lever action
ratchet lever turnbuckles
e container chains.

Turnbuckles are used to secure all kinds of objects, for example to tie down
objects to be transported in an open container. Container chains are used to
secure containers to the deck.

Turnbuckles may be used for example to secure heavy constructional cornponents

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lashings
Loose items are secured using lashings. Lashings usually consist of single flat
woven straps in man-made materials. The lashings may be tensioned with a
tensioning ratchet, which is so designed that the lashing cannot come free.
Lashing straps must never be used for lifting as that is not what they are made for.

Lashings are tightened with a t

D working coefficient

A working coefficient factor of 7 is usual with fabric lifting slings in man-made fibre,
but lashings are subject to less wear than lifting equipment so a lower working
coefficient, from 3 to 5 depending on the type, may be employed.

D strength

The strength is indicated on some lashings. Black threads are currently woven int0
the lashing along its length and the number of threads indicates the permissible
tension on the lashing. Each thread represents around 10,000 N of tensile force. If
fabric lashings have been used but show stretching, use lashing chains.

lSummary
Lifting beams are used to carry large loads or several items together. They are
also called spreaders or levellers. Lifting clamps close automatically and hold a
load firmly. All kinds of special hooks are available to lift variously shaped loads.
Work platforms are equipped to transport persons and to allow them to carry out
work. Moving persons on a work platform is hazardous and should only be done
where there is no alternative. The work platform must meet stringent requirements.
Gas cylinders must be carried in a special cage. Loads must be properly secured
to vehicles and vessels, other wise the load may shift. Equipment for this purpose
includes turnbuckles, lashings and lashing chains.

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D Questions
10.1 A plate damp must have a protective device.
What type of device?

A Pivot.

B Gear segment.

C Bearing face

10.2 State whether sentences l and II below are true or false.

l Lifting beams can be used to help in lifting long and sagging loads.

II Lifting beams can be used to lift heavy and large loads.

A Only l is true.

B Only II is true.

C l and II are both true.

D l and II are both false.

10.3 State whether sentences l and II below are true or false

l Working platforms may only be used if the use of purpose-made mobile


elevating platforms, stagings or stairs is impossible.

II The checklist must be completed for every job and countersigned by the
crane driver.

A Only l is true.

B Only II is true.

C l and II are both true.

D l and II are both false.

10.4 10 m long flexible pipes are required to be lifted. What lifting equipment
would be most suitable?

A Lifting beam.

B 2-leg sling.

C Lifting clamp.

D Pallet hook.

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Sheaves, drums and crane
blocks
D Introduction
The machine a steel rope is used on has a major influence on the working life of
the rope. This is true for components which the rope contacts directly, like rope
sheaves, rope drums and crane blocks. Various other factors also influence the
durability of rope and machine, including such matters as the number of sheaves,
angles of contact, double bends, fleeting angle and clearances. Research has
been carried out in order to gain an insight into the influences of all these factors,
leading to stipulations on the construction of machinery (and the rigging of ropes)
and the form and dimensions of drums, sheaves and crane blocks. These
requirements are set down in national and international standards. We wil1 confine
our discussion to the offshore crane components mentioned above. The following
subjects wil1 be dealt with:
e deflection and surface pressure
e fleeting angle
e rope sheaves
e rope drums
crane blocks
e serving sleeves.

D Deflection and surface pressure


Two factors affect the durability of wire ropes and machine components:
e deflection
e surface pressure.

deflection
The deflection factor affects the rope. The rope continually slides across a sheave
or drum, so that the strands of the rope also slide across one another. This creates
fatigue phenomena and internal wear.

surface pressure
The surface pressure factor affects both ropes and drums and sheaves. With high
surface pressures there is little contact surface between ropes and sheaves or
drums. This leads to external wear of the rope and the bearing surfaces of drums
and sheaves.
With low surface pressure there is greater contact surface between ropes and
sheaves or drums. This leads to less wear of the rope and the bearing surfaces of
drums and sheaves.
The surface pressure on the rope itself is also very important for the extent of
internal wear to the rope. Where there is a large contact surface between the
individual wires there is less internal wear. So a low surface pressure is
advantageous here too.

161 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


mm
,"

B Fleeting angle
Account must be taken of the take-off or fleeting angle in the run of rope between
the drum and sheaves. Fleeting is the angle the rope makes with the axis of the
drum or sheave. It changes as the rope is wound off and onto the drum. Where the
fleeting angle is excessive, the rope bears with great force on the flange of the
sheave. This causes increased wear to both sheave and rope. An excessive
fleeting angle creates gaps between the turns on a smooth drum, which may lead
in turn to trapping and damage to the rope when a second layer is put on the drum.
Where the fleeting angle is too small the rope may lie over the previous turn, with a
high probability of rope piling up. This is exceptionally harmful to both rope and
machine.
Maximum and minimum fleeting angles are therefore set down to prevent the
situations described above.

fleeting
angle t00
small

piling up
7
1

Drawing shows the consequences of excessively large or small fleeting angle

The fleeting angle must lie between half a degree (Vao) and one and a half degrees
(1%'). This accords with a distance (l) between sheave and drum axes of minimally
40 x a (a = half drum width) and maximally 115 x a. With grooved drums the
fleeting angle may be a maximum of 2', that is (l = 30 x a).

162 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Rope sheaves
The first sheave after the drum causes the rope to make a turn. Plastic sheaves
are being used more frequently at present. These are light and just as strong. The
other characteristics of plastics are equivalent to those of cast iron or steel
sheaves. Plastic is often even better, as for instance where the springy quality of
the plastic causes less wear to the rope.
The durability of a sheave is governed by:
diameter
groove profile.

The rope sheave leads the rope at such an angle that the rope comes onto the drum at the correct
angle.

diameter
The diameter of the sheave is measured at the centre of the rope. The sheave
diameter depends on:
stiffness of the rope
size of the angle of contact between the rope and sheave
the number of times the rope is bent over drums and sheaves.

The sheave diameter (D) in mm is calculated by multiplying the rope diameter (d)
by the tension factor (h,) and reeving factor (hz):

JU
Factors determining the sheave diameter. D = sheave diameter, d = rope diameter

The underlying aim of this approach is to ensure the longest possible life for the
rope and sheave.
163 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus
tension factor
The tension factor (hl) takes account of the angle of contact:
e size of the contact surface between the rope and sheave
e radius of the bend in the rope.

The value of the tension factor runs from 14 to 31.5. For the lifting equipment we
are concerned with the tension factor is usually 20.

reeving factor
The reeving factor (hz)takes account of the number of bends made b y the rope.
The reeving factor has a value of:
e 0.89 up to 3 bends
e 1.O0 up to 5 bends
1. l 2 for 6 bends and above.

For machines in our target group the reeving factor used is 1.O0 In summary, we
may assume the following multiplication factor for our purposes
D=20xd

However it is not permissible to apply this formula without further consideration.


The determination of the tension factor (hl) and the reeving factor ( h ) is a task for
a steel rope specialist.

groove profile
As wel1 as the diameter, the form and dimensions of the sheave groove can also
influence the durability of a rope. If a rope is bent the strands and wires of the rope
slide across one another. An excessively narrow groove does nol allow this
movement. This leads to rapid rope wear. Another consequence of a narrow
groove is the breakage of the sheave flange. The sharp broken edge may severely
damage the rope or even cut it off. In an excessively spacious groove the rope wil1
have an extremely small contact surface with the sheave. This leads to a high
surface pressure between rope and sheave, deforming the rope and negatively
affecting durability.

The rope must fit wel1 in the groove

164 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


It has been demonstrated that a groove with a diameter 5% above that of the rope
gives the greatest durability. The sheave grooves must also be finished smoothly.
The rope receives the optimum support when the contact with the groove extends
over 150'. This accords with an opening between the flanges of 30'. Where the
fleeting angle is too large or with swinging loads, the flange opening angle must be
greater to prevent wear to the rope and sheave flanges. However it must not
exceed 45O.

Angle of opening between flanges between 30' and 4 5 O .

The flange height or groove depth (a) of the rope groove is at least 1% x rope
diameter. This is necessary to prevent the rope falling out of the sheave.
Nevertheless you must still take steps to prevent the rope leaving the groove.
Rope and groove also wear in use. The rope becomes thinner from wear and
stretching. The groove wears down in line with this smaller diameter so the groove
itself becomes smaller.

With wear, the rope becomes thinner and the groove becomes narrower.

If a new rope is placed in a worn groove it wil1 jam as the groove is too narrow. The
durability of the rope is reduced.

165 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


The rope rnay also wear its profile int0 the sheave. When reeving a new rope
therefore, always check the groove first. If necessary the groove can be re-
machined. If the wear to the groove is very considerable this rnay indicate that the
material of the sheave is very soft. Select a harder steel or a larger sheave
diameter.

Sometimes a rope wears lts own profile int0 the sheave.

D Rope drums
A rope drum is used to pay out and to take in rope. Drums are available in cast and
welded constructions. Cast drums rnay be in iron or steel, welded drums are made
of steel. Rope drums rnay have a smooth or grooved surface. Currently, grooved
drums are most common. A grooved drum supports the rope better and winds the
rope on better.
The following rule applies to offshore cranes: the attachment of the hoisting rope to
the hoisting drum of a deck crane rnay not exceed 10% of the rope's breaking
strain. We wil1 discuss the following aspects of rope drums:
diameter
groove profile
winding onto drums
* rope attachment.

diameter
The loading on a rope on a grooved drum is more favourable to it than when it runs
over a sheave, so a lower rope factor rnay be adopted. The diameter of the drum
rnay therefore be rather smaller than that of a sheave.
The capacity of the drum is also significant in selecting the drum diameter. The
capacity is the length of rope to be held on the drum. Capacity is determined by the
diameter and length of the drum. We need to take account of the maximum
permissible fleeting angle when selecting the length. The diameter of the drum
rnay therefore come out rather larger to obtain sufficient capacity. Smooth drums
have a rather larger diameter than grooved drums. This is due to the less
favourable fleeting and lie of the rope on an smooth drum.

166 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


groove profile
The Same stipulations apply to drum grooves as to sheaves. The drawing shows
the limits within which the groove dimensions must fall.

l11
Minimal dimensions of drum grooves.

The height of the drum flange must be at least twice the rope diameter. measured
from the centre of the rope. On drums with several layers of rope we measure from
the centre of the topmost layer.

winding onto drums


If we wind a rope onto a drum, the rope wil1 try to rotate. We can make use of this
tendency: a correctly fitted rope wil1 rol1 itself tight up against the previous turn,
creating a regular and secure layer of rope on the drum.
The following rule is adopted to make full use of this property. A left hand lay rope
is used on a drum with a right lead, and a right hand lay rope IS used on a drum
with a left hand lead. The rule applies equally to grooved and smooth drums.
underhand winding

right lead leff lead


right hand lay rope leff hand lay rope

Underhand winding. The first drum has a right lead, the second has a lefl lead.

167 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Overhand winding

left lead right lead


right hand lay rope Ieft hand lay rope

Overhand winding. The first drum has a lef lead, the second has a right lead

Drums with more than a single layer of rope often have a raised section to allow a
smooth transition from the first to the second layer of rope. The run of rope
between the drum and sheave is also very important. If the rope leaves from the
top of the drum it must also be lead int0 the top of the sheave (overhand). If the
rope leaves from the bottom of the drum it must also be lead into the bottom of the
sheave (underhand).

I11 IV
Situations l and III are incorrect, the rope must run along either the bottom or the top

168 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


rope attachment
Ropes can be attached to the drum by many methods. We wil1 provide some
exarnples.

This attachment is used by Liebherr

This photo shows the end attachment of the hoisting rope to the drum.

The hoisting rope must be capable of being freed from the drum in an ernergency.
The rope is therefore secured with a chain, so that it can easily be pulled free, for
exarnple by a provisioning vessel.

169 of 197 a S B W & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


-
D Crane blocks
The crane block is also known as the pendant block and usually has a swivel hook.
Crane blocks are used on all types of crane. There are many different patterns, but
the principle remains the Same. A crane block consists of a frame, one or more
sheaves, a hook and often a becket. A becket is an eye on the crane block to
which the hoisting rope is attached. The frame consists of side plates or cheeks,
intermediate frames and an attachment point for the hook.

A three sheave crane block with becket and swivel hook

The components of a crane block are made in high grade alloy steel. The hook is
attached to the traverse and can usually be rotated. For heavy loads attached with
several slings, a double or ramshorn crane hook is often used. It provides more
space for the slings. The rope sheaves are made of grey or nodular cast iron, or
plastic. They are provided with sleeve or roller bearings. Grey and nodular cast
iron are resistant to pressure and wear. Plastic is inexpensive and hence easily
replaced. Most blocks use sleeve bearings, but bal1 or roller bearings are used with
heavier blocks or to provide a faster hoisting speed. The number of sheaves, and
therefore the number of parts from which the load is suspended, depends on the
capacity of the crane and the capacity of the drum.
Most cranes have the possibility to reeve the hoisting rope for several times
between the jib and the crane block. The SWL depends on the nurnber of falls of
rope used. More detailed information wil1 be discussed in the next paragraph. The
hoisting speed is decreased by the number of falls of rope used. The hoisting rope
has to be symmetrically divided on the sheaves of the jib and the crane block
according to the operating manual. In the following illustration a jib wil1 be shown
with two topguide sheaves, four guide sheaves under the jib and a crane block with
three sheaves and a becket. When you position the hoisting rope on one side on
the sheaves there wil1 be a rotational force on the jib. Reeving in the wrong way
causes the crane block to rotate under the jib.

170 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


To reeve the hoisting rope completely through this crane block you have to use four sheaves in the jib.

In order to calculate the reeving you wil1 need the following information:
the weight of the hoist
e the maximum allowable pull in the hoisting rope.

The calculation is easy, a weight of 10 ton on a single hoisting rope provides a


pulling force of 10 ton.
The Same weight hanging on two hoisting ropes wil1 provide a pulling force of 5
ton, and the Same weight on four hoisting ropes wil1 provide a pulling force of 2,5
ton.
The way in which the reeving takes place, depends on the type of crane, and the
type of crane block. Most often several types of crane blocks belong to a crane.
The way in which the reeving takes place is mentioned in the operating handbook.
The prescribed rules in the operating handbook must be followed by the crane
operator.

171 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Several types of reeving.

The photograph shows why you need an operating handbook before you start
reeving.

This situation needs a operating handbook

172 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


.,~ .....

D Summary
This chapter has dealt with rope sheaves, rope drums, crane blocks and serving
sleeves.
We first considered two factors which influence the durability of steel ropes and
machine components: deflection and surface pressure. We then considered
fleeting angle, the angle at which a rope runs off a drum. The fleeting angle is
important for good winding on and paying out of the rope. A rope is reeved to
spread the load over several ropes. This requires a crane block. Reeving the rope
several times reduces the force required to lift the load.

D Questions
11.l A new rope needs to be reeved in. The top sheave appears as in the
illustration below. What action wil1 you take?

A Check whether the hoisting rope belongs


with that top sheave.

B Replace the sheave with one without


grooves.

C Reeve the rope in, it fits the top sheave


well.

D It doesn't matter, the top sheave doesn't affect the hoisting rope.

11.2 Gaps may appear between the turns when winding the first layer of
rope onto a smooth drum. What is the possible consequence?

A Excessively large fleeting angle.

B Excessively small fleeting angle.

C Excessive force on the rope.

D An excessively thin hoisting rope.

11.3 A crane block is reeved in 5 times. The load rises at l m per second.
How fast does the rope go onto the drum?

A 1/51mls.

B 0.5 mis.

C 2 m/s.

D 5 m/s.

11.4 What are the consequences of a rope going over sheaves which are
too small in diameter?

A Accelerated wear to rope and sheaves.

B The tighter bend causes slippage.

C The sheave wil1 turn too fast because of the small diameter.

D The rope may get hot.

174 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


11.5 Why must the flange angle of a sheave never exceed 45"?

A The rope wil1 fall off the sheave.

B The angle can be bigger, depending on the fleeting angle.

C The rope wil1 wear faster.

D With a greater angle the rope wil1 slip over the sheave.

175 of 197 GSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


B Introduction
The following topics wil! be considered in this chapter:
o attaching using the crane hook
o attaching using slings
o centre of gravity of the load
tipping the load
safe lifting.

D Attaching using the crane hook


A load is almost never attached directly to the crane hook. The hook usually with a
swivel attached, is just too big for this, and so a single or multi-legged sling or
another item of liftinfl equipment is used in between. If a sling or a chain or sling
assembly is used, t i e load must be provided with lifting eyesor rings

Hooks must not be allowed to come free, Off centre of Gravity of boiler IS
so they are hooked from inside to outside compensated by using a lifting beam

The lifting points are so positioneel on the load that the centre of gravity is placed
along the axis of the lifting rope before lifting even begins. Where that is not the
case, forces wil1 arise during hoisting which wil1 tip the load and bring the centre of
gravity beneath the hook. But a tipped load is more difficult to set down accurately
than a load hanging straight.
Where the load does not hang level it should therefore be straightened up before
continuing with the lift. You must ensure that the centre of gravity of the load is
directly under the hook. Only then wil1 the load lift straight. See for more details
Chapter 5

176 of 197 GSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


INCORRECT:
here the load wil1 be deforrned by its own weight

It seems obvious to lift the load in the illustration above by attaching the chain sling
directly to one of the tubes. But the load's own weight wil1 cause it to be
unacceptably deformed during the lift.

It might seem better to attach this load using two slings attached to the underside,
but this is no good either, as the load wil1 topple over too easily. The slings must be
used so that they provide a sound support for the load. Lengths of timber are
therefore often used to support the load to be lifted.

CORRECT:^^^ slings help to properly support the load

D Attaching using slings


One or more slings are usually used to securely attach the load. They may be wire
rope or chain slings, and fabric lifting slings are also available in either single leg or
endless formats. We wil1 now discuss a number of matters which you wil1 need to
keep in mind.

177 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


A hook should never be used to attach to the middle of a single sling. The reasons
for this are:
the hook wil1 slide easily along the sling so that the load tips. An extra turn in a
wire rope sling is unsafe and so also unacceptable!
The angle of the legs can easily be too large, overloading the sling.

The links are subject to damage in the INCORRECT: a hook must never be attached to
situation shown above. the middle of a (chain) ling.

Where a two-leg sling is used you should ask yourself "can the load withstand the
opposing forces set up by the two attachment points?" Difficulties may arise with
loads like long and not very rigid cases, plates or smooth straight objects.
Two or more slings which do not form an angle with one another may be used in
these circumstances. A spreader beam wil1 offer a good solution in such a case.

When attaching using slings, the


centre of gravity must fall
immediately below the crane hook. If
this is not done, the load wil1 tip when
the lift begins. This can severely
overload one of the slings. A wide
load is better lifted with two slings
than one. To lift long and fragile
loads, a spreader or lifting beam wil1
be a good alternative. See pictures

A set of 3 spreaderllifting bearns are use to lift this piperack module

178 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


-

b Centre of gravity of the load


We have already mentioned the centre of gravity, when we saw how a load can tip
and slide during a lift. This is all due to the load's centre of gravity.
Every load (body) has a centre of gravity. This can be calculated, no matter how
complicated and random the shape of the load rnay be. With a cube it is very
simple. The centre of gravity is precisely in the centre of the body. If you were able
to attach the lifting rope there, the cube would hang in equilibrium. No matter how
much the rope was tipped or turned, it would never hang in a different position of
its own accord.

The centre of gravity rnay also be situated outside the object, as can be the case
with asymmetrical bodies.
When you begin a lift, always make sure the centre of gravity is directly under the
hook. We say then that the load is in balance.
If this is not the case, as the load leaves the ground it wil1 tip and turn until it finds
its own balance. See chapter 5

Imagine that you are raising a load using a two-leg sling. At the moment the load
leaves the ground, the two legs are not both tight. Stop the lift irnmediately.

If the two legs are not equally tight, that indicates that the load is out of balance.
This is a hazardous situation which rnay lead to an accident:
e a tipping and swinging load rnay trap persons or damage objects
e the legs of the sling rnay be overloaded
e if the load is hanging in a sling it rnay shift.

A pipe attached in this way can easily slip

The crane hook must hang above the centre of gravity of the load. otherwise the
hazardous situation shown in the lower drawing wil1 arise.

i-force F1

The load must always be hung straight, so NOT as shown in the illustration above

179 of 197 QSBW& Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


> Safe Working Load
The permitted SWL of chain, wire rope and fabric sling assemblies always
depends upon:
the method of attachment
the number of parts
the included (top) angle
strength of each part
symmetrical or asymmetrical distribution of the load.

The symmetrical or asymmetrical distribution of the load has consequences for the
working load on the lifting gear. Where the load is distributed asymmetrically a
lower working load factor is assumed. Asymmetry in a load is apparent in the large
differences in the angles of the legs from the perpendicular.
If the working load is calculated according to the tables, you must rnultiply the
working load factor by the strength of the single parts.

working load fimit table for chains assemblies

Working load factors for chain slings.

choke hftch

Working load factors for steel wire ropes

180 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


baskei hcch ;"arallel
............................................ . . , ~.,,
3 til1 sbave 7" , abwe 4s" vil ' above +T
/ $S'..
til! 42' , L
, ,. .. .. ...,.... .. ..... . ...
tili Q Wn .,a,. ... ...60" ,, ,

n
ft'
(4%

Werking load factors for fabric slings

tipping a load
It may be that you are required to
intentionally tip a load. Such lifts
must be carried out with care to
avoid the crane and the lifting gear
being suddenly subjected to peak
loadings. The turning motion of the
load must also be controlled as
much as possible. Tipping can also
be carried out with two sets of slings.
These are not normal lifting activities
and the advice of the regulatory
agencies should be sought.

When tipping a load one should clearly understand where the CoG is and what
effect it wil1 have when the CoG crosses the tipping line. In the triangular structure
above a shorter extra sling is used to avoid sudden shockload, when tipping.
The principle is shown in sketches below:
Sling 2 gets
tighter and
gradually takes
Structure is over the load All load is now
turning on one from sling 1 in sling 2
All load in sling 1
Sling 1 is longer end
then sling 2
Start lifting

t T

181 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


safe lifting
Before cornrnencing a lifting task we must ensure that we can complete the
operation in safety. Werking safely also leads to speed and efficiency.
Take note of the following points:
e Select the right lifting gear (which wil1 be best, steel slings or fabric?)
e Check whether the SWL of the equiprnent is adequate for the load.

A good choice of iifting equipment

e Inspect the equipment for defects.


e Replace darnaged equiprnent and report it to the responsible person

Use of an undersized lifting eye has deformed the hook

e Is there welding work evident on the hook or chains? If so, discard it and do not
use it. Don't take chances.
e Attach the load as syrnmetrically as possible about the centre of gravity.
e Attachrnent points are often provided on the load itself. Look for syrnbols on the
load or its packaging.
e Long srnooth objects should be prevented from slipping out of the slings.
With pipes, an extra turn can be taken around the load.
e When steel slings are used, place tirnber packing between the sling and the
load.
e Sharp edges on the load may darnage the lifting equipment.
e Timber packing, tyres or sirnilar items may be placed between the load and the
sling to widen the loop formed by the sling.

182 of 197 OSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


Sharp corners should be provided with corner
rotectors.

o You can't raise a load that is still


connected to the ground. Check to
be sure. Someone may not have
removed the last bolt!
A load may be trapped among a pile
of materials. In the winter, loads
freeze to the ground.
e Don't overload slings. Take account
of the increased tension in the legs
when the angle between them
increases.
faise good
e Never pull a trapped load free.
e The centre of gravity of a load must
crane

e
always fall directly below the crane
hook to prevent the load tipping
during the lift.
Aim for an even loading in each leg
o spacer

of a sling.
e Prevent long horizontal loads from
turning, as they may impact with
people, the crane or the structure of
the platform.
Two tailing lines should be attached
to the end of the load. Two persons
can then direct the load.
e Keep long horizontal loads in balance
by using two or more slings.

O Prevent eyebolts and eye nuts from


being loosened by the movement of The sling may loosen the bolt in an eyebolt
the load.
o Ensure that nobody walks beneath
the load. Never walk under a load
yourself.
e Avoid trapping fingers or hands when
attaching loads.
e Don't grasp chains and slings with the
whole hand, instead hold with the flat
hand and extended fingers.
e Use personal protective equipment.
e Never drag a trapped sling from
under the load by force. The sling and
the load wil1 be damaged. Use
adequate timber packing or other
rnethods to allow the slings to be
removed easily.
Use timber packing to allow the lifting gear to
be as11 re o e
183 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane OperXtor'SyIabus
,-
-"
UMBO
--
included (top) angle and Safe Working Load of a
ding assembly
The included angle of a sling assernbly must not exceed 120, otherwise the forces
on the slings becornes unacceptably large. The illustration below shows what
happens as the included angle changes:
o consider a load of IOOkg: with two slings loaded purely in the vertical direction,
the force on each sling is 50kg.
with an included anale of 120 the force in each sling has increased to 100kg
and at 150' it has increased to 194kg.

4' 100 Ton

58 Ton 58 Ton
/
3

2
100 Ton

1 0 0 Ton

The angle with the perpendiculak of each leg of a chain, steel rope or fabric sling assembly must not
exceed 60,giving a maximum permitted included angle of 120.

It is quite easy to determine the included angle in practice. The method is shown in
the illustration below. Measure the distance from the hook to the load.
If the length of one of the legs exceeds twice this measurement you have an
included angle exceeding 120, and you have therefore got it wrong!

184 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


To determine whether the included anale is 90, measure the distance between the
two attachment points. Divide this by t i o , and then measure the vertical distance
from the crane hook to the load.

If the vertical distance is equal to or less than the distance between the attachment
points, the included angle is 90' or less.

& =outside angle

The height of a triangle with this included (top) angle at the top is half of the sloping side

^a:^'^^~~>s!~~"%?^!"a;as?a^^#% "4

Standa rd triangles

D Summary
This chapter has been concerned with the attachment of loads. We have
discussed attachments using the crane hook and using slings. We also discussed
the attachment of mixed loads. We moved on to consider the centre of gravity of a
load. It is vital that the centre of gravity of a load should fall below the crane hook
before the lift takes place. We explained why this is so important. We subsequently
dealt with the intentional tipping of a load, and tipping using two cranes or two sets
of lifting equipment. Finally we listed a series of points which must be taken int0
account before a lift is carried out.

In general, the advice given when attaching loads is to think before you act.

185 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


,-

D Questions
12.1 The situation below involves lifting a flat case. What can you say about the
angle B and about the slings?

A Angle B rnay not exceed 30' and the two legs of the sling must have an
adequate capacity.

B Angle B rnay not exceed 60' and all legs of the sling must be equally
loaded.

C Angle B rnay not exceed 90' and the two legs of the ding must have an
adequate capacity.

D Angle B rnay not exceed 120' and the two legs of the sling must have an
adequate capacity.

12.2 When several slings are used for lifting, the included angle must be known in
order to apply the correct working load limit. In the situation depicted below,
the vertical distance from the top ring to the box is half the length of a single
leg. What is the size of angle 2?

A around 30'.

B around 45O.

C around 60'.

D over 60'.

12.3 What problem rnay arise when lifting a tank half-full of liquid?

A The tank rnay be punctured.

B You don't know exactly what it weighs.

C The centre of gravity rnay shift.

D The liquid rnay splash out.

186 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


12.4 A load is to be lifted using a four-leg chain sling with hooks. How are the
hooks inserted?

A From outside to inside.

B From inside to outside.

C It depends on the included angle.

D It doesn't matter.

12.5 What is the load S in both slings, when lifting a load of 80 Tons?

A. 56.8 Ton

B. 58 Ton

C. 46.4 Ton

D. 92.8 Ton

12.6 What is the load in both slings S, when lifting 100 Tons?

A. 100 Ton

B. 58 Ton

C. 71 Ton

D. 194 Ton

100 Ton

187 of 197 QSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


13 l Procedures
D Introduction
Fixed procedures for work with and around the crane are adopted by all companies
working offshore. These procedures must be adapted to the working environment,
and crane operators, slingers and riggers must comply with them.
Procedures have been developed for lifting in general and for dealing with lifting
equipment. Then there are emergency procedures, for example to allow the jib
andlor the load to be lowered and to enable slewing when the energy supply has
failed.
The maintenance procedures for the crane are prescribed by the manufacturer in
the crane manual. For the transport of personnel, the primary vehicle is the
helicopter and secondary use is made of supply ships. Personnel baskets are still
in use with some companies. Procedures for all these activities wil1 be discussed in
this chapter.

Jumbo has developed certain procedures for lifting heavy loads as well. They
follow in general the procedures described in this Chapter and which mainly
applies to offshore crane operations.

The installation manager is notified before lifting activities commence, and also if
necessary the radio operator. A discussion should then be held with slingers and
anyone else involved in the lift, to ensure that everyone knows what is expected of
them. If a lifting operation is complex and non-routine the preparation of a lifting
plan is advisable. A lifting plan wil1 include a detailed method of work with drawings
and all relevant data on the items to be lifted.

We wil1 be dealing with procedures covering the following matters:


o behavior in the workplace
o crane
crane operator
wave height
slingers
o lifting equipment
o containers
o working platforms
personnel basket
o emergencies
o stability of lift
o stability of vessel
o communications

D Behaviour in the workplace


The lift should be discussed with the installation manager and if necessary the
radio operator before work commences. The lifting task, the equipment to be used
and the means of communication should be discussed with the slingerslriggers.
Where the lifting operation is particularly complex a lifting plan may be called for.

Never walk under a load suspended from the crane hook. Keep the workplace tidy
and safe. Equipment like containers, baskets, tank containers, slings, multi-leg
slings, fastenings, lifting strops and special lifting equipment must be inspected
and certified. Loose items should be placed in a proper container for lifting. Always
check that the SWL is adequate for the load to be lifted.

188 of 197 GSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


~ ,OM
D Crane
A check should be carried out in and around the crane before it is started up. Look
out for loose nuts and bolts, cracks, wear and leaks. Check warning notices.
Never start or operate an unsafe crane.
Make sure nobody is working on the crane, and that the environment is clear for
lifting.
Secure hatches open or closed. When entering the crane clean the windows and
adjust the seat to suit you.

D Crane operator
The crane may be operated only by persons holding a valid certificate of
competence to operate an offshore crane.

As there is still no certification of ship crane operators, Jumbo has developed this
crane operators manual in order to train and educate the personnel that operates
the cranes on board of the Jumbo heavy lift vessels.

As a crane operator you are responsible for the crane(s), including the
maintenance of the crane book, the completion of inspection reports and the
necessary tests, checks and maintenance activities, including the following:
e cleaning the crane
e following the lubrication schedule and checking oil levels
e testing of safety interlocks and limit switches
e checks on electrical connections
e checks on wiring, rope sheaves and rope terminations
e preparation of inspection reports
reporting damage and defects to the installation manager or other responsible
person.

Safety interlocks must never be defeated or disabled, and any defects must be
reported to the installation manager. As crane operator you wil1 need information
on the loads to be taken for example from a supply ship to the platform, including
documentation such as cargo manifests, load sheets or weighing certificates.
These wil1 show the mass and nature of the load. You should not load and unioad
items in the absence of such information. You may also be given information
verbally. No weighing certificate wil1 accompany a load coming from another
platform.

189 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


VRACHTBRIEF
MANIFEST

CLYOE PETROLEUM Verzonden per


ENERGY EXPRESS
Poolbase Dlspatched bv
Eendrachtsiraat55 Naar
I Q 5 1A7 .-
~n SHOREBASE (Poolbase)
Velzen Noord- Datum
September 23th 2000
Receiver 10 sign and return mpy
NeMands Date

Omschrijvingvan goederen 3ewfcht In KC Geadresseerde Opmerkingen UN nummer


RefNo Type
Descripttonof @s W+ht in KG Conslgned t0 Remarks
HAKU810042-1 8FT FOOD CONTAINER 1200KG
HAKU810050-3 8FT F W D CONTAINER 1200KG
NO. 3107 10FT HHOT BASKET Inhoud: 4000kg
1. Soap metal graiing
2. Radiator psr 8221, for repair
AMA 537 5FT SHUTTLE CONTAINER Inhoud: 2500KG
1. Een dosla oereecishao. osr 8198
2 . Een dosje solar exhaust cover
1 3 . Ernpiy . of ryzolin
..Jerrycan 1 1 1 1
l
!MC-FREE
4. Drom of glass 1 l l
15. Drom kookvet 1 IMO-FREE
6. Dmm waste oil + rags IMO-ITEM UN 1856
7.5 empiy drums of DTE light 011 IMO-FREE
8. Empty drum of pegassus oil \MO-FREE
l 1 19. 3 emniv drums of ~etrollte 1 1 1 1 [MO-FRFF 1

NO. 590 8FT METALSKIP 2000KG


OV 85 8FT TRASHSKIP 1500KG
NO. 340 8FT TRASHSKIP 3000KG
KG 040 8FT FOODCONTAINER 12hKG
\ , u-##@%
D Wave height (applies to offshore operations)
The crane operator must be aware of the wave height, which is stated in the
weather report or may be determined from markings on the platform legs.

Stiel1 l Ienp Vis.


height per. l
n s l
-------------- C n.a.
-------..------l ==z===============
SU0.5 4 l 19 3-5
SU O. 5 5 l 18 1-3
// l 19 3-5
// l 19 s*
ESE 1.5 4
SE 1.5 4

Wave height is stated on weather reports from the meteorological office,

Wave height is also displayed in graphical form.

Communication between crane operator and banksmen is by means of


standardised hand and arm signals or by radio. Where radio is used the crane
operator and banksmen must refer clearly to the platform name in their
communications.
When lifting off or onto a supply vessel, the time when the load is suspended
above the vessel should be minimised, in view of the risk of the load falling onto
the ship.

D Banksmen
As a banksman you must ensure that you can never be trapped by an unforeseen
movement of the load. Banksmen must have taken a course in the safe attachment
of loads. A banksman must be able to assess the quality and reliability of lifting
gear. Before you raise a load, check it over for loose items. Use protection oh
corners and edges. Scaffold boards are not suitable. Use a tag line when needed.

D Lifting tackle
Lifting tackle must comply with national and international standards. You must not
use equipment which lacks identification or test data. The colour code wil1 show
immediately if the lifting tackle can be used. Only two colours may be in use at any
time. Equipment which is past its test date must be taken out of circulation and
sent ashore for inspection. The oil companies usually have their own department
who ensure that lifting equipment is inspected or replaced on time. We wil1 have a
brief look at the following items of lifting tackle:
* lifting chains and chain tackle
wire rope slings
fabric slings.

191 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


lifting chain and chain tackle
Chain blocks, tirfors, lashing chains, shackles, beam clamps, swivels and the like
fall under this heading. They are labelled with the relevant details, or the
information may be stamped on. With small shackles and the like it is often not
possible to stamp on a date, so the certificate number is used, which refers to the
date. Colour coding then shows whether the equipment can be used. Loose
components lacking the required information must not be used. Where they form
an inseparable part of a multi-leg sling for instance, the test date of the sling
assembly is valid.

U-bolts and D-bolts must always be locked. Never use anything other than the
original bolt, and secure it with a corrosion-resistant split pin.

wire rope slings


When using a grommet, ensure that the splice does not sit in the crane hook. The
use of self-assembled slings is prohibited, only certified equipment is permitted. All
wire ropes, slings and associated lifting tackle must be checked before use. Where
equipment is rejected or its test date has expired it must be sent ashore where it
may be re-inspected or scrapped.

fabric slings
Every new fabric sling bears a blue label showing the following information:
0 SWL
o material in which the sling is made
o length in metres
o supplier'slmanufacturer's name
o recognition code "EN 1492-2 -1994".

It is advisable to hang slings up when out of use. Never use them around sharp
edges and never tie knots in them. If the sling sleeve is damaged, render it
unusable and send it ashore.

lContainers
Check the inspection plate. Every container has one, often on one of the doors.
The plate shows the following information:
permitted gross weight
date of last load test
date of last visual/Magnetic Particle Inspection.

The load test is valid for two years, the visual/MPI inspection for one year. Check
the mechanica1 condition of the container. Look out for damage. In particular look
at the door closure and its seal. Container doors must be locked.
Check the four-leg sling: it must not be distorted. The included angle between
diagonally opposite legs must not exceed 60.If the shackles can be separated
from the sling assembly they must be separately provided with a number and serial
number. They must be provided with bolts locked with split pins. With open
containers, check the drainage holes, which must always be clear. The container
can hold a considerable weight of water. It is better not to stack baskets and
containers, as the four-leg sling may be more easily damaged.
If stacking is necessitated by limited space, take extra care not to damage the
sling. Place protective timber packing between the containers or baskets.
Never open two container doors at the Same time until it is known what is inside.
The contents must be secured, and if chemicals are carried they must not be
allowed to interact. Prevent the risk of explosion, fire and other damage to the
192 of 197 GSBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus
., .,,...... . . ., .

packaging. Inflatable airbags may be used which are specially designed to secure
loads.
Methanol, diesel, helicopter fuel and water tanks come under the Same regulations
as containers, and are also provided with an identification plate carrying the usual
Load test and MP1 data.
The four-leg sling is tested as a unit with the tank, so it is not permissible to
'borrow" one from another unit. The SWL of a four-leg sling must always be equal
to or greater than the maximum total weight on the tank identification plate.

lWerking platforms
Before using a working platform with a crane you must first establish that there is
no better solution, for example using stagings.
The persons on a working platform must wear a safety belt attached to the
platform. The crane operator must have continuous visual contact with the persons
on the platform, and also good communications. The working platform may be
used in winds of speeds up to 13.8mls (6 Bft). The platform must be accompanied
by a record document and safety checklist.

OK NOK
1. 1 Work platform safety
1 Is the platform CE marked and is their a
certifikate or manufacturer's declaration?
1.2 Has a periodic inspection been carried out by
1a competent person in the last year?
1.2.1 1 Have all defects identified in this inspection
1been rectified?
1.3 1 Is there evidence of unacceptable damage or 1
1deformation to the platform? 1
1.4 1 Is the slinq in use in accordance with the local 1
rulesluser's manual?
1.4.1 Is the sling in good condition?
1.4.2 Is the attachment of the slina to the work

1the swivel andlbr the hook in good order?


2.3.3 1 Does the swivel operate smoothly? Has the 1
mounting of the hook to its block been
checked?
3. 1 User instructions l
3.1 1 Are the users aware of the instructions for use 1
1of the work platform?
ample checklist for use with a working platform.

193 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Personnel basket
The following stipulations apply to the use of the personnel basket:
A steel cable of at least 14mm diameter must be used between the lifting ring
and the top ring of the personnel basket. A spring element must be provided of
such a length as to restrain the basket against an up and down movement of
2m. If this spring element is made of rubber it must be protected against
sunlight.
All connections must be secured against coming loose.
Lifting ring, top ring and all connections must be made in steel and meet the
stipulations in the applicable standards. Materials in quality class "L"or "3" must
not be used.
Where natura1 fibre rope, man-made fibre rope, fabric slings or wire rope slings
are used these must meet the stipulations of the relevant standards.
The floor where persons being transported are to stand must be provided with a
non-slip surface.
The personnel basket must have a buoyancy of at least 300kg
A tag line of at least 15mm diameter and 5m in length must be attached to the
personnel basket. The tagline must include no knots and its terminations must
not have an increased diameter.

Like any normal lifting equipment, personnel baskets must be periodically


examined and tested and also supplied with an identification plate. The following
stipulations apply:
e Following manufacture and after any significant repair, a personnel basket must
be examined in its entirety by one of the recognised inspection bodies and be
tested to four times the working load. No defects may be apparent after the test.
e Depending on its use, a personnel basket must be inspected regularly and at
bodies or by the

times the working load.


A record must be kept in a register of the nature
and scope of all repairs and tests carried out.
e The personnel basket must carry a plate hearing
the following information:
a. manufacturer's name and address
b. working load (permitted number of persons +
anY hlgage)
c. registration number.

Here is an example of a written procedure for use with


a personnel basket:
1. Transport by personnel basket is exclusively on a
voluntary basis.
2. Only (personal) hand luggage may be placed on the
net within the ring.
3. Wear a life jacket (a survival pack is strongly
recommended in winter).
4. Stand on the outer ring of the personnel basket
between two of the net walls. Bend the knees
gently. Insert the arms through the netting and
cross the arms across the chest.
5. Do not step off before the personnel basket is firmly
on the deck. unless otherwise instructed.

Stand and attach yourself to the


personnel basket in the
approved way

194 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Emergencies (for offshore cranes)


If the energy supply fails or is interrupted, you may have to allow the load to lower
away completely. Specific instructions cannot be provided here as each crane may
be different. It is often the case that oil has to be pumped by hand to operate the
brakes. What is very important is that you must be able see the load throughout
lowering. Otherwise a second person who can see the load must pass instructions
by radio. You must take int0 account that in emergency conditions the limit
switches, load/moment computer and emergency stop system may be disabled.
So you need to be sure you keep within the safe region!

The emergency lowering and slewing equiprnent fitted to a Kenz crane.

With some cranes, the load must first be placed on deck before the jib can be
lowered using the emergency procedure. Read up on this in your crane manual.

A separate hand pump is sometimes supplied, as with Liebherr cranes. These can
be taken to the required location and connected to the relevant hydraulic control
circuit. The circuit can then be pumped up to
pressure by hand.

1. manometer
2. pump handle
3. hose connection
4. tank
5. tank cap.
The hand
pump used
with a Liebherr

Emergency operations for Jumbo heavy Lift mast cranes and derricks require a
different approach. Above applies to platform cranes offshore.

195 of 197 OSBW &Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


D Summary
You have seen in this chapter that procedures have been devised for lifting
machinery, lifting tackle and personnel.
There are differences between individual companies but the legislative frarnework
is the Same for all. In all cases, equipment must be inspected and it is the user's
duty to ensure that this happens on time.

Lifting machinery and lifting tackle may be damaged in the interim, so you must
check before each use that the equipment is still in order. Emergency procedures
must be carried out precisely in accordance with the crane handbook.
The limitations on crane movements are particularly significant, since protective
systems may not operate in an emergency.

D Questions
15.1 Why do you need to work according to procedures?

A It increases efficiency.

B It's part of modern business practice.

C It prevents accidents and damage.

D It is a legal requirement.

15.2 A work platform may not be used without forethought. When may you
use a work platform?

A If it meets the requirements.

B If it meets the requirements and there is no alternative.

C If it meets the requirements and there is no alternative and a


checklist has been prepared and completed.

D If it meets the requirements and there is no alternative. No


checklist is required.

15.3 What needs particular attention when you are placing a load on deck
in an emergency?

A The position of valves, switches and similar

B That there is someone by the emergency stop to operate it if


needed.

C That limit switches wil1 not be operating.

D That you should put the load down in a safe place as quickly as
possible.

196 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


14 l Answer to questions at the
end of each chapter

197 of 197 @SBW & Jumbo A Jumbo Crane Operator Syllabus


ARTICLES REGARDING
METHODS FOR
TRANSPORTATION AND
ERECTION OF HEAVY LIFTS

1. Multi Crane Lifts Oct. 1992


2. Tailing in Dec. '92 / Jan. '93
3. Using a Tailcrane Feb '93
4. Lifting a Pressure vessel Mar. '93
5. Lifting Lugs May. '93
6. Spreader and Lifting Beams Jun. '93
7. The Right Choise Jul./ Aug. '93
8. Ground Pressure Sept. '93
9. Boom Clearance Check Oct. '93
lO. Calculating Tailload Decrease Nov. '93
11. Crane Transport Dec. '931 Jan. '94
12. Crane Movement Feb. '94
13.Accidents: How to avoid them Mar. '94
14. Project Planning Oct. '94
4, 15. Computer Aided Design & Planning Oct. '94
16. Centre of Gravity Jun. '95
17.Avoiding Costly Accidents Oct. '96
18.Avoiding Costly Accidents Nov. '96
19. Checklist - key to success Jul./ Aug. '97
20. Units, mass & Forces (1) Sept. '01
21. Units, mass & Forces (2) Nov. '01
22. How to make a Rigging Plan Mar.'O2
23. How to build an Offshore Crane (Cranes Today article)Aug. '03
24. Lifting Insights (Various articles on Lifting) Dec. '03
THE SAFE VIEW

As loods

EW fncrtasiRgdimen*
slons and weigte
BI& tt more and
more nwsssary t0
consider the we al
tw m more eranes t~
Bft om tod. Such an
operaffan freq~ently
wxpizss the prepara-
of a (ietaite&" m g plan to ckwiy (teler-
mine the iimlts within whfch the i% can be

The main objective ol such a rigging pidn is


to investisate how possible averloading of the

load distribution over each crane can. h o w m r ,


be vwy critica! and should te caiculated before
the !ik is made. Most conwactots inciude an
increased safety margin against tipping of the
ame when a tandem lift is executed.The Dut&
d e t y ruies state, for e.tampie, thac the capacity
of each crane anould not excecd 75 per cent of
the rated capacty when li(xng a load with two
eranes.This salety margn can be decreascd ifa
deiailed rigging study is prepared and submit- m The erection o[ a pressure vesse! from hori-
red \o the concernt-d amhorities tor aoprovai. zontal int0 vertica' position with one main
Sik crane and one tailcrane. The centre of
T00 GINS? gravity is sotnewhere In betwem the mam
During my cateer IR tewy lifting I have come liiting lugs and the taiiing lug.
a c w s q&e a few occasions where &is genard m The erection of a pressure vesse from hori-
satety ruis is, in my opinioa, too strict. Safety is zontal int0 vertical positron with two main
an "bso& raust on jobsftes. tot tt Ss wrwg to lift cranes and one tail crane. The centre of
gravity is located cioser to the two niain lift-
ing points than thetailing point.
<I-iag sofne considerattem w&& in my The above three lifttag cases Are quite alf-
opinion, make sense when iifting leads with two ferent from a safety aspect. The firit is ralher
of more ermes. One of the firs? things to do is straight forward and does not in most cases
uni:xpectedIy, e.q. when the horizontal leve! of evatuate the Bft plan& and work &ut what raquire any special precautlons.
the c r u e is disturbed by we& ground condi- could go wdsgaadwhyt Howewr, dl three cases have one aeter-
mining factor and that is the position ai [he C.
of G. of the load in reiation to the fittingpoints.
Depending on the location o( the C. of G. and
the iifxng poines it coufd be w easy wd safe
lift or an extremciy difficutt arid u n d e one. It is
the (ask of the rigging engineer to detemine
the criteria by which a toati can be considered
TABOE 2
safe and eaay or when it is necsssary EO take
and has significantcos[ implications.
Richard Krabbendam * looks at the safetyimplications.
In the October issue
af iwemalwaal Crams
l discussed the tifting
with two cranes of
horizontal pressure
%%seis w beams. t the niain llft craiie and tailcrane. In order to pre-
pbn to canxnuewith pare the most compftitive bid, the wei-
diseasslon of the
ereetion af, a pressure
vcssel front horizontal position into the verti-
cal by meafis of une main Ift craxe and a mi-

ered. and can be advantageous 10 tlw !ittin~ Selectlon of niain lift crane: Although the
contractor.irtclude: nitial raising of this column wil he carried out
by meaas of a mam lik crane and taiicrane. the
ginal part of the UK. whcn the column reachcs

metres away fram the Centre of Gravity ("Cof a Other work Ehat caii tic done by the crane on
G) ~ n incaled
d on the centreline o[ the veasel. that speciiicjohsite.
THE S A F E V I E W

4 for the o-ane. ff a trocteane is safected. the


lftag captcityei tt tsiling ttuckcranegeatty
depends on the witlm o f the dcrane!a reia-
tion to the main Stft crane.
tk most economie posiMn tor
the nd main lift erane s wel1 as tail-
oratie, me can g a x y taBuence the overalt Hg*
ging eest for a panicuhr presauTe vesd. Saw
posslW eram posltioasare as stwwi in Fig. 2
8eM ring (saaie poaltion
asla
s b& cx-snes atjhe M e of thewwsel as close
as possibie to eacb ether e

The best posiaoa lor the tait c~altete


setecteti bvcaiculatiaffthe d<xreas.eof the taii
bad w i t the vessel Is
i'ato verticd positlon. T
is cawrf bv the offset
x Talkrana 'A' 150 tonna

m e m o b inathematical formula oae cas cd-


culate &e decrease of tatt Scad in retetion ta
the angk with the hortaaital, when &e ves&
Wgrected fcom horizontal toto verticai posi-
Bon, B we ealculata the tait laad attd mifilift
$4 in (&Ho& te the mgte of the vesser~cm-
tret-ne wtth the horteontd.one sets resutts as
tabutatad i ~ l a b i el.
As <an beseen (ram tabte l, the decrease In
t& toa4 becmas aigBltleai~twhea the d
reaches aa angte of approsdsnatety 70 w"& the
horizontal Thss tatltoad tecr<saseean be wed
to OUT a&an&ge and in $me cases esa &w
the fse at a smaHer tag @ms. When mats lift
crme and "afl crme are as shows in HM Srst
posikton d Bg.2, Uien craae "A* as welt as
crane "B" @eedt@ luff out mach more &at? as
shown iii positkn 2 of R@. Ewn ~sftion2 is
nat the best posikion wth regard ?.o erme
capaclty.
A more s w c a c t t reductoo in W load
ne eapacity" esa. t adiieved by
the posttistt of the mailt Bkng lags.
e DE this pressure vessei m a t e it
reiatldy easy to instal! t k min lifting iugs
in the coiilca! &aped transition tam appros-
imtcly 4.2 metres abow &e C 5f O. See
Figure 3.
Positioft l is nok the ideal location for bath
craoe,When both cranes areslaeed as show tastead of the 280 tonnes tekscopic crme
b posHion 2. one gets t {eg a Uabherr LTW20D) origtoaCy nwted for
opttotat posttton cm be tatliag, om cm aow do the job wit& a ?ft
paring craae eapacity charts and deorfiases tn tam@ tehacopic crme
uil lm& Rfroosttioalng the main &&g lugs 40703. This brinas significant c<at reducHons
greaHy reduces ttie tail iaad and thsretore the in aobf'ifaakioaaad desiobiltsation cm& as
necessaycapacityof (he tail crane. The capac- wel1 as rentalcosts.
iiy requtred of the nain Hit crane remtiins the Flitafiy. ft should be emphsised uut lift- We remt tlwt a ' yf fe#nar &e
same, as the total weighl of the pressure vesae! ing jobs as described abow &@w a very Richont's last artic/&The captiw for ft- S w.
rioes pot change. If the offset ot the toil poifii is sinai! margin of error and cao wly be earrfed paya 49(rfow&tober issue&d&&."
Sncrfi~ed, the decremeinMl foad during e ~ c - out vader expert: suyervisian and with -dat@ x 520=260tonnes
tfon is a h Iacreased. detait'd taid cateutaUeas aod stad-
Witte mate jfftmg lugs oniy 4.2 metres above
the C of G, the ehaage la tast bad gin& (nam Sift
had during &e ae&n procedure are as tab& (Check the vertfeal positien of the kifting Ow tAa& ta the oigttoat rea&f ta Canada
' late&ia tabte 2, tackle S) who wtifiedvs! The Editor
T H E S A F E V U

The-subjectssf. this artlcle te a prassure wssel (H ing the &ft. Uien there MB be no overhad in any
S2Otomes which has t5 be erect& by mem5 of of the twa mainlift eranes,
two main lift cranes and one tailcrane. The pres- However. it crane A lifts laster then crane B,
sure vessel is as show1 in Figure l . it wlit resuft te sn overlaad of o-aw A,
WewU make me of the technKitiewhich we Depeadtng w the distance oi the m i n Ufti~g
iewed in the previous artictes and which c m trunam to the ?.of 6..&is o<ferioad coalti !x
be su~~narised as: tnstgniflcant or mutd be dangerous. ft is thus
Taft-taads can be reduced by ofkettiag te wcesswy te cdcalate these condltkMts before
tatiicglag. starting the lift-ft is alsoimportant to keepboth
a TaSi4oa((s cm be rerfucat hy positroning %he !n t borfeantaj pEwe dur-
man Uthg trunntons close t@ mg the lilt. Foilowing are som? calculations of
ewtre of gmvfty (C. ofG.). the overload on "A" of "B" when both trunmons
are nat kepk horizontal,
ETORMOJS C S~pposeSas. QW pevrevessel la not Sttisd
The enomom weiekt anti knath of the column eorreetiy ard that c m e "A" ttfts (aster than
mam. %at G c m &uiti b~ neeai& Gram "S'rasultjag in a i dB
0arect ik in asin horizon. Due to this iact-newfth &e horizon &s
d would be t b erection
of thts column by meaas oi a mast g a t r y systesi
(ar GIn Pok). The me ol $ach a tffttog gantiy b

requlrea rathw big craae to assist n the ereetton


ot the gantry itselt. hotiiet &Ssadvanrageof the
mast gantty system is the high point load under-
nfiath the kgs of the gmtW which must k
kyspeciaiiycot~truetedfoundations.
Dependingw the toeattoa erf the jobsge, 8%
ot iwa main (Mt cranes aad ws tailcwne otters
in genera! a far more efficient, econoaucai and
faster erection method Shan ihe use of liftiffg
gaatriw. Remate vws- art mlly the only
exception to this.
OVERLOM DANGES!
In [his anicle we wil! linut ouisdves f.o the ere:-
r!on oi a 520 tonties pre-isure vessel by nieans of
two mate Bft cranes and one taikrane, The mam
comSdetat"aitwhieh we tew te o How
do we monitor the toa& te a c h m ane A
~ n8dduriag the reetto~procedure?
!!ft oaaa is ctxuietterf cfirectly
to tewin (Mug trami
tt~didmsp
t w af the craaescauld beo
nok Bit the coiuain at &esarae
oiution fs rather simpte We have Eo
nse a device whteh accurateiy measares the
posiban of <ach Sifting trwinw in refaliort tw
the horizon dunng the encire erec:ion proct?
dure. M rhat w e can adjus: we Siiting 5 p r i 4 ut
the mmISt amsss acco&ingly. When both lift-
ifigtmmiwis m feept ia a honzarttat ptane dure
4 fat the crane. S a tnickraae fs seiected. the

4070). This brinas significant cost reducdons


in mobiiisaxon and demobllfsation cos& as

With main hfting lugs only 4.2 meiros above


the C 01G. the change in tail load and man1 iift
Richard Krabbendam * concludes hls gedes oartlcIes examin f i e m o f t w o m h
crimes and a tailing-incrane ui& a look at erectiw procedures fora 520 tonnes oessel
Once ~ V U have
decided on the capac-
ityand bcaxon ofyour

In te%xiwlaads,

and superhor check {tie speed o1 each xme


and agree wth each other on the spesd at

amtongS13
tonnes column
iteetet fay tw
~smag re-"w
main I & mmes
and ia Owi'wa
CC-2009
tailcran* at
Finanasli
refinsry
Antwrp.
STEEL S m

agefwg of C o i u m

DETAIL "B"

FIG. 4

the; hor&ootajityof the mals iifttog UuBalon8. s8 oraties trom the job site. It spsxss for itseff, {%s, placed fa non shrink grout, o m test&
The sim i$te nsure that lo ooe swing the tail- that the crane types used in (hls anicte are fust rectmgalar steel sh
erme m,withoat liftmg the column any examples and thac the same principles can be
tx-, stowly gulde the column toto the veilt- applied tor other crane types. 2s O mritlmetres). By mews of a kveb
gag inttraitieot the torizostat dato et allshim-
AUGNMENT OF COLUMN plates is cfeeted.
Once the column h a been placed in the vertkal Wtth a spirit levei ths IwizonaBly of each
position and on its ia:ndation, one has to check IndIviduat shiro-ptateis adjuseedand wben the
@="mum effect m a possi&& overload of crane ;ad, U necessaiy, &fust &e verUcal a l i g ~ m i . shim-plates are fin&@set at the correct &va-
' * w "B". Thfi most critica}part o!the operatton
A devathu md wientation of the column. ft is Eon, the aides of each shte-plate are
fewbthe to 4e swwg tn between essaitid &at the coiams pwkiowd vW- wub grolt (5% Rg. 2 and picture 8. Mak $ure
bath c m e ft is wo& ren~aber- caBy wS&in toleramas determtwd by the mgi- that the surface ei ach shini-ptee te snil
lag, altbug catitraetor. a~mximateiy19 initBnoatrm Ww the ficial
any clips, nozzles or other obstructions alonq ekvaxon. The mxt das wben the grout has
the area of the column's shell thtit is close to lift- &r.ed. tb eievaxon stwM b@&ecW ag&n
engineering c o a t r a a r usually cheeto the mr- and adjustrnents made u p i o the liml required
reet alignment of the basering in reiation to 'he ievation by tneans of separate shim-piates of
centreiina of the coiumn. !n most cases, how- wartaas thictaiasses ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 . and 5 mBffme-
ever. ik is normal to find :hal the boitorn of ihe &&fl.
basering &&ates from the horizontal flat ptato
:he olher WAS 82 meirea. Diameters were 4 5 due to welding tensions. It is therefore neces-
mecres and 5.4 metres respectiv y sary to c h c k the verticalityof the column.

Liebtwc was zeplaced by a Dernag CC-20@, as


the Lrebherr was no longeravailable for the lift.
The erectzon of both coiunins was executeci in
Shimplat's set ticaiity of the eotonn as
iQBOfihri-nk best as Is posssibh. Wen
at
riavatim.
diameter Q$ tecolumn
at the top s d1Sermt bom
the diameter at @e bottom. one can aot &oot
the verticsiity atoflg the t col-
m.Vt is thm necessarr onty
part thet- of. ft is terefare preferahtetoinstalt
aISgnment naris in Wo (tireettoa8 at xis top
and bottoa oi "he coimnii. Sommes the hit

urn? and a nozzle a t the bottorn of ihe coiurnn


wil h the s.awocientatiun cm be used.
Tolerances (ar vert(cality depend OEI the
lmgth of fc coium~aad ths rwukwterats o"
the engineering contractor. U"ually deviations
trom verricaliiy of not more then l G r n i l i i n i ~
tres over a height of 30.000 niHits~etresare
afcceptabfe. Wh& the devtatton&om the vert!-
cd E s not accqtabie, on;e mast ikft one skie of
the coittm a bit and InsttR s o m shiin-plakss
u ~ d f rthe basering untll the verxcajity is
within acceplabte t o f m e s . T h procedwe
is repeated f o m a dSrec@onperpencticuiar to
the firatftiQnfl~fft
(fewtion.

!arge column. which was placed on its founda-


t~ons. i c c & r d i:n~ ~
!tie insirucrlolis ut the ciienc.
Three w e e k later we werecalled back to i'itt
the column anri :urn ii 1% (teqws,as [he North
and South orientilUons had been cot.fused!

hoics in the basenn? 2nd the diameter of the


foundation boits - fat beiter to set it right the
T H E S A F E V I E W

methods used to cdculate stresses depend on


alarge n u e r of factors whkh ga beyond the
scope of this arttcte. Ysted hdow are the
major typesofHtting lugs discussed:
K Padeye and plak type !ifBng?ngs fFig l)
B Rangetypefitting tugs (Fig 2)
K Trunion type tifting points @g 3-9

PADEYE OR PLATE TYPE


LIFTING LUGS
This is probabfy the most common type of lift-
ing point usecj on vtuious types ot had. It con-
sis& of s Steel piate wittl a hote which is wefdad
w boited to &e item being lifted, fSeeRgurel.)
These lugs are nat designeii forsde. loads. it is
therefore very irnpBrtas"t that the designer
carrfuily investigates theangte at which the lift-
ing contractor wil! pull on the iugs wtea iiftuig
the laad. $nt55 samy cases the tifting lugs are
jast iitted at the corner o!the load without fur-
ther thouafat w kow the load wil bekfted.
In particular, wtth an asyinmetrica! centre
of gravity location, the contractor has to pro-
vide the correct irfings and also m& swe the
bad \& Ufted horizotttaliy. Toa ohm, adjust-
ments have to be & by addi@ extra shack-
les. ff the Uiting lugs were plaeed in a more
logicallocatioa &is could be avoided.
Of course, &is cannot always t)e done due
to the design of the load itssit. One thing,
though, which can easily be

xiickness should b<sdimensioneel in relation to


the shackes required to lift ihe ioarf. ff a plate
is-oversbed, you may b$ forced to use a far
u g e r ahackle thaa really needed, for exampie,
a 200 tonneshacklefora73 tonw had.
fa one case, a hole of 75 m wu, designed
with a plate thctoess of 149mim. As cm be
seen from Table i , a 200 tonnes shackie would
fit over the plate. but the shackle pin does not
fit in the hole. Th& problein, which invohred
the tail lug of a large refinery column, could be
solved by fitting a steel shaft wtth boited 5n
There are many sitw In some cases, fabricatars are over cautioas Raages through the hole of &e teil lag and
atioas where little or and supply the fabricateditem with a speeially siinginga strap around the shaft. (See main pic-
no attentton is &aid designed Uiting fraaie WWin m m cases ture and Flgure 3-1
to the design and fit- does not meet the practieal requirements o! The BEtlag Sugs at the top of the column had
ting of suitable lifttng the li&ing contractor. Often, frames ars eikhel- the saaie probtem, and the holes had to be
points. Tabricators over designed and costly, 01 desiwed for use reamed out in order to Ut thecorrect shackles. !t
tend to spend as lit- oniy In single Uit applcaxons when the lifting is therefore <SSremeiy important to check the
tie as possible on contractor iniends to u$e a tandem kift. Fot dimensions ot alt critica!lifting iugs on coostruc-
these assential items, large and heavy I%, ft is ther&rs wry *por- tion drawings beiare the item is on site. &o,
kaving the problems to the transport and iig- tant to involve the riggmg coatractor Sn the check the dimenaions against the act& shaek-
n contractorz. Yet considerabie saviags design and the iocation of the tlfttng points as [esto be used when the column arrivm onsite.
can be made tf more atterition is patd (o the eariyas possibie. W e n ptate lifting points are located at the
design OF liftin3 points, particulariy when it Various types of lifting lugs and their merns tap of a column of in (he conicd zone (see
concerns the erection or li"ting of heavy are discussed in this artiele. Wedo flat go into Figure l), TOE! should enswe the shaetde has
V pieces of equipm-eiit. the strength malysis ot iitting lugs, ss the sufficiwt room to turn over 90 degaes when

36
INTESNATlONAL CRANES M A Y 1993
Dimensions in Millimeters (Wde Body} Weigilt

wit\ a man basket has to be used to reiease the


snackles. f t n h tne trunion type 01 liftmg point
thtsSs nat necessary.
TRUNION TYPE UITING POINTS
The lifting trunion Is a comptet-iy different type
of iifting pomt. Basically it is a steel pipewth two
Banges. See Figure 4, The advantage of the
trunian !s that no skacaes ars required,and the
connection of the gronunet
Trunion type or sling around a tranion is
U f t h hs are y^y s i p l e . -Po faciwe
ideai for
tandem lifts o f
&e sliding at the tnmiM
large ins~dethe slhg (in case a
a5 on this429 column Ss lifted kom h a 6
tonne l ~ d . zontal t0 vertlcai position), a
T H E S A F E V I E W

Cargo handltag, espa- yoa MM be abte to me the crane operator's forces through &hepad eyes of the lifting beaia
cially when cranes standerd beams. However, beyond these nor-- &elf, (m Figures 3, 4 and 5). whereas a
are invulved, often mal weghts and dimensions, special liftingand spreader bearo is nonnaUy used to keep the
requirw t& we of spreader beams are requirecl. iifting sfings at a eertah angle to the ilfttnglugs
special spreader or What consideratioos should we observe on the load itself, The verticai lifting forces are
Uftingbeams. Usually, when using Hfting beams OF spreader frames, not traasfemd through the spreader bemi
stevedores ar crane and how cm we improve efficiency in handilng ttseif; te tmly farces in the spreader are com-
operators have a set these items? In this artfcle we try to answer pressfon brces, eaused by the horizontal com-
of bems &at cm be these questans and at the same tmie provide a ponent of the &ce tn the siing frorn the hook
used for vacious types of cargo. As tong as the suma"y of 'rarioustypes of lifting appiimce. to the spreader. @eeRgwes t and 2.)
cargo weights are nut extreme Qess than 40 First, how do y ~ defae
u the lenm lifting
tonnes), and the dimensions within normal beani and spreader hem? A liftiigbeam,used
s"ies (2-3 metres wide and 8-12 metre? long), ina rigging arrangement. is usuaxy transferring
A Uklag beam or spreader frame is needed
when cargo is being tiftfid by a single hook lift,
and when you have to &ach the Iifxng sings
&otwoomwr. iifting lugs whieh oaly aiiowver*
ticd farces. The only purpose of the beam i s to
ensure that the lifting lugs are dot toaded at sn
unacceptable anale.
Flat piate &e liftiitg iugs eau usually only be
loaded in one plain, parallel to h e plain of the
lifting lug. Futces perpendieuiar to &is plan are
usually utiacceptabte. and in such cases we
have to use aspreader or liftingbeam.
B the task of the Iiiing appliaace is only to
ensure the yerticdity ol &e tifting sBags, thm
a spreader bearo is most appropriate. (See
Figure l). T t e disadvantag@ o6 vsing the
spreader is the loss vl lifting height caused by
the need to take thesiings up to the main lifting
hook at anAMjle af 60 degrem.
The design o[ the spreader beam can be
quitesimple,as tt is only medio keep the stings
under aeettain angte. Because thelfting forces
are not transferred Uirough the spreader ikelf,
you m,in most cases,satisfy the customer
with a stress analysis of the spreader bem.
There is no red need tor a test procedure,
MO aithough yoa have to be
tons reactor careiui t0 mate suie the
with 9 Demag- spreader b e m is used cm-
TG3000 ~ t h rectiy6
22Stsupw'*
using a HE-4008 m o k at tiie
spreader hamforcediagram of a spreader
of firn twgth. beam (See Figure 21, the
A fumace farce 31 in the rnain hook beam itseif. A stras malysis alone is no longer
sectionwitha gjhg is the Same w the sufficient. The b a r n should be tested at its
~ o r n b i n ~ oofn designed Saie Worjdng Load, especially when
force SI underneath the
beam pitis two spreader, Force Si= Force iiiting toads above 100tonnes.
smaller lifting SI,since ik is the same sling. Such teSting cm be an expenswe exercue,
beams. When we work out the bUt once you have a valid test certiiicate, the Sift-
resuttant force of forces SI, we eet force RS1, ing beam can be a very versabteappliance.
which is pointing slightly dowi~%ds.This CU It is theretore wry important to Incorpc-
be split nto a compression farce HSL, in the rate al! practica! and theoretica1 howiedge in
direction of the spreader beam, and a Force the design ofa liting beatn.This &o appifes to
VS1,whteti points vertically downwards. the spreader hem: the design and fabrication
of both shouid be carried out by specialtsts.
TAKE PRECAimONS Soms Important parameters to be consid-
K we do not t&e precatitions, the spreader wed are:
bewiwikl fail down under this vertical force VS1 The lifting beam's own weight -shouldbe as
and under it" seK wigat. It is therefore neces- Iowas possible.
sary to attacti the spreader kam to the main Loss of fifting height should be as little as
lifting hook by rasans of two additionaisiings52.
Be aware that these silngs are &ere not oniy to The lifiing beun shoald be designed for a
support the spreader beam's own welght, bui wide variety ol loads.
ais0 to compensate tor the-vertcalforceVS1. Fitting and handling of the lifting beam
With heavy ioads, the force VS1 has to be should be~traightfarward.
caScuiated. and suttabte hoiding slings used 60 in the case of two identicai tifthg teams
keep the spreader h a m in position. Let us beingfabricated,testing can somemes be done
assume for caiculation purposes that ding S2 using hydraulic jacks as show iaEgure 9.
is at the Same angle to the rnahi hook as sling
51.5ee Figure2.
Force HS1 = SI.Cosa, and force VS1 =
One of the most c o m o n design errors with
HSlflanCf80+a)/2:), $5, force VS1 =
llting beams occurs in the positioning of the
(SI,Cosa)/Tanff90+a)/2). The force in SlingS2 =
fitting pad eyes at the end of the karo.fa many
VSVSina. Therefore, wken. lifting& load of 200
tonnes, the load tn sling SI = 100 tonnes aad WHEN DO YUU USE LtFnNG cases, pad eyes are positioneel as shown in
BWS? Rgure 3. In this case, the working fin* of theBft-
the load in sllag S2 = (Sl.cosEO-'/tanT57/sin6Oq
As explained betere, a lifttng beam does more ing torces has not been observed, resultingin
= 15,47tonnes, whicb cannot be ignored!
than lust spread (he slings. When fitted to tb posstbe overload of the pad eye.
The graat advantage of ustng a spreader
main Uiting hook of the crane, tt acts as an lt cannot be expressed strongly enough:
beam. designed in this method, is that it eau be
extenaionerfthe hook and h a the advantage of teave the design and fabrication of liftiag
a retatively simple H-beam w ptpe th&tcan eas-
allowing the slings to be piaced in positions bqm to specialist febricators who have a
Sly be adapted to the iength required, even tor
which best suit th load's lifting lugs. (See track record and eatensive experience. Foor
big toa&.
FigureS.) design and/or bad vtorhanship can easily
For exampie, a spreads- beam comprising a
As cm be seen fraai Figures 7 and 8, these lead to latdities. Liftin3 beams shouid ~ n l ybe
single HE400 B beam was u& fora 340 tonne, 6
bearns are subject to both hending and shear used uncter lifttag mgles as specified by the
metre diameter reactor. (See picture l.) Only
farces. The pad @yesor liftlag Ininions on the fabricator. altkough ia some cases different
Mo end plees of, say, l metre should be fabri-
lifting beam transfer the forces through the angies are allowable onder reduced koads.
cated. and cornbined with intennedlate sections
Depending O R &pasftton
~ of the liftinglugs,
it is sometjmes possibie h? we a combInation of
lifttag beains or spreaders. A disadvantage hera
is that more Eiftirig bems require rriore lifting
height. K no height is avdlable,A spe&tiy made
liftingbeam mtght be ttusanswer.

l however, always reier back to the mmn-


factarer's origtnallaad &arts and larnu-
T H E S A F E V I E W

Richard Krabbendadgets back to basics with a look at crane selection and


a summary of the main crane types auailable.
Previoua artictes in Each crme has lts WI crme capacity chart,
this series have bul the chart does nut provide &e-defmttive
Focused on particuiar erme capacity, shice capadty is ais0 deter-
crane applicattons. Il min& by the type of hoorn*the stee of counter
seem appropriate weigfat, type of ioadbkockand the outr"ager base.
now, vod perhaps a Reading the capaeity chart OE a certata crane
Htxe overdue, to con- type shouid be Jeft to speeiaiists who toiow
sider one of the most which factors should be taken into account in
important topics in detennlningthe correct tiftingcapaeity.
crane business, aamely, how to select the
rfght crane tor thejob.
Very aften the question is raised: "Can we In order to describe wanes more nzeaningf~lly,
lift this 22 tonne piece with an 80 tonne and to set a quick fndication oi what a erane
crane?" Although the question sounds sfmple, cm lift, the sucalled Crane &ss Yumber
the answer cannot be given untll we know a iit- (CCN)has been developed in the ifetheriands
Be bit more about the job t6 be done. and is promoteti by the FM. The CCN la the
To Identlfy the correct @me type,we must averageof the three lO&dmoments at minimum,
first answer the followiog baste qusstions: average and maximum boom lbngths, Mth the
E What weight is to be lifted? average radlus being cateuiated as In Table l.
Atwhatradtus wil1 it be litted? We use as an example the capacity &art of a
At what Iwght must !t betifted? Uebhen-LTM-"060whichte s h o w inTable 2.
Wat are the dimenstom of the !*d? If the average radius/boomlengthis nat men-
In addition,we should how: tioned in. the capacity chart, tten use &e war-
Where the load is t&te lifted and where ft est realistic radius&ooni length Taiue. Where
wil1 be placed? with Van Seumeren, is a truck trans that can
that still does itot @v@au answer, use the neg-
Are thercany obstactes to a~oc? be placed on crawler tracks. est lowervaiue otthe tadius/boottt length.
What liftiing points are available and how Wih the CCN aumber we caa very quiddy
should the load be lift&? for ioads up to 8-10 tonnes maximum. The identiEy the lifting capacityQ( a crane. 30, as au
Where is the centre of gravtty of the load In werking radius varie" bom 10-12 matres with exampte, how woutd the Liebherr crane cape
retatton to the IBting pointe? an average boomlength of 20-40 metres. 4 t h a 22 tonne laad? Accordtng to the CCN,
It is traditional br mobile cranes to bs the crane couldprobabiy"fftthe22 tonnes laad
d a tonne capacity range. Thus, a 60
~ s s e in WHAT IS LQAD MOMENT? a t a radius o( 1?1f22= 7.8 m. This compwes
tonne teles-copic crane Is usually a mobile A more meaningfu! mwure of c r a e capaeity wel1 with the capacity &art figure, Table 2.
crane wifh a maximum Ufting capadty of 60 is load moment. That Is, capacfty xradius, 60 x Using thte principle, ene cm easlly craate a
tonnes on minnmm boom k q t h and at a 3 a 180 tonne-ineb-ea, The maximum load crane range chart t<?identtfy whkh crane
radius of 3 metres bom the centre of the moment of &is crane Is achieved wth a load of should be used for a particular laad- ft is obvi-
crane. We at1 know &at we would not use this 31.9 tounes at intaimum boom length aad 7 ous that the v&m In khese graphs are average
crane to lift a ioad ol 60 tonnes, atthough metre radiis, tor which the Iaad moment is values and should only be used to get an idea
the description *S0 tonne crane dagsn sup 223.3 tonna-metres. We should, howwer, ofthe uwe type. Final selection of a partteuiar
gests it could. remember that &is ma~mumioad moment crans should always bedone on the basis o i its
The crme capacity of 60 tonus at aworking chaiiges, depeodiig on boom angle and boom actual li fting capacity cbart-
radjus of 3 metre only idenltftes the maximum lengtti. The Soad moment decreasa is caused Figures l and 2 give m indication of liftiag
capacity of the crane. A crane in the 60 tonne by the wight OE the boom or use o{ a bed jib capacity versus radius tor certain types of teie-
capacity chss is generally a practica4 machine or exterision piece. scopjc and erawier eranes. It canaot be
stressed highiy enough Biat these &arts
shouM not he used as the actual capacitychart
of the crane, but anly to give an indcaBon of
Mting capabilities atan average hoorn iength at
a certain radius.

CRARETYPES
Bestdes tbs capacity range of a crane,
the user also needs to specify what crane
type he wants. We could, for exampk, &vide l^-
more then one jobiaaday. The $paceand time
needed for riggingfderigging is &o very h-
ited becauss the telescopic boom travels on
the crane and cm be extended fa the fwW
length after the crane has been set on lts out-
negers. Only very large telescopic cranes
sometimes need art auxiliary crane during tig-
ging/deriggiag. The loww mtfage is reiatlvely
short and most of the wheels are steerable.
which makes these cranes ided tor manoeu-
vring int0 narrow locatlans.
CRAWLER CRAWS
The speciflc differente hetween a crawler
crane and other crane types is that the
crawier dees nok travel on rubber U r e hut is
nstead equipped with steef crawler tracks.
The crawier tracks form the baste support
structure of the crane aad spread Uia crime
ioad on the ground, white at the saroe time -
and this is an important dfference - befng
able to move the crane wth Jaad from one
iocaton t6 the other.
The crawkr is usually used on long temcon-
tracts, as mobilisation/demobiiisation ad rig-
gmgAiedgginggenerally readres lar more work
thw 4 t h a. telescopk crane, Depending on the
size o( the crane, you cm @ace&e complete
machine on a towloadw. ar you may have to di-
mantte both crawler tracks, counter we'ightand
boom. In soirie cases, espedally in the USA
where road restrictlon are more strict then in
other countries,the upper and kwer carbody of
the larger crawler eranes m e t &o be spkt aad
transported on separate lowloaders.
Features of owlers which can [Bate hem
ideal for long tenn contracts OR constructton
sites are the wiWoad travel capabili& and the
hil'ityta rdocate oa their own trads. The latest
devdopment in this Held is the PC/CC Type
(Pedestal Crane/Crawler Crane) dsvdoped by
Ven Seumerenand M m s s m m Demag fsee pic-
ture on previ~uspage). Ttxs is tesially a truck
crane, hut cm &o be ptaced on a a w k @a&
as welt as 6n outrtggers, thereby combining the
advantagesof acrawler-and truckerm&

cranes toto the foltowtag braad categoties: by road frorn onejob to another. and had to be
Telescopic AllTerrain Cranes mobilised/demoblllsed by lowloader. In west-
CrawlerCranes ern Europa, rough terrain cranes have in mmy
Lattiee Boom Oraties cases been repiaced by al1 terrain cranes Company's Special Transport
Eacn of these hm tts specik field ai appiication. which can travel both on wad and on rough Division. He has a Mastere Degree ia
terrain. These tetescopic cranes are typicaxy Mechaaical Engineering h m the
used on short terra contracts. Tedmicai Uaiverslty of Delft and
Mobilisation/'demobiUsationi s very easy as was project manager with Van
the mane travels OR its own wheels from job to
Seumeren Holland aatil1989.
job &d usualiy does not requte another crme
to rig it. In roany cases they can beqused on
Befare that he wasmana@ngdirec-
tor of ItrftcBV Holland. He "ias boen
TAB& 2: CAPACITY CHART IN TONNE FOR 60 T UEBHERR LTM-1060BASE0 ON 66 'h4/0 O f TIPPING
r-- ---- --. ,
T H E SAFE VEW.

Richard Krabbendam * looks at how to calculafe ground hearing


pressures front c m outriggers and. muiti-wheeled trailers
The subrect o?yound
preSswes is irtipor-
tant nok gust for ffane
operators but .aJ$o&r
transport contmc-
tors, so tn this artiele
we wilt descnbe
mechods of calcuiat-
ing gfound pressures
under a multl-wheeled transport combination
aswefl as at crane outr~$&xs+
The subject, te m difftcult arre. in my own
experience tfaere are often situattons when il
gems tb&t the sllowable bearins pressure on
the subsotl 1% extremely conservative. In addi-
tlon. there are different approaches to the cal-
tulaxon of hearing pressures. so readers who
have constnictlve critiasms or useiu! advice
are encouraged to w t t e ift.
For thoss who are not lamtUar at al1 with
youad pressures, subsoii can be split ito four
basic categories:
Yery weaksubsoil (poat soil) 0.1-2.5 tonne/m2
Weak subsoil C-clay soil) 2.S-7.5 tonnfy'rn2
Goud subsoil (sand soii) 7.5- IS tonne/tn2
Strengsubsoil (rocks) S S tonns/m'

TRANSPORT CUMBI&ATIOi"^
How do we now calculate the grwnd pressure
underneath a transport combination'^ [f we the average ground ptessure is ificreased. The which gives a smaller sur- The average
take a closer look at the actual pressure of a average gmund pressure ter a foyr axieiine face than what we cakeu- groundloadOf a
rfoubl'~widtb 8-
tyre on the ground. we reajise that the contact platform trailer loafted to its maximum capac- katcd w h e ~tb? tyre laad 1s p,atform
pressure of the tyre wit1 be the Same as the ity of 100tonnes c m bwalculated as follows: spread under 45 desrees. trailer hardty
pressure inside the ! g e (act~ox~s reaction). Qrowd area at a depth of half axieiine dis- The strange thing about exteefitis 5
(Set Figure t .) tance=4~1~55x@+l.SS)=28,21 m2. these load (alculations is tonne/m2.
Depending on the load on the lyre, i t wil$ The averaga ground pressure is the Cross that port authortfaes, who are very concerned
detlect until there is equilibrium between the VehideWesght/Ground Area t 116/28.21 a 4.1 E &bout darnaging their quays, hardly pay any
tyre pressure and the grouad surface pressure tonnwra2. attention to mobile eranes which usually put
undemeath it. With a tyre presswe of 12 In case a fully lmded double width 8 a l e - their eutngoers directiy down on the concrete of
kg/crnz, this results in a contact pressure on line trailer is used, +.he average ground pres- the qua!, r<sultir~qin !ar higher poini !mds ~ttt!!i
the ground surface of 12 ka/cm2. Ii we convert sure = (4&0-(16~~4));(~8~1.35xf6.2-1.?.3)) = 4 82 anyol :ne tyres of a hlly loadec plaiforrn trailer,
this int- a laad per id it wouid ba 12 x 10,000 tonne/k2. (The maximum bad = 400 tonnes, ft is not onSy the load per square metris
cm2=120,000kgm2 s 120tonne/m2. plus own wei& ot trailer v 16 x 4 = 64 tonnes). which should be conssdered. In $ome cases the
We know this is not realistic and that we This aethod s a realistic approach to estab- total Soad placed on the gound sarface a even
should consider the average ground pressure. lish a ground toad of a [oaded traite- Another more importarrt thm the laad/m2. %en a
The average ground pressure is'the pressure factor whicn we should take inio account is transport combtnation is drisen alongside the
undemeath a transport combination ai-adepth tht values given &y cis!! engineers in most bank of a canal or river, particular care should
of half the axieline distance underneath the case? are b a a d on very little settSernent over a ba taken in considering tke effect on the
tyres- %we assume that the contact prassure of long period of time. In the transport business, @mbankment.See Figure 3.
the tyre spreads its b a d under 45 degrees into we do allow settlemem. as the Iaad usuaily
the subsoil. then we can caieufctte the average moves over the surface quickty. When heavy MOBILE CRARES
grourid pressure as shown in Fgure 2, loads are transported on multi-wheeled plat- \f we take, fot ewiple. a 60 tonne hydrauiic
Dw t<s the leed spreadingpp@%rl~atlgle of form trailers, the contractor usualiy oniy takes crane on tour outriggws <own weigSit of crane
45 ijegrees the area which is used to calculate int0 account the projecled m a of the trailer, apprcwmatety 30 tonnes), lifting a load of 10

26
IMTEfiNATiONAL C R A N E S SEPTEMBER 1 9 9 3
the crane upper carbody Ss placed in line with
the centreiin@o i the crane with the mafa boom
positioneel over the rear end of the crane. The
pusltion of the centre of gravily of the com-
ptetefy ngged unloaded erane in hanzontal as
weli as vertical posUon can be calcul.ated front
al1 individual pats. Usually, tbs pasitton of the
centre of gravityof theunkiade(i crane (posikion
A) is somewhereabove the upper carbody (here
taken as 1.8 metres a h m base) and a tittre
khind therotation centre of theupper carbody.
tonnes resulttng fn a poss Qutrigges of a
Ut us assume the rigged crane with coup
vehick wetght fl( 60 tonnes, GemagTC-30Q0
tfane, ptaced on terweight bas a total weight of 160 tonnes,
the lwd per outrigger hlsupport Based on position A, the laad X1 on oubriggers
wouid bea mintmum ol60j4 matsto wead 1 4 can be cakuiaied as:
= 15 tonnes. In most cases the tead.
X1=[16p322)/10= 35.2 tonnes
- theload on theoutriagersat Scw*tme5 pijfn9 Rfispctely, 17.6 tonnes on outrigger l
ihe side we are liftiag would is fequired. and 17.6 tonnes on outrlgger 2. The load on
even be higher. outriggers 3 and 4 is 62.4 tonnes each. M e n
, With outrigger pad3 of only 0.6 x 0.6 0.36 the upper carixxty is nat in line wfth the
:
m*, the outrigger load wil1 in many cases crane's lower carbody,the ealculation isa1Ett.k
exceed the aftowable laad of the quay. bit more complicated, but t)ie saaie principles
However, l have never come across a situation can be appiied.
w h e a~crme outrigger prbtruded through the
concrete slab of a qua?. Average altowable CRANE WITH Lom
gmund loads on concrete berths are in the Let us now see what happens with the outrg- the support mat fe suificient, the awrage
range of S tonne/m2, which in almost alk cases p r loads when the crane lifts a load of 125 grouttd bad can be cafcuiated by
a suffident tu accommodate a tufly loaded tonnes at 12 metres radlus. Weftrst have to cal- 129.96/(7.5xl .S) =.ll.SS tonne/m2.
platform trailer. culate the new kation 8 o( the centre of grav- %ere the laad of each outrigger cannot be
In order to calculate the outrigger load of a ity of the crane with laad. Wth the moment spread sufflcientiy, a solution can te found by
mobiie crane, we need to know the exact loca- eqvawn over lipping line 1-2 we find in hort- drving ples on the oatrtgyx positions of the
tion of the centre of gravity of the untoaded zontal position: crane. faisting foundationscan &lsobe a heip.
crane. As cm be s e n hwn Figitfes 4 and 5, the 160x?.+((125+Mi0]xY)3t25xi2, YsO.88in. in practce, it is usually aot as simple as It
location of the centreof gravtty depends ort the The vertlcai postian of the centre of gravity looks te caJculate outrigger loads of craaes.
type and teagth of main boom as wel[ as the of thecraae W h bad is: The main difflculty is that the erane mmufac-
boom angle with the horizontai. The orrenta- (160x2 9)<325xl8.3> 285itZ,Z=9.654 metres. lurers do not easliy gfve us the exact *tgte
Bon of the upper carbody 01 the crane in reta- PSeasefxsa in mind that the centre of gcav- and locations of the eentres of gravftSas of dl
tion to the outnggers is als0 Important. ity oftfte load must be taken as tf it was glaeed individual m m paris of the crane. $ometiros
To caialate the exatt locatt'on o4 the centre in the centre of the top sheave of the main crane maauiaWims supply outrigger laad
of gravity of the completely rigged crafie, we boom. Becauseof the load of 125tonnes in the tables, but they only show the outrgger ioads
need to kn6w the weights and location of the main hooit, the centre of gravlty of khe crane for some cases. With today's computers and
centre of gravity of sach indivdual part of the with load ha$ moved upwards sgnificantly as spreadsheets it is a. reiatively simpte t&k to
m e . The mam p m s are: wel1 as towards oatriggers 1-2, resultmg i prepare a caiculatbg progrmitie b r outrigger
'MainBooni [ fty jib K applicatie) iticreased loads on outriggefg l md 2. Ths ioads, even tor different siswing mgles of the
A-Pram be calcalatad as bekw: upper car body, provided the manufact
Upper car body C* angle wth centreine) "3.=(28,5.';9.12)/18 = 259 92 tonnes, supplies the essentiaf infonnatt-n.
Lower car body This is equivalent to 12936 tonnes on each
Stay*re$ outrigger l and 2. Usually the outrigger loads
Main had bbck (illfting wires) of heavy cranes are spread on the ground by
To simplify the caiculation, we assume that means of stee! support mats. K the sGBness of President of JuaAo Shipphg
Company's Special Transport
Division. He has a Masters Degree in
Aiechaixcal Engineering trom the
Technical University of Delft and
was project managerwith Van
Semneren HoUsnd mul 1889.
Before that he was managing direc-
tor of Itrec BV Holland. He bas been

27
I N T E R N A T I O N A L CRANE S t P T E M S E 9 1993
Richard Krabbendam * shows hw to save time with a quick boom-clearance culculationprogram
When a tigging pian is
prepared, you usually
start with a plan draw-
ing of the workinffsite
and select a crane
which t- abk to lift a
pattictilar ioad ?t the
requred radius. Using
the plan we eaucheck
&e clearance of the counterwf5ight and A-
frame wlxi swounding foundations or otter
obstacles. Outriggers are alsu shown on the
plan, so Grane orimtation can b@altered unti!
alt eraneparts are clear of obstactes.
Wbether you use a lattice boom or tete-
seopic boom crane. you always have t& g&
through more ar Iess the same routine, That is,
prepare the aerial plan and indicate;
Piek- radius of the load and franc liftmg
capacityat pick-up radius
Setting radius of iaad aftd crane capacity
a Boom leng&kof crane
lndicate space tor boom lay down and rig-
ging posftion of crane

A useful tooi or preparing this top vrew pian is To check this, It is c5mmon to prepw A side 9 Offset @lh a m pivot a i bottorn =A
a set ot'transparent overiays of the man crane vtew (cailed an $ i e d o n ) of the most critical Helght of boom plvot abavebottom = G
body- including outrfgger ar erawier tayouts - crane positron when the load is tifted. However. Boom tenglh = L
at different scates. The t~rnifigradius of Uie A- an easier and quicker w y to check boom clear- Thickness of hoorn in direetion o( lift = E
frame and couaterweigkt should a i s ~ bis indi- ance (Fin R i e is to calculate ft mathemati E Offset of top sbeaw = C
cated on the transparencies. See Raure l. A eally using a programabt- pocket calculator. Radius o( hador obstacte = D
rigging engtoeer shouid always have a set of Height at positton of ciewaace = M
transparencis at various scales in ord&r to POCKETCALCUTION E Radiug odift = R
establish qutckly and quita accuralely the cor- A stmple calcalating procedure using a pro-
reet crane positin on a plan. grarnabie pocket caicutator (Casta, Tandy, late boom dearance, F, by ihe followmg forrnula:
There stUi remairs another very important Hwlett Packard w similar) has been prepared F = (R-A-w(H-G)/Tan(U)))'Sii<lJXE/2)
check to be carried out. Is the selected boom to ailow rapid cataiiatioa o?clearance. By feed- Hew do we enter this te our pocket eom
len@~ sufficient, and does the load stay dear OE ing in rquired radius, liftng capacity, esti- puttr? Read the maoud firsi and make sure you
thema boomorother hei& obstactes on site? mated boom fength and other variables, the have a programmabie pocket computer wfth 8
programme checks the boom clearance wth kilobyte memory or bstter, The program lstlng
eittusr ?he load or ether height obstacles. in which is Bven below i s based on the Casio FX-
addition to swing &{meit can als@impress 95P. Other computers may require $light modi-
ciients byallowing you to select the crane ody tications,but the principie stays the Same.
minutesafter tost seeingthe site plan! Rigging persomel are nat aiways fayniliar
How can yau do this yqurself? Firat,make wth computers, sa the foltowing p r o g r m e
sure you have a programttiable pocket com- description gags int@some depil. Remember
puter. in my own expetienee, a very simpte &at once set up, ft could becomeavery power-
&s&-W99w its equivalent, the Tandy PC- fui tooi fot staif tn the field,
6, is ddeal for we in the Beid; 2s weighs n e a to
nothing and is the Same site. as au dectronic A BASIC PROGBAiMME
diary, The n w e advanced Hewlett Packard F- The following tines' of program - in the BASIC
95 could ais0 be used. computer tanguage - must be typed into the
In order to calculate the boom ctearance,F, pocket computer. Resd &e maau& on how to
you need t@estabikik specfic data of the do this. Each line represent$ a contmand lor the
crane. The data requirments are listex beiow pocket calculator to execute. The calculator
and shown on Fgure2. carries out the commands line by fine In b
T H E S A F E V I E W

ascending order; line outnhers t00.105,110 etc,


are used to allow addikional ~onimandsto be
entered between existing tines at a later &te.
160PRINT "BOOMCLEARANCET

145 PNNT 'SOOMTHICKNW="$;" M"


150tNPxTURADluY,R .
155FRW"F&l~=";R;" M"
160 INPUT -BOOMLENGW.L
16%PRINT "BOOMLENGTH=";L:"M"
S70 WPUT *UVTWG HElGHT*.H
175 PixST *LIFTING HEIGW;H;" M"
189 INPUT -RADIUS LOAD'D
185PREfT "&&tUS LOAD";D;' M '
190 U=ATiN(C/Q+AC3(@-A)/SQR(L2tC2)]
185 PRIKT "BOOMAT<GLE=";U:" O"
200 Fa(R-A-D-C@-G)/TAN(y)ySlN(U)-E/2
205 PixNTwBOOM.aEAR.AiYC&*;P:" M"
210 GOTO 100 The variablevaluesare: Boom ctearantes
It is Iflipo'rant that you typeall datatoto &e Bmllitength L = 48.0111 musta l w a ~

computer In the correct BASK format, other- careuliy


Liftlngt-zht xQhl ^os^
wise the computer wil1 report an e m when Radius of Sift ss lO.oni tiftSng s w an
ym try to run the program. Even errors on Radius Load = 3.0m obstruct~on.
seemingfy mtnw items l i k conintas wil! result When the program is
in an error message. run, the computer autotnatically asks for each
The program is tor metric units, w<th data ligure and you oniy have to type in the numhers.
entered in metres. To rnodzfy the propamme Whea rxnnng correctfyFthe computer shouid
to run in Inches, you only have to chance the calcuhte a boom angte x 82.02 ctegrees and a taput data of all your cranes and you have a.
letter "M* in all PRINT lines to the inch symboi boom ctearaaca of -0.49 mekes, TOs negatlve very handy tooi tor work 'inthe xeld.
c). The data for "Offset bottorn" should have a boom clearance nieans that the top of the pres- WALL CLEARANCE
positivo value where a tattice boom ctane is sure yessel interferes with r.he boom. Nota that
usad and a negatiye slgn with a telescopic Of course, ail kinds of variatioos on the pro-
we calculated the b o m clearance at a liiing
boom trate ftwcatise the boom pivot is gram can be soade. ff yoy have sufftclent m-
height o( 35 metres and not 36 metres. n i s is
lucat-d hehind the centreline of thecranej. ory, you could store your Bxed crane data in
because B e top of the v w e l usuafly has a the calculator, kaving you to type in the var&
WLL T WORK? sphericai $hap%weassinne that the tangene flne
abtes SU& as boom length, radius oE goad,
When the program has been typ"& In correctly o1the vessei is approMmat-ly l metre below the radlus of iiEt and so on.
it should run wikhout difficutty.To check this, vessei's top and W is the position where it K you want& to cafcul&e te dearance
letus type in some redisticvdues. could taterfereda the manboom. between a wrtld w d and the mailt boom. you
Say we want to check the boom clearance We can ncw do two things, eixierincreasa the
cm run the same pmgatn. c'rwiging"'Sadius of
when we ersct a 36 m e t e long pressure v@* radius to 12 metres or increase the boom ten@.
1oaA"to"Radte ofWailn,as Indicated inFiire 2.
set on lts foundatlot~at ground tevei, The With a Bk radius of 12 metres the b o o s angk
The sarne applte to the "Height of W W which
diameter at the top tangent line oi the vessel becomes U 79.60 degees and boom ckarance F
wuild be substttutedlor the iiftingheight, l-Uor-
is 6 metres, The wei@ of the pressure vessel roponding the he'tght at whichwewantto cal-
is 90 tonnes. The lifting capacity of the 250 culate the dearance with the main boom. To '
torine &mag TC-1200 crme at 14 matras President of Jumbo Shipping make i t more comptScated, yw could also
radlus and 48 metres main boom is 100 deveiopa progran to-caiculakboom cteuaaces
Cainpany's SpecialTransportDigbion.
tonnes. The minimum radius to set this ves- He hm a Maaiers Degree in Mechanical for min boom combined with a Byjib.
sel on foundation is estimated to be at least
Fngineering tiom U YTechnicai
~
IQ matras, at which point the crane's lifting
capacity is 121 tonnes - more than sutfictfint. Univfirsityof Delft and was project
managerwith Van Seurneren Holland ,l
For the Demag TC-1200,tha fixed values tor
our program are:
Offset 8ottom= A = 2 . h
l untii 1989. Before that he was manag-
iog directer ui Itrec BV Holland. He
Bottorn Height G c 3.0m
Offset T o p s h m C = U 5m
Boom thckness = E = 1.60~1
l
-.
hm been in !he heavy lift and trans-
portation industry since 1973.
-.- -
T H E S A F E V I E W

Richard Krabbendam * desuibes how spreadsheets can b@@e8to calcuhte tailtoad deaemes.

b<? caicuiatftd in reiation co the Iit anale.


W h u e a crawler crane is seiccied iw a tail-

The Mowing kmui&Is used t0 caieslate tart-


bad decrem:
T* GA.CQSa#fc.stoa + b-cosa+a.cosa)
TM%is obtained by W n g the aiopieat &out
oeint A. See Figwe 2. The mate (Bt crane load
caa kcalcdat& by; L &T.
Th letters ased In these fomuiae are d e m d
as idows:
a a Dfstance froro main gft p&t A to centre of
grawty
b s &stancet e m teil mt Cto'csntre of gravity
Wet of tail posat C to eentreiiae
ai Uftangleto horizon
T = TajHoad
Q Crossweight Q( column
L = Main &ftpa& toa4
TOOL m THE REL0
For a qutek, on-site cslculatton x{ tailload, A
stapte pgrara fa BAStC tor the C ~ SFX-795P
Q
or Taedy PC4 pocket computer ctn b&wed.
Menm. "C* ?&Sn LM o-me "A* Other model smnputa-" migfet reqiare $light
atjusmeats bui, the prinsipk stap the m e ,

t o t tanallarwttti computers.
The program listin%is given beiow:
100 PMOT "A1UOA CALCULATOR
10SSETO
110 INPUT TOTAL

36
H T S K M A r i O H A L CSAWS K O V M 8 E R t 2 9 3
..
12 [Boom Clearance F= =(B~-B~-(B~-B~)/(TAN(BI 3*PI()/180))-B7)*SIN(B13*PIO/180)-0.5*B51 Meter
13 l~oomanglewith Horizon = ~ = ( A T A N ( B ~ / B ~ ) + A C O S ( ( B ~ - B ~ ) / S Q R T ( B ~ * B ~ + B ~ * B ~ ) ) )lDegree3
*~~~PI~

treline of the column and at increased lifting shown in Figure 5. Column B is used
angle becomes unstable. Try to avoid this in al1 to convert degrees int0 radians
circurnstances. which are used in the fonnulae in
columns C, D and E.
SPREADSHEETOPTION To illustrate the tailioad calcula-
Nowadays most crane hire contractors make tions even better, you can let the
use of computers for word processing or spreadsheet present the resuits in
accounting. Popular spreadsheets include the fonn of an X-Y graph. See Figure 4,
Lotus123 and Excel 4.0. These spreadsheet pro- where curve l represente an 0.2
orams are very powerful and can do a lot more
metre offset, curve 2 a 5.0 metre off-
than the pocket computer, though are less con- set and curve 3 a 10 metre offset.
venient for field work. A spreadsheet can pre When the spreadsheet is com-
sent the calculations as shown in Figure 4. plete, it is advisabie to protect the
The input data a, b, c and G for three differ- document and lock all cells which are
ent offset cases are entered in columns C, D not subject to change. That is, all cells
and E of rows 2,3,4 a d 5 respectively of the except the ones under C2-C5, D2-D5,
spreadsheet. See Figure S, aithough columns D E2-ES and A&A26. Now you c m easily
and E are not show% The input data can vary calculate the tailload at any lifting
as. much as you xke, provided the values angle and iflustrateit graphicaily:
remain positive. The iiiting angles, vS, are listed
in column A under rows 8 to 32 in steps of 5 BOOM CLEARANCE
degrees up to 70 degrees, and thereafter in The boom clearance calcdation discussed in the boom clearance between load and boom as
steps of 2 degrees. the previous artlcle (JC, October, p43) can als0 shown in the sketch oa Figure 7 is entered in
The formdae for tailioad in an EXCEL 4.0 tie carried out by spreadsheet. The input data cel1 B13 and the fonnuia for the boom angle is
spreadsheet are placed in columns C, D and E A, G, L, E, C, D, H, and R can be entered in cells entered in c d B12. Again, it isadvisableto lock
of rows 8 to 32 respectively. The fonnuiae are B2-B9. See Figure 6. The formula to calcuiate these cells which are not subject to change. An
example of a booin clearance cakulation is
shown as in. Fig. 7.
FiNAL CHECK.
When the programs have been typed in cor-
rectty they should run without diicuity. As a
check, type in thesame data as used in the exam-
pies and checkyou get thesameresalts.
t
*Eic.hard Krabbendam is Vice-
President of Jumbo Shipping
Company's SpecialTransportDivision.
He has a Masters Degree in Mechanica!
Engineering from the Technica1
Ugversity of Delft and was project
manager withVan Seumeren Holland
until1989. Before that he was manag-
ing director of I&ecBV Holland. He
has been in the heavy lift and trans-
portation indnstysince 1973.

INTERNATIONAL CRANES N O V E M B E R 1993


c. 5' g C L q p . 4
g g p o.ftoamgf
s B"$: $ 3
g' ga=2'ig-
E33- 5vgS-
S s " g?^gg
5 3 2.; E4 3
^ g o ; w < m ~ e r
i=? 8 8 S.O.
weighs no more than 84 tonnes. The axte line
lod is Hmited to 12 tonnes,
Wifh this &e Iins loading ths crane can
travel on most European highways. Since
boom sections are not very heavy it is usual
practice !o put counterweight pieces with onc
ar nxore boom sections on the Same trailer. To
improve the efficiency of loading and unfoad*
ing it is advisabie to assemble ali lmse Darts
such as blwks, boom pendant wires and slngs
in "peciai containers.
To reduce the number of trailers required
(that is, to redme the volume carried) boom
sectionfi can be inserted inside each other.
depending on the distance to be travelled.
When the TC-3090 is faly rigged. the opera-
[ional weight, inchding ths 225 tonne Superlift
counterwetght, amounts to approyunat.dy 510
tonnes. An auxiliarycrane of around 60 tonnes
is needed fot rigging and de-rigging,
Crane manufacturers have been able to
buil$ large truck cranes and still keep the ade
Ine load limit, within 10-12 tonnes. Axie load wdth Itmt, manufaeturers likt? Laanpsoo md cannot usually be u$ed on public roads a s the
Ilioits in the Untted States are more severe than Maiutowoc offer splft booms. These do reduce width of the transporter is equal ro the full
;n Eucope. In particula, the minimum spacmg the overal) wdth and volume, but require extra widthot thecrawtertracks.
between a set of dotly aides is geater inthe US work on siteto reassentbte the boon^ En soms cases the remval of the crawler
and also varies from state tostate. US manufac- Tte transportation of crawler cran<ss is tracks aione is insuffident and the upper and
turers have found alt kinds af methods to stay quite different from truck cranes b~causethe iower carbody need to be spiit as wel!. For the
within the legai &ie line toad limtts. European main carbody cannot travel on its own whsels. US and Canada, where load Haiits are mors
manutacturers have ako been quite innovative Depending on thesteeof the machine the crane severe thm in Europe, some comoanies use a
in incrsasing the capacity of the crane whik can eithw be tansprted i n o w piace ar spilt quick release slewirtg ring wMch enables the
keeping the largest sectionwithin the iegal axie int0 smaller 'pms in order to stay wthin the lawer aad upper exbody to ba spiit in a few
load llraitatiotis. weight ktmitakion. ininutes.
Thu$, a 70 tonne PM crawler erane, inciud- Transportiag a" 800 bonne crawkr, fike the
W D E BOOMS Ing couoterweight and 12 metre main boom, Demag CC-4800, "squite a joh in ltself. To make
Truck cranes and crawter cranes up to the 500 c m be toaded completely onto a Iow lorier t& life easier, the erane JS equipped with a set of
tmne category are usual& equipped with long as bath crawler tracks are reiraeted. In four outriggws between th'e tracks - two in
boon sections whch are under 3-0 metre contrast, a 140 tonnes Derog CC400 needs m front and two behind - wMch c a lift the com-
wide. In the Hetheriands a permment road be teduced to the basis carbody with hoth piek crane above ground ievei sothat bath 80
authorsation is necded for th~swdth. When tracks removed. Counterweight and boom sec- tbnne crawier tracks cao $a removed. (ta addi-
traveiling to neighbouring countries a special tions have to be removed and trawlers need to tion, these outriggers caft be used as load
transport permit Is required and in som@cases be transport& on separate trailers (See %gure spreadin9 devices when the erme is rigged).
additional trailers are needed because d the 2). fa this way the crane can travel over large With the crane tn tbis raised position, a 10 axie
bad llmitations. Fn the UK, b r exarnpte, a trailer distances foliowed by trailers witSi boom sec- iine platform trailer c m he manoeuvred under-
w~thpart cargo shoud not be loaded with more tions, tracks and counterweight. neath the carbody and Soaded by means of the
than 22 tonnes. if the cargo consists of w e hydraulic trailer suspension system. The out-
plees, then th lim'tt is lO tonnes per axle, LARGE CRAWLERS riggers are then renioved and the oratie Es
Despite these laws, crane rentat contrac- Larger cranes, where the basic machine weighs ready for transport (see picture o ~ ~ o s i t e 3 4, l
tors and manufacturers have succeeded in above 70 tonnes, have to be split iato smaller
movtas; thelr farge cranes all over Europa. sections, and in most cases the crawier tracks
although in most cases with special permits. need to ba removed and transported ott a sepa-
It becomes more conipt-cated when boom rate semi-trailer ar low bader. Weight is not the
secxoas exceed 3 O metres. A Demag CC-4800, only Kmitatim on transport by road Overall
tor example, has a 3.9 metre wlde main boom dimenaions are als0 important, with widths
and featuresspecial permits greater than 4 metres and heights, including
Modern
and escorts when it is aanes
trailer, above 4.4 metres being tmacceptable,
moved on the road. For easyb Where the crane only nee& to be moved a
boom sections beyond the diamantie. few kilometres, and whera there are QQ major
, width limitatton, the complete crane
with tracks can easily be mowd using
a hydrauite platform trailer. Here, the
crme 'is crawied onto a set of crane
mats in order to create sufficient
clearance to manoeuvre a 10 axk line
platform trailer underneath. The
trailer's hydraulic suspension system
can be wed to rake the luadig b&,
taking the complete crane faam the
crara mats. However, this methocl
Kchard Ktabbendam * confinues his review ofc m e transport
with a look athydraulic platform trailers.
Large m o e s are faces and still auarantee an equal loadlng on
often transported by each individual &e. (5ee Figure l.) With non
hydrautic platform hydraulic trailers the Same end is achieved by
trailers, so this month a spring system w bv swivelling rockt arms
we wilt describisaome attached toeach set of axies.
of ttieir basic opera- However, the more Mes and the tenger the
tignal characteristics. trailer, the more dfffeult it bacornes to distrib-
Partieular emphasis is ute axie ioads equally. 311s is where the
placed &n the uae of hydraulic platform traiker is {deal.By coupling
Individual trailer units. either iongitudnally or
side by side, you cao create platform trailers
SIBPENSIONSYSEM capable of handling leads ot up to several hurt-
In essence, a platform trailer consistaof a dgld dred tonnes. In such cases, the hydraullc Unes
staal frame with axies; eacti saspmded by a betwen each trailer must be connected and a
hyilrautic cvlinder. @es figure l.) These cyfin- ow suspension system (3- or 4-pdnt) kas to
der3 are connected to each other by hydraulic b e Created by opening and closing the apprr+
lines. With the addition of valves, you can cre- priate vaiv&'m the hydraulic linea,
ate individual suspension pointe consjsting of The horizontal Ieva! of the &aiter can als0
2 or more cylinders. be adjusted by raising or lowering Individual
In this way a so called 3-point ar 4-point sus- suspension points using the diesel dnven
pension system is iormed. @gure 2 shows a 3- pump. Th& is useiul when the road has a eer-
point suspension system.) The four cyiinders t& camber.
at the front of the trafler are interconnected t#
term a single suspension point, whie the sfx HYDRAUUC STEERING
rear cyiinders are dividad mto two suspension It is nok just ttw- suspension system whch ean
points, @ach mmprtsing three cylinders. be hydraulicaily operated.&achaxle can swivei
Provided the centre ol grawty (CoG) of rhe mdepemkntly. with the trailer steered either
toad te placed exactly In the centre of the hydraulicatly or mechanically @y drawbar).
trailer, each axle wilt have the Same load (in The axies are connected to track rods, ensur-
other wordz. the hydrauh'c pressure in each n a that al1a l e s forma tuming circk when the
suspension point wilt be eaual). drawbaris pulled tn thq direction of the turn. in
A graat crivantage o( the hydraulic platform most Cases a maximum steering angle at the
fraiter te that t can be raised by a separate fitst mie ot 45 degrees can ba achieved,
diesel d'iiven hydrauiie pump. In most cases We can easily measure the tunxtig radias of
the maxtmurn stroke is 600 millimetres. This the trailer by preparing a scaie "Srawingof the A Niehwlas axie with hydrauUcsUspensioo
cyfinder.
rneans the trailer cm run on uneven road sur- unit. &e $gure 4.) When more units are cou-
pied mgether. the track rods should be ehanged
tocomply with the w w trailer ~ondguratton.
When large:laad$, such as cram carbodies,
are move$ on piafferm trailers yw als0 have
Eo consider the stabitityof the load. With ahigh
CaG ft is Mtremdy important $tiat ths laad is
plu& in the centre of the trailer, esactly oa
the longiti~dinalcentre line of the trailer.
Take for exampte the m& carbody of a
Oemag CC4800 crawler crane. Betere the
trailer is foaded,yw. shouM estabiish the exact
location of the machine's C&. Ether this posi*
tion wilt be given by the manufacturer or you
can find tt when thetarbocly (S Itftedin a singie
hook lift by crane. The CoG wdt be somewhere
w the vertml line trom the iitting hook
In our exampie, the combined CoG can 'oe
calcuiated front the individuaf weights and Soca-
tions of the CoGs of the superstructure and the
Men placed on uneven gtowd it wil1 always
remin stable. withall three legs in contact with
the groand. With a four legged table, however.
an weven support surface wil1 allow the table
to wobbie. Thus, with &tourp-int suspension
1 remspoSr FsIposIL FW k
KCMAC CC-OW CARBUBT
2 *u
t i
.
i
f
*.?OT J
l
system you can easlly overioad OM of lhesus-
pension points (and theaxJes1.
iithaugh the theoretica1 tipping anale in
ow example was 14.05 degrees, it Is advtsable
to apply a safety factor of five. Thk is because
i&is impossibk to achleve exact postioning of
the CoG on the t r a i k , and because we have
not taken int0 account dynamic badings on
the transport combination.

Lchard
of Jumbo Shipphg Company's Special
1 Transport Division. He has a Masten
1
lower carbody. As shown in ftgure 5, the com- This is caiculatedss shown te figure 5. That is, negree& MechanicalEngineaw from
b i n d CoG of thecraae is placed in the centre of T.qa) = 745/2%75= 8.2504, giving a theoretlcal the Tecbnical Universityaf Delft and was
tipping angle, a, of ATAN(0.2504)= 14.05 project managerwiih Van %umerea
the 12-&e line platform trailer.The trailer itself Holland anti! 1989. Before &at he was
is set in aa asymmetrical %point suspension degraes. (Here, 745 niilltmtres (s the distance
managing djrectoroItrec BV Holland.
systeni. All d e s areloadd equdy. from the CoG to the tipping Une.) The a ?
He h w been in the heavy lift and mn*
base,A-B, itself dspends on the trailer typeand portation industrystooft1973.
TIPPING UKES is here 1,800mUliinetres.
The tipping lines of the transport combination In a &point suspension aystem, rte area
are defined as the lines comecting the three eoclosed by the tipping lines wouid te a rectan-
suspension points. We eould c o m F e &is to a $e; the distance of the CoG to the tipping line
tabte wfth thrae leas. As tong as the CQG ol the increases to 980 miltimetres, aad, as a result,
toad stays mthin the.tipping tines the trailer the stability of the transport comb'inaton
wit1not tip over. inereases. The advaniage of the %pointsuspen-
One criteria for 3tabUlty is the theoretica1 Sion, howwer, is that it is stattcally deflned,
tipping angte of the transport combinaxon. whereas the four point $Ftera is act. As m
it "i ccoincidenta! but iatroduci~g the i30 9000 standard is to To profeet the parties nvolved, we Md not
perhaps appropriate increase safety and efficiency. What soms do Teveal any names. What is Important B that we
tht th'is, my ihir- not lik about these certKication standards is leam &om the example and do not mate the
teenth article tor The that they often seem to create extra paper Same mtetekes ourselves.
Safe View. Is on the worit without improving efficiency and safety.
subject of atcidents. We should always try to keep reguiations RO-R0 ACCIDEW
In the crane and straightforward: simple m& are easy to The accident in queston occurred more than
transport world, tinderstand and easy to apply. 15 years ago. A Roll-on/Roll-off @o-Ro) vessel
everyone tries to One practica! wayof avoidingacadente is to arrived In port and preparat'ionswere made to
work safety to minimlsethe risk of accdertls. (eam Erom past mistalces, analysing tn detail jack up and rolf-offtwo pressure vessels at 450
Unfortimateiy, accdents do happen and what went wrong and why In my own heavy lift and 365 tonnes weight respecii~ely. 80th
'yiespite our best efforts an accident-free future career I have been formate enough never io columns had to be jacted up to manoeuvre wo
ean never be guaranteed- have been directly involved in a smous accl- double width. 6 axieline platform trader dollies
What we can do, howwer, is train our per- den& but have been called 'm. severat times after underneath a c h transport saddte. The dollies
soanel and esteblisft ruies and r^gulatlons that the went to analyse the causes of accdents. went fitted with bolsters.
are practica) and whch can have a postthre Hare. we wilt look ai an actual accident which The flrst column was jacted LTS metres
tafluence on safety. Qne of the reasons lor combined both trainsportfflion and litting taska. above deck leve! and the dollies manosuvred

started to go wrong. To ,
explalsi what happend &ring roll'oEf we first
have to explain the worfcing pnnciptes of art air
powered brat-ng system.
-
Air b r a k have (wo airlines ooe red and
OM yexow - which are connecte~to the air
supply of the prime mover, The red line feeds
air tnto starage tanks on the ptatfm trailer.
When the pressure in the tank exceeds 7.35
bar. and when the hand brake valve ta
released. the spring powered braking cylinders
ara activated and the brakes reteased.
Altarnatively, if the pressure Is beiow 7.35 bar,
or if there ts rio air "upply at &l! in dl? red air-
line, thw the hrakng cyiinders wii! activate
the braks 2nd the trailer
~acfislfted the caaflotmove,
column to alto*
jmfmg af
'?he ye3kow airhe i$ the
transpo& commantting airkirte and is
rioHies. normally operated frofn the
prime mover's fout pedal. When the peda1 is
depreased. the comrnandia~ air pressure
drops, activating the main system (the red air-
line) which ihen applies the trailer braks. The
requireti brakhg force, which depends on the
Cross Vehicte Weight of the transport combina-
tion. cao be adpisted to tour levets. Thfe level is
set by a handie on the side of the traile- wbich
can als0 be used as a hand brake or to release
the pressure o1 the spring powered brakes.

n=T MISTAKE
Now back to ow case study. The supervisor
want& to move the platlonn trailer and ciuoifl
comblnation a tew melrea towards the Ro-Ro
ramp.Th@red line was conneeted t~ the prime
mover hut the corncnanding H~QW line was left Thngs thea got worse. Ta clear up the wauld change i" Ke m o a The rear of the
mess ft was decided K> use two crawfer eranes the load towards the bow. wiumn
mconnected because the travel distance was
so short wi the brakina power raquired so low to lift the vesse off the damaged trailer, posi- He shout- ais& W e f~~d~ft~$~
- or so thought th+supervis~r.m i s is often the tloned either side of the vessei's ssrt end. The
intention was- to lift at the front dolly and skw
instructed & trailer opera- weids
tor t0 ~ t a d b yn e e to the conoecting the
procedure usedon. stadje, level gmund.)
Cm you guess what happened? When Ehe simuitaneously to albw the trailer and botster hand brake vdve at the bolster &te t*
side of the trailer. ihe traiiw wore-
tramsport combinatton was pulled towards &he to te removed. torn off.
R@&oramp, the shlp's trim aitered, tipping And, of course, te
domwards towards the quay and in turn DUAL LIFT ERROR transgort combination shouid never have been
increasing rhe transport coinbinatton's move- However, duriag the QQeraHOaonly OMcrane movad without conoectmg b o t , air Bnes
ment downwards. The supervisor instructed slewed as pianned* The other reniamed sta- faecause it was resting aft a floatalg vessej aad
the driver to actvate the brates, bul nothing tonary, resultuig m an exmsive $<deforce on oot a tevei, stabie surface. A &@led standard
happened because the y e w iine was not con- the boom, causngil to buckle and fallonto the checklistcov~ruigall these points should have
nected. The cornbinaflon cootinued to rot1 ski& of the pressure vessel The second crane been used, and the supervisor in. charge
towanfe the ramp, inereashg the:deckslope as couldn't hotd the load on its own and its boom assig~b d check the important points.
kt did so. aiso huckteti. To round things off the vessel The faufts In the liting operattoa were simi-
Everyone couid see what was happening, dropped back onto the trailer and caused fur- lady ctear. For exaniple, neither of the crane
but it wss 1 9 0 late to do atlythiag. In a matter of t b r severe damags. operators had preger instructions on b w the
seconds the front dol& rolled of the ramp After ranoval oi the two daaiaged trawlers, lift was to be camed out We taww that in al1
onto the quay. The secood dolly f6M~wedand a single crane was used to shift tne trom dcily circumsta.nces side loads on crane booms
&e saaden transfer of weight off the ship to :he hesner rear end oi the pressure vessel, should be avoided. This could easily have been
ca& the bow to r i s shaqly. As a result the wfth the front end sappofled by a drIH rig accomplished: the prime inover coufd have
raar end of t t e seeond dolly was more or tess dessert bogie fsee picture). In this way the pulled the load slowiy forward a d S both
dumped onto the quay. ship's Rc-Ro ramp was cleared. oanes were in tree swing,ttrey c&uldhave lol-
Nobody was injured Snit the transport com- After the necessary repairs the w o n d lowed the movement of ftie prime #over auto-
binaton was a mess. Tke weids securmg the pressure vessei on board was jacted up and maticaUy. Slight adjustmeats might have been
coiumn's bolster plate to the trailer were torn rolled off properiy and ttaasported safety t0 required forthe increas-eciradius.
oif, causaig the bolster piate to slide fowaid. the job site. Thereafter Uia Brst unit was However, durhg &e slewing operation one
The rear ot tha trailer was stil! partiyresting w retoaderf onto the repaired platform trailer dof- crane was in (ree swing while the other w&$oo
the m~ steeply stopittg %Q-Roramp, and tt had lies and shiftet to s&. controlled swing wd t b r e wss a@ naging
pushed upwards int0 the ski& of the pressure superintendentia charge who couid @veproper
vessei. prodwang a $light denc. The front end tasxructions to tte @@rators.A coaipiiacapra-
of the conibifiatioo W W he back end of xon should be planned in detail and nok be lek
heavtiy overioaded and the trailer to crane opcratars vbo necessartty have a !im-
pushed int0 the quay. pusiis* mtO above you should conlinuously te thinking
~ a x ittie axtes cai b t h
fraters nat been straight it
gzrEofui
resu,-ting in a
eaboi-n ttie consequencesof each of l-hepanned
acttofis.In this exatnple, that nieans the iuper-
wout- have beena totworse. st+ghtdent. visarshout- have forewen that the $hip's trim

1 oroject manager with~an kmeren


HolJand iiutil1889. iieforf;tbat he m 1
He haa been ia the heavy lift and trans-
portation industry sinte 1973. l
ost of us have been asked at s o m cieariy what wark he expccts to be done and always possibie to do Eis,because work plan-
time to bid tor project work. Idaafly, what cargo $5 being handled. As guidance tor ning changes as the project progresses,
the dient should dearly identiiy the both cuents and contractors, the following However, the best possibie work scheduie
criteria fok buiding Sn the Request For checklist gives some of the Important items sbould be included.
Quotation@@Q), In practice, you often have to that should be covered by the Request for Q Details of torndatloris. A piot plan of the
ask the dient lor clar16cation on dl Sonds of Quotation: job site 2nd a iayout of $he.foundations,show-
tions to ensure the job can be done saeiy 3 Cargodetailssu&asLsWxH(Len@x ing a top view (plan) d cross sectio0 show-
F .
,-,d fel;ikcientiy.This make" it difficuit for the Width x Height) and weight, au preferably in ing elevations, are of vital importante for
client toevduata bids on a comanon basis. the rnetric system. Where more than one item correct erane se~eettonor for brnulating m
It is theretee impoitant b r dients to know is to be handled, a detaSed packlist is needed. alternative erection metho@.
how to prepare quotation fequests, and tor the D Odgin aad destiaaxon of cargo. Where
crime, transport and riggtng industry tcs be and ander what conditions it should be col- PORT S S
capable of prepannga dear and uniform offer. iected and where and when it should'be deliv- For work at ports wtxch are particiilarly com
ered. Conditions mciude FOT (Treeon Trailer), plex a site s m y in the field should be cam-ed
FOB (Fr= on Board) and FAS (Pree dongside out. For shippirig of, heavy items bom one port.
Shtp). The more details the better. to another a detaxed port survey should be car-
O Time of werk executfon. H cargo is to be
shipped, transported, or erected it should h order to ioad or unioad
d e d y be specifled in the RFQ when cadundi. heavy 'items on or off vessets, the cargo must b&
vidual item must be handled (Skipping, brought dongside and the quay must be
Transport or Erection Sehedule). It is ftot ehecked.QuaysusuaByhave au average pennis-
sible laad 'of around 5 tonnes/m2,WE& is In

Degree in Mechanica! Engineering from


the Techical Uuversity of Detfi and was

He has been in the heavy lift and


fa-atl..rtatiou inrfusirysince 1973.
langer and lunger -1think we can
ftlome this on our word processors"
be ballaatcd down t5 meet the exact quay lev&
This is teposslble when the quay height 2bove
water ievel is too great a r if the vessel does not
have sufcient freeboard. if the laar@ depth is
emctly thessme as the height from ssa bottorn
to quay level, then the barge cm be bdasted,
fixedagocad,andd-offis quite simpie.
R Bdal differenteTh cm help in maldng
beach landines. A landing area cas be created
with bulldozers at low Ude aad &e toadecl
barge can be manoewed on the beach at high
tide, proVI<ted&e xdal differeaceis sogicient.
In ether cases the tide can wo& agsinst yoo;
for-.ex&rnple,when the floating barge bas to be
kept level wixi the quay dwing the load-out by
meaas of ballasting.
Q laA-agtractiB-e at po& Are there suitable
road or rail connections within the area
around the port?
Q Sheltered @rswell port. Unloading heavy
items witb $hip's gear can only be carrifid out
in a c a h waters, :.e,prot&& from swell.

ROAD SURVEYS
B the project tavolves the transportation of
targe and heavy items, a detat-ed route survey
trom the landing point to the job site should be TRAILER STAStLITY
cmed out to idenxfyimportant points such as: location of the Ming points oa a heavy pr*
Q Overhead wires. Clearances of dras to the $wevessei can geatly influence the erecfon
loa. Cm these be raised or should they be rnethod and crane typets) required. (See pre6
ren#ued?Arethere any high tension transmis" o m articles on tandemfifts.}
swn Unes inthe transport route which need to Q AIIowabe ground h d oa site. R i s is par-
te$hut off when the ioad passes? ticularty important whea artrernely heavy
O Overfacad obstraetions. C a these obstruc- hads need to bearected. in certain cases piling
tions be renwed or cm a bypass be con- ander the crme outriggers or ringer construc-
structed? In some instances the road can be tion is necessaiy, Altematively, a large number
dug out to tncrease the maximum clearance. Q( laad spreading mats may be suBicieat.
Q bridge^, cuverts etc.What is the m m m O Dfaneasions of loads and location af the
allowable &e line load on the bridges? i f the load's centre af gravity (CoG). The physical-
bridge cannot be crossed cm it be strength- stee and shape of the load as wel1 as the locs e

eaed #rcm a bypass be constrected? tion of the CoG in relatioo to the iifting points
Q Raad pceots in percentage t e m , dimb- c m have an enormous affect on the erection
ing w deseendbig. The required tractivepower method as welI as the type of crane(s) needed.
of the transport cambination cm be calculated a infrastructm-eat &e job site; How good are
i{Ure gradients are knowo. the acces3 roads to the job site? ?s there SU@-
3 Camber of the road. This is an important dent space to assemble the main boom? Can-
point conceming the stabiiity of the ioad oo a crime assembly all be dons at the erwtion
trailer. Trailers wrth hydrauiic suspension cm iocatioci ar at a different spot and then moved
easxy compensate tor road camber sad keep to the sitehilly rigged?
the load kvel at al1times. Hl these quesxons wied an w w e r befere
O Raad-sarfac~tin order to transport heavy .
stiould investigate the following:
you c m prepare a good quotation for the pro-
toa&, the road suriace should be sufflciently ject. Most c m usually be answered by the
compact& to wtthstand the tyre pressure, as Q Ptot plan of foundations. TOidentKy where dient, provfed they are aware of these issues.
weit as the tracx're power ai the prime mover. the cargo can be- moved and how i t can be The aitimate atal must be far ci"entsto pro-
The moother and harder the road surface, the erected or instailedyou needthe layout or piot vide botter RF@ so that contractory eau sub-
s frexou one-cm e x p e t The width o[ the plan. of the foundationsin relation to surrouod- &t bete-quotations.
road at claves as wel1 as atraiahts must be s& ing site roads, strueturesetc.
iicient to cope mth the pSmed transport com- O Elevaiions of foundations. A cross section
bination- of the foundation,as welk as details of the type
o[ foundation, is important In sdecting the Hnal
erection method. A tabfe top foundation
requires in most cases a different rigging plan
trom a foundation st ground level.
Q Details and tecaxoos of li%ng pohts. The
ComputerAidedDesign (CAD} andprojectplanning programs m
mxkeyourbusiness a lot more effici'nt. Richard Krabbendam *

office the typewriter bas been Just to Bst a iewadvantagesof a CADsystem:


by the Personal Computer (PC) Easy copy, paste, modify, insert functtons.
wii word processing prograros @ More accurate drawings.
such te Word or WordPerfeetIn engineer- Easy seringof drawings.
.in1 departmena we are movjng a little sluwer. Easyuseof.%andarddrawin$.
h conwaitiona! dmwing board is stik widely 8 Easy printfngofdrawingson varbus scales.
used and although its repiacement is available in Most projects today require oetailed trans-
the forrn of a PC with a CAD (Computer Aided Don and rigging
-- - studies, and a CAD drawing
Design) progafli,heir use is n& ne& as wide- program is an ideai tooi to prepare them. This
spread as word processors. This is probably is particnhrty m e of the transport and naging
bmuse tt took the software houses longer to indostry where we w e the saaie baste plant Certification Bureau) Conference in Las Vegas.
deveiop user friendty drawing programs, and itemsagain and again, We only have to set up a Fred Dictdnson oi Irving mlproent (tescribed
a l s because the mark& tor CAD systetns is tibrary of standard drawings of al! these tools haw they have osed CAB ptograin to provide
much smaller than torword processors. (trailers, eranes. Iifting Mocks, spreader and a side view, top view and thre&mensionai
However, wben you start tfi vse a CAD pro- Siftingbeams e&). view of a project simultaneously on the same
gram you wil1 ask yourself; why dtdn't l start A good example of what is possibie was screen (See &o "Site Report: hside Job'.
this earlier? glven during therecent CICB (Crane fnspection September 1993,p28 fora hl1report).The crane

r 'i3W3N
TRANSPORT i& SZEXHJLE OF PREssuRE vEssEf.
ean reach up to more than 90 drawings. US@ casts to specified resourees. The basic use of
these it is eaq to conflgure a side vtew of the these programs c m be learnsd quickiy.
Demag as s h o w 'm. Figure 2. The same applies Ta prepare a bar chart ts fairiy straightfor-
to transport equipment or ships and barges, ward. First split the project M a major actM-
These drawings, wliich should be filed t k ~miled
, *Suiamary task* Cshown In capita!
under designatecl sub-directorie withtn your letters in the example in Figure 3). Then list the
computer titingsystem, are the basic tools used detailed taste in a togical sequence beiow ttie
to compose Lhe rgging and transport studies. smmary taks- Using the esanipk of the trans
Tbt? dewiags are similar to the Setters of the port and erection of a pressure vessel. The
alphabet. Each letter is a drawing. which we can major acxvittes are:
quiddy retrievt; by pushkg the relevant com- Mobiiis~lonand rigging of cranes-
puter key. In Aatocad we ean p r v e as many Transport of pressure vessel.
RGGIHG STUDY drawlngs as we tite, bot have to prepare our Erection of Pressure vesseL
The mafn taste are to eet familiar 4th the pro- o m menu on the keyboard to &e w qui& 9 De-rigging and deniobiBsaxon of eranes.
gram ftself, input all your tooi$ (crane parts acces$ to thesi by means of so-cdled "pull. When preparing a bar chart scheduie for
such as btocks, boom aections, spreaders, down' menu$ w bymeans of a tablet, wtere we this project we have to specify the duration o(
trailers etc.) and create a menu which makes it select which drawingor tooiwe want to use, each defaikd task in dayq of pats OE & ay
easy to acces5 the standard drawings you me- It c m take saveral months &obuilt up p u r (OSd = tel!a day, 3h = 3 beurs). By making the
at@.To mate a riaging study, we must draw a own iibraryof standard drawings for yaur fleet taste dependent on each ofher, the program,
top view and side view of the crane and vary When buying a new eranc yoa can mate life a in this case Microsoft Project 4.0, automax-
the boom lengtti. slewina mgie and counter- lot esiet, and cut down on a lot of work. bv cally caladates at what date and time the o&
, weight cortfiguratton. asking the crane manufacturer t- suppiy gen- task c m start. It aiso altows you to define what
'
Take as an aample a Demag TC-3900 lattice era1 arrangemeat drawinas of the machine on dav of the week and hours of the day are
boom crane, The most efficient way to draw floppy disk. The manirfacturerprobably used worked.
tKis crane te to build it up from essential non- a CAD system to design the c m e so this We cannot here describe dl the details f.
ehangsablepark $uch as: sfiould oot be a probtem. har ia mind that ywi these programs. We c m only advise you to try
Lwer carbody with autrigger base. only need the outline of the structure, not the them and to study the manuals: you wifl dis-
Upper carbody without counierweight. construction details. cover ertonmus possibttities. ff aothiag more,
it wil1 certainly give your bids a professional
PROJECT PLANNING appearanee.
Another very usefu! tooi in project work is a
Planning Program. There is a large variety of
programs avaLla.ble,such as Macrosoit Project,
TimeLioe. On Target etc. Most of these are
operated under Windows and make an ideal
tooi to create Bar Chart Plarming Scheduies or
Netwerk Planning Schedules. Many cao aiso be
used br cost calcuiatioas bv aliocating unit
ofaload is an essentialskil1for any yger.
Richard Krabbendam shows how ii is done.

Basering consiats of 2 rings euch 50 mm thl&


\

Consider first a composite object such as


that s h o w in Figure l. To calculate the loca-
tion of the compostte C of G along the X-axis we
have to divide the total moment of the object

RGURE 3 OtMENSlONS M MIUJMETERS (MM)

hom the Ieft hand edgejs thus calculated fmm: culating theweight and C of G of more complex
CoinpositeC of G shapes, such as a pressure vessel. The first
= total mo~iant/toiaIweight thing to do here is calculate the weight of the
= 142/36 vessei, which means we have to know the
a3.944metres&om leftedge of the load materiai used, the plate thickness and the total
The calculation can &o be ased to deter- volume of material.
mine the posftion of the C of G atong the Y-ais The pfate thickness of a column usualiy
@ving the hcight of the C of G) or dong the Z- varies dong its length, depending w the
a i s (into the paper, assuming the object is design. The column basically consists of cylin-
three dimenstonal). ders, conical shaped zones and top and bot-
The Same prtnciples cm be applted in cal- torn ends. The individual weights of these ca11

34
I N T E R N A T I O N A L C R A N E 5 JUHE 1 9 9 3
be calalated bv multipiying the matertal vol-
urnewith its specific density. For the column in
F i i e 2 we would use the followingequations:
Weight of sphdcal head of column
[ " v ~ x ( ~ I ~($-r,?]
@ x XP (=volumexdensity)
Weight of cyndricai part of column
~[iixhx(r~-r~~Jxp
Weight of coTiieal part of column
= 1/3xnxhx(R2-Rf + r/-r;+ (r,xRJ-(r,x
R ~ X P
in which
r outside radius of column or sphericd head
arsmaflest radius of eone(=b)
r, = insde radias of column or spherical head
or smallest radius of cone Wj
R. = outside radlus ("argest sideza) of conical
part
= insideradius (lxgest stde~a)of conkaipart
p = (iensity of matetiai (eg,steel = apprcx 7800
WW^
We eau now calculate the weight of a c h
individuai pact. If the load is symmetrical,theC
of G of eaeh section wlll be on the centreline
and in the middie. The C of G of the sphericai
part {top of column) is Iocated approxiroately
0.4244 xr trom ttie tangent line. (Sec Figure5.1
ff the $kirt of the column bas a w& thick-
nes5 of 20 millimetres, the first cylindtical part
a thicisness of 30 militoetres, the conieal
shaped part 30 millimetres and the top section
15caiilimetres, tben the weights of all sections
eau be calculated as shown io Figures 2 and 3
and Table l.
The C of G location of a tonical shaped transi-
Bon zone Is:
ex= h/3 x ((a + 2b)/(a+b))
roeasawi sway (rooithelargest diameter of the
coae. In thfs fomyla, a = largest diameter of
cone. h = height of coneand b s smallest diame-
ter of the cone. (See Figure 5.) Wfaen we have
calmlated the weight of all sections you cao
calculatethe composlte C of G of thecolumn by
wng the moment fomula a s before. To be
exact we should alm take into account the indi-
vidual we'ightsof the transport saddles a d als0
the liftinglugsat the top tangent lie.As cm be
scan kom Figure 3 and Table l, we have allo
cated 4 tonnes for each transport saddie aad
0.2 tonnes for the WOHfting lugs. M &ere are
any ether accessories atlaehed to the column,
such as nozzles. piping etc, then these s h o M
be taken into account as well. mode, we must ensare that both s h g s are
through the hook. (See FIgure 4 again.) We al1
BENEATH THE HOOK know &is exereise: the load is lifted and does positioneel at equal distances either side of the
Wefl aload is iiftedbya c m e the C of C atw~iys not stay horizontal. Ta make swe that the ioad C of G. We also have to usesHngs that are long
hangs verttcally beneath the hook. K teC of G stays horizontal when lifted, we either change enough to ensure that they cannot slip, and to
is nat unda"the hook whea ft is first tiked.Uien the lift point position of ons of the slings or ensure that the angle with the horizon is
tbdoad wil1tilt untx it is. (s% Figu~4). lengthen or shortea ene CA the slings in such a acceptable Ag& ustng the moment fomula
This can be a usefuf way of locating the C of way that the C of G i s exactly under the hook we cm calculate the load on each transport
G of a load in the field. We huw that the C of G whenwe liftthe load. saddle, that is, 125 tonnes on saddte l and 73
is tocated somewhere along the verticai line K we lift our 188 tonne column in beRy ding tonnes on saddie2. Sec Figure 4.

35
I N T E R N A T I O N A L C R A N E S JUNE 1 9 3 %
This artiele is riot witten to extrerndy sure about what kas happmed &en The.supervisor in charge of cornpany A
show anyonein & bad light. yw are better to settie at a wtdn tmount instructed the trarispartation crew of compaiit
It describes what caused tban to continue with the case and find yuur- B to set the trailer in aso-cdled +oint susperi-
the Bpping over of a 12&e- s& havingto b r alf the cos@. $ton syxiteni, as advisai in the trailer mamita6
line piaxonn trailer loaded turer's manual for loads with high ceatre
with a 208 tonne reactor, fa ISSUES gravin'.
describing the accident, One party, let's cdtbem "A*, had accepted the supervisor also tastniet& E'sJrailer
our mam purpose is to order to transport &e reactor from Belgium fo operator io me a spirit tevel dwing a~ phasei
InBningham, The Sorth Sea erosstog went oi the transport opeiation in order to dosel$
aware of what cm go wrong and what are the smootbly and on a beautiful mornhg fa August monitor the horizontal ievel of the trailer bek
legal consequencesof au acddenL the reactor was relied off from the barge oato during all times and tl necessaq to compen-f
The accident described here happen& in the Ismsxngham Do&. This roll-off operation sate the level of the trailer bed wth
August 1988 and a final verdict as to the c w e and the transport fraai the doch to thejobsite hydraulcsuspension systeia. t,
oi the accident was &en by the High Cotirt, was subcontracted to a local baulage contrac- On the request of lts dient,company~had
Londen, in Marcb 1996, almost eight years tor, company "B". iwred the reactor agafast darnage durtag
later. Fortanately tbere were ao injuries to per- transportation, The insuraace company fom@
sound. oniy damage to the reactor tosalation tbat the wuse of "he accident was operator'$
and Ereproofing. aegligence on the part of compaay B, sa'
daliaeti the cost of the accidentto B.
? Party B rejected the claim and said thy
A 28 metre tong, 5.8 metre diameter reactor, company A's supervisor @d fSvea ?&e wo
weighing 208 tonnes, was loaded on a 3 metre iristructions and tbat the traite- should have
f
wde t2 &e-line Scheuerie platformtrailer and been set in a 3-point suspension systm rather
on its way from the Satmingharo Doch to ts than a 4point suspension $ysteai. Til
final destination at anearbyoii refi~ery, dairaed that the Jevefaess of tbe traileron aT i
The total distance kom the do& to the point suspension system could not he co?
refiner? was ahaast 7.8 kifometres. After In
trofled, thereby causiug the load to tip over.
appruxhaately 6 kikometres the trailer combi- response party A ciaimed fhat the suspension
natlon xpped over while m?goxatmg a. tong system of the trailer Was not the cawe of &e
i
curve witha 2,8egree camber. accident, rather tt was &te fact that the trailer
The cause of the accident was &=&&d as bed was not lerclted when negofia- the $8
degree curve. Party B denied this axssS a B
operator's fault, as the operator had not c m -
ftensated the trafier bed to horizontal whea
negoxating the camber, It almost took B years
court case was bome.
fa order to fully undersmd what had hap-
T
and a court w & t o proef tbis. Tb&sourpartof pen& we shaiild look in more detail at
tt dl was tbat all cos& in addition to the repair hydrauk platform trailers. A platform trailer
woris: and salvage operation of the reactor, in principle consists of a rigid steel frame,in
tacladtag legal fees, teehnlcal experts and which todividual axies are mounted. &h arie
court cos&,were w e d to the party at fauill. is suspentled by a hydrauiic cylinder. (See
It prove8 once agata that tf yoa are nok Pigtn-e S .)Alt these hydraalie eyltnders arema- ff s
TOPVIEW OF TRAILER SUSPENSION SYSTEMS
BOM
f m

4 nected to each other &y mems of hydraulic the Ionger the trailer, the mare difficuit tt As this was close to the strength limitation
lies. becomes to guarantee qua1 ioad distribution of the trailer frame tt was jofafly agreed to dis-
Ey hxng iadnridual suspension cylmders on di &es. This is where the hydraBe plat- conneet &e two centare axie-flnes of &e traiier,
ft is possible to ereate suspension pointe con- fom trailer offers sa !deal soluton. By co* tbereby reduciag the bending moment to the
sisting ol two or more suspension cyltaders. pling individuai trailer units to eaeh other, trailer h m e . In essence, the reactor was
Rgure 2, tor example. shows a Spokt suspen- eittier longitudinaliy or side by side, we eau lmded on a 12 ade-tee trailer but the &e$
sfon system. The tour cyiinders at the front of create platform trailers capable of handling were grouped toto tour pohts, each conshting
the trailer are connecied together as one sus- loads ap to several hundreds a ~ even
d geveral of five asdes (one &.a = 4 tyres = l suspension
pension poiat. white the si%rear cylinders are thousands of tonnes. cyiinder). Sec Egure&.
separate@ int0 two individual suspenston Of course the hydrauk Unes betwam each By using the raomenturn lornula om cm
points aach consistiog of &ree connected trailer must be connected wilh each other and exact& caiculate the load on @achgroq of
cyfindere. a 3- or 4-point suspension system should he axies, and consequently the laad per &e,
Provided the centre of gravity of the load is created by opening and dosing the correct
placed exactiy in the centre of the trailer, each ^&v& in the hyteufic &es. The horizontal
aste wifl have the s a m load (hydra& pres- ievd of the trailer can be adjustecl as w&,
surft in each suspension point is equaT). which comes ta handywhen theroad ha$ a eer- caltipptag angle of the trailer. The trailer wil
Another @at advantageof the hydraulic plat- tain cmber. Each individual suspension point tip over when the combinsd centre of gravlty
fonntrailer is that the trailer cm be raised by can be raised or lowered by mans of the diesel of the trailer and load passes over the
means of a separate &esel (jtrivefl hydraulc driven hydraujicpanp. xppmg h e .
pump. In most cases the maximum stroke is Kext rnoirth we look fa detail at why the
limited to W millimefres. C&SE reactor tipped o w .
Thfe @drauSic: suspension systero means Lete$go back to om case. Th& 203 tonne reac-
the platform cm cope wfth uneven road sur- tor -28.6 metres long and 5 metres in diameter
iaces and stilt guarantee an equal load on each - was loaded on tiie 12 de-Ene Scheuerie
tadividual d e . See Figares l. 2 and 3. trailer. The transport ~addleswere set 12
In noa-hydraulic trailers the same end is metres apart and the saddie loads were acBng
acheved by a spring aystem or by means of on the forward and aft part of the trailer, which
swivelling rocker arms applied to each set of was composed of 2 x 6 d e l i n e s coupled
des- However. the more ades &ere are and togetber longitudi~aiBy.See Figwe 4

38
I N T E R N A T I O N A L C R A M E S OC708EK 7.9'46
n the la& &iele we
were dmMbing how
&e c o i m CBrm t0 i&

Oe f996 - a d &e baxs~rycintE5page.]


Tipping of a hydrauiic platform trailer cm
mily be avoded by rt&&g the I m r side of
the trater md msmng W the Wder bed
stays 1meJindepmdmt of the raad camber.
@eengure5.3
in the exwple wed in F e 5 we do ngt
take hto acc~urrt. the p~sittveinfhence oftke
weight of the trailer, whkb bwers &te centre
af grw!ky of the coinbined trailer-laad
gombinaton.
x
In this case we caIeulated a the~reticdtip
@g m@@ of 144 degrees bas& OB a 4-pOirti
suspmsion sptm &d 9.1 degres for a 2-
p h t mpen$im system- So why did the
trailer tip at a b a d camber of 2.8 degreed %e
foiiawingfactors wme responsibk:
Rmctar n&m&& Iaadd hm t r e of kdler.
Deflectian af ty~aat lawer side, when
traoer tilb.
haccuracy k fhe exact location af the cm-
ofgmvity af the reactor.
D ~ ~ I C ~ SU& Q X G~ wind,
, etc.
s,what was the a & d sequence af mmts
on &e day? Just befare the accident happend,
the proje13 mmapr of paty A stopwd by at
h e traspor minb~~on beore it e&erea t
h
long CWK He$ ~ O ~ C W @ Y ~,RKI~+~OI% SU~M-
sar and uked ff e v q W ' i g % v a going h e . accident report.
an ~ffiejal braite Ioa&e,i&reactor lmded in a dikeh at
%pimdmr B aclmowlkdged t h t the transpa& hc~rdimgto the polce exart, W ~ C dmve I the side af the ruad and the trailer iel1 back
v a OK md prcrj& manager A. l& ta p r q m bchlnd the t r m s p r f combinatien, ttje trailey aai0 its G r a .
&e r&nery$ite f ~aEl@mg.
r Mer 10 minaes< tilte& a bit W the lower side af &e ern?ex In t h e p o j e ~manager
t optnion thetipping
wkri the wamport comb~ationdki ~ oappea, t tikteda bit more a d sudceniythewbje mm- of the trailer was c a w d by nctt cumpen~ating
he returr~eda
d f~und&e reactor iaylng 0x1its bin&on over, The j&hg the trailer to a kori2u& level whiie aegotiat-
In the fitst of a new series of
Safe View articles for IC,
Richard Krabbendam
reviews the basic
measurements used in the
lifting and transportation
industries and calls on the US Lift Module from trailec swing over concrete wall,
8
to review its continued use f connect Superlift counterweight and boom out

of Imperia1measurements. Foundation

oday, people are travehg more fie- dar& and make it mier to exchange plans, parts not changed is that it has such a large domestic

T quendy and we aii get the k e h g that the


world is becoming a smalier place. Do
you remember the times when you'd
come home fiom a raway counuy with some-
thing for your k& that they'd never seen bebre?
etc. US car manufacturer Ford was among the
h t to start mass i'brication in different coun-
tries, and introduced standards to help it achieve
just that. Today standards are everywhere. But
dortunately (and despite the presence of the
market ail uing the Same system, which m e m
that there was no reai need to change. But with
the internationalmarket now becoming so much
more important, it is time that they must h g e
- particdarly if the country wants to become a
Nowadays we have accas to v i r h d i y everythmg ISO) they sti vary gready benveen countries. m e 'world player'. And after d,the decimai
fiom anjwhere. Even the most exotic things are Just thhk of the different electricity plug metric system for dimensions and weights, which
a d a b l e in your locai shoppingmail. needed in difkrent countries. T M of the &em the crane and rigging indwtry ddy, is so
Because of incrming intemationai travel and NTSC television standard for the US, Japan and much mier to we - why not try it!
w e of giobai communicatiom ( h & to e-md Korea, which k incompatible with the PAL sys- k t ' s review the Standa~dUnits (SI) fiom the
and the Internet) we are la-ning kom other tem wed in Europe, Singapore and Malaysia. decimai memc system:
comuies br quicker than we did before. We Metre (m): Thk o~iginaiiycame kom the
have atabiished the Intemationai Oganktion Metric rnajority p k i ~ W n standard metre, as dehed by
for Standadzation (ISO) to create certain stan- There is one standard that applies v k h d y the Napoleon in early 1800, dthough one metre was
world over and that is a water tap, which is more accurately defined in 1983 as the distance
huned cloc!wise to hun on and anti-clockwise that light mveis in 11299792458 of a second.
to hun OEIn mmurement too, the memc sys- The speed of iight is dehed as 299792458 mis
tem is now accepted the world over, with the sig- (metres/second), which is equai to 299792.458
nifcant exception of the US, which sti prekrs km/s (kilometres/second).
the old imperiai meaurements. Despite being Kilog~m(kg): Dehed in 1901 as the mass
among the first to introduce standa.rdization,the of a piece of plaMm with a 10%Iridim con-
US market is sti reluctmt to joh the rest of the tent.-~his of platin- is currendy pre-
world in wing metric mmurements. The w served in the sak of the BIPM (Bureau
Japan, the rest of Asia, Austraiia and even the Internationai des Poids et Mesues) in France.
US's neighbour, Canada, have ai changed kom Second (s): In 1967 one second was
inches and feet to dimetres and metres - d e h e d as the time period of 9192631770
because of its simplicity. cycles of a certain emission Yne of Cesium
Perhaps one of the reasons the country has 133. For clarity and ease of referente, I wodd

k%@International Cranes September 2001


describe it as 1/60 part of a minute or kilogram (kg), whereby l kg = 1000 grams and
1/3600 part of an hour. 1000 kg = l tonne (metric tonne). Many in the
Ampere (A): A unit for electticai current (I US use as a weight the pound (Ib) and use the
will not define this as it is not relevant to this art- Kiiopound (KIP) for 1000 Ibs. T h , however,
de). There are a few other SI units, such as does not make things mier especially when you
Kelvin (K), Mol (mol), Candela (cd), Radial (rad are used to one system and not another. l kg =
or rd), Star radial (sr), but again, these are not 0.454 Ibs and l tonne = 2200 Ibs. If you are
relevant to this artde and will therefore not be working with both US and European capacity
explained. charts, you must constandy convert from one to
another and this increases the chance of errors.
Other units So why do we use Ibs and tonnes (t) in capac-
From the above SI units, other units are derived. ity charts and not Newtons (N)?A Newton is a
A couple of examples are the Volt (V),which is a unit for a force and a kilogram is the unit for
unit for electricai potential differences, and the mass. When a stone of l kg or l Ib lies on a
Newton (N) which is the unit for force. For the table, the earth's gravity pulls on the stone with
record, l V = l kg.m2/~.s3 and l N = l a force factored by 9.81. The precise force is
kg.m/s2. given by the formula F=m x a (Force = mass x
So what do all the units mean in practicai acceleration), and the acceleration in this case is
terms?Well, any engineering of a complex trans- earth's gravity which is given as 9.81 m/s2.
portation and erection project starts with drafting However, this value is slighdy lower at the Briefcase of 10kg standing
the correct cargo views such as the Side View, the earth's equator (9.78 m/s2) and slighdy higher on floor of train
Back View and the Top View. The drawings from at the poles (9.83 m/s2). For case of calculation
the engineering contractor will usually be made we usually round up the figure to 10 m/s2.
out in the decimai memc system or, if you're Perhaps the following example will best explain
uducky, in the US units of feet and inches. Many what a force really does. acceleration
engineering contractors that design equipment Imagine you are standingon a train with your
now realise that feet and inches are not as easy to briefcase next to you on the floor. The mass of
use as the decimal measurements, so in many your briefcase is 10 kg (or 22 Ibs). As the train
instances are now working in 'decimal feet' with starts to move it is accelerating. This acceleration
10 parts to the foot rather than the traditional 12 appiies a 'pulling' force to your briefcase in a
inches. T h may be the fust step towards the US direction opposite to the motion of the train.
moving away &om the older Imperial measure- The force acts &om the COG (Centre of
ments. Although this is making caiculations a lot Gravity) of your briefcase (see Fig 2 ) . At the
easier, we sti do not have tape measures and same time the earth's gravity applies a force of 10
rulers with dus decimal system. kg x 9.81 m/s2 = 98.1 N vemcally from the
Indeed, who are we to say that die metre is COG of the briefcase. These two forces produce
the only unit of measurement to be wed. If a resultant force 'R'. Ifthisresultant force crosses
Napoleon's length of platinurn had measured the point known as the tipping point, then the
one foot (0.3048 m) and had then been deci- briefcase will (all over. The magnitude of the
malised, we would all now be quite happily resultant force 'R' depends on the acceleration of
measuring everything in feet. The Same appiies the train (here we took 3 m/s2).
with weight. For the majority of the world the
kilogram = 1000 grams is the standard unit for Finding force
weight. However, many in the US have never left The same theory applies in reverse when the train Briefcase of 10kg standing on floor of
the UK's old system of pounds and short tom. is stopping. The train's braking is a deceleration train As the resultaat FORCE
The main problem, of course, is that the old sys- the Force 'F' will now point in the opposite is pointing over the
tem is based on 12 parts and the decirnal on 10 direction. Again, ifthe force 'R' crosses the tip-
parts. Which makes the decimal much easier to ping point then the briefcase will (all over, but
add, subtract and convert. this time in the opposite direction. If you can
l Metre (m) = 100 centimetres (cm) = 1000 understand these basics then a lot of the princi-
millimetres (mm) and l kilometre (km) = 1000 pies in the traixportation, lifting and ligging
m. Note that each step is 10 x the previous step, business wil become deal".
making it very easy to use. Simiarly, l cm = 10 The principles outlined above should &o
mm = O.olm, so when you want to convert to explain why we move heavy loads slowly, and
different units within the decimal system, it is why we avoid abrupt accelerations and decelera-
simply a case of repositioning the decimal point. tions. The magnitude of the acceleration or
The dimensioning standard in technicai draw- deceleration directly afFects the forces (in
ings is mm. Dimensions are shown in mm with- Newtons, or in the US Poundforces; l
out any addition of a unit. If any other units are Poundforce = 4.45 N) on the load. Remming to
used on a drawing these will be indicated with the example above, ifthe acceleration of the train
the unit stated after the number. Sec as an is slow enough then the resultant force R will
example of this the side view of the rigging plan remain in front ofthe tipping line and your brief-
shown in Fig l. case will not Ml over. Natmally, ifthe braking is
Let's now turn our attention to the basics of slow enough then the same applies. In my next
mass and force. In order to understand what a piece we will examine pressures and sumimi"ise
Newton (N) is I have to start with the basics. As a all units wed in the transportation and rigging
unit for mass in the metric system we dened the industries. Tipping point

September 2001 International Cranes <f


Knowing the conversion factors, one can easily
converi Imperia1 values into the SI units and vice-
versa. One particular use is determiningoutligger
set-up.

But let's get back to the core subject of this


article, namely how the imperia1 units compare
to the SI units (Systme International d7Units).
When knowing the correct conversion factors,
one can convert the non-SI units into SI units
and vice versa. The American NIST (National
Institute of Standards and Technology)based in
the US is the only place on earth where one can
&d the official values of all physical constants.
was the coUapse of the World Trade Center in Even the French BIPM (Bureau International
New York on 11September. Due to the aircraft des Poids et Mesures) refers to the published
crashing into the building around the 90th floor, values of the NIST. In the crane, rigging and
a h e &ed. The intensG of the heat caused the transport industry, the most commonly used
steel structure to wea.k.cn und it eventuaiiy gave units are for weight, volume, dimension
wav. More then 20 stories of structure above this and pressure. So let's check out the conversion
In the concluding half of a secrion of weakened steel
suddenly dropped a cou-
two-part feature, Richard ple of metres and was
Krabbendam continues his abrupdy stopped by the
rest of the structure
analysis of universal physical undemeath. This enor-
constante and the mous deceleration and
the resultant force (F =
relationships between them. mass x acceleration)
He also lays out a series of caused the stmcture
undemeath it to collapse
handy conversion charts. with disastrous effect. Al1
engineering designs

l
n my previous article I explained the differ- apply so-called dynamic
ence between mass (M) and force (F) and the factors, which is a safety
reasons why we need to move heavy loads margin to account for
slowly. The more abrupt a movement starts sudden shock loads.
or stops, the greater the acceleration/decelera- However, these dynarnic factors do not account the crane and ligging industry, the most
tion is, and consequently, the larger the force d for the enormous forces caused by the impact of commonly used units are for weight, volume,
be. A very unfortunate example of this theory an aircraftor a 20-storey section ofa building. b dimension andpressure.
4 factors. Although there are a lot more units, I tem as well as in the Imperial system. F i t we
will not list them al1 and only select those units, convert the area of the load spreading mat into
which are relevant to the lifting industry. I have square ket, being 2.5 m x 4 m = 10 m2 ( l m =
divided these into groups, and listed each in a 3.28 ft) = 32.80 square ket (SF). Now we con-
separate box. vert the 100 t = 100,000 kilogram (kg) into
Knowing the listed conversion factors on 220,264 pounds (Ibs) (l Ibs = 0.454 kg). 100 t
these pages one can easily convert the Imperiai load on 10 m2 = 10 t/m2 = 22,026/32.8 = 671
values into the SI units and vice versa. In the PSF (Poundsper square bot).
crane and rigging industry we are not interested With the above exarnples and conversion
in the last decimal points, so I d round off factors at hand, Imperial units can be converted
some of the units. into SI units. Be aware of mistakes as they
Just as an example, let's convert a 100 t out- are very easily made. I do not pretend to be
ligger load, spread out on a steel load spreading complete, but rather intend to shine some light
matof2.5 m x 4 m = 10m2intotheSIunitsys- on the complex matters of different units.
t
The principles l am describing here do apply for a simple
Making a Rigging Plan rigging study made by hand, as wel1 as fora detailed study
prepared with a sophisticated CAD system or other modern
A rigging plan is a necessity for a safe and wel1 executed techniques.
lifting job. In the Netherlands, the civil Industry has Before we start drawing we must think of what we are going
recognised the importance of a wel1 prepared rigging plan to put on paper and in what format. In other words how do
and has appointed the SBW (Training centre for Infra we make the lay-out of the rigging study. Does the plan view
structure) in Harderwijk, the Netherlands for training crane and side view fit on the Same piece of paper? What scale are
supervisors the basics of how a rigging plan should be we going to use? Will we use the paper in portrait (vertical)
prepared. or in landscape (horizontal) mode? Where do we place the
l realise that with today's computers most of the rigging logo of the drawing, in which we identify the drawing number
studies can be prepared with software packages available on and describe what project we are drawing, as wel1 as the
the market and tailor made to specific crane types. These scale the drawing is made. So, again before we start putting
programs are of great help and there are several packages any line on paper: Think, Think and Think again.
available.
In the field though, a computer is not always available and to The lay-out of the drawing greatly depends on the project we
understand the principles of a rigging plan it is clear that the want to put on paper. l am a great supporter of a Rigging
crane supervisor should at least be able to prepare a simple plan in which we have all relevant information on one sheet
rigging plan himself with a sheet of paper, a ruler and a of paper.
1 pencil. To make things a little easier for you, let me make a list,
Simple lifting jobs do not require a lifting plan, but who are which describes what to my opinion should be in the Rigging
we to decide what a simple rigging job is and where does it plan:
start to be complicated. Pay attention to following points when preparing a
A small lift from a narrow spot at a long radius could be as Rigging plan
complicated as a big lift at a short radius with no obstacles.
LAY-OUT
Probably for a lot of people in the Industry, this article is a * Logo in right hand corner if possible
simple description of what they already know and apply in Side View and Top View on Same paper if
every days business. It is especially for those people who possible
intend to bring their operations on a higher safety level and What scale can you use best
help them in preparing a detailed rigging plan which can help Where do you place the lifting information
the operator and supervisor on the job to set the crane in the
correct position.

structures
Lift load in irorizonial

Tai1 laad in horizontal


position: 106.66Ts

s l 3 ,
Fig.2
LOGO
,~,- The Logo should preferably be placed in the
---.-.v-
right hand corner and give information about
following points:
Tail crane WEIGHT OF RIGGING GEAR o Name of contractor that executes the job
o Name of dient and Project
o Scale:
Cap. 99.25 ton o Date:
60 Ts Spanlifl Ballast
Rad. 10.5 m; o Drawn by:
Cap. 116.50 Ts o Checked by:
ig. 1 o Drawing No.:
o Revision:
o Drawing paper format
m Of course a lot of other things could be Radius and capacity of tail crane at pick-up and
mentioned in the LOGO. but the most imoortant setting down of the load
points are listed above Length and WLL (Work Load Limit) of slings
used in the lifting project for main crane(s) as
wel1 as tail crane(s)
WLL of shackles used on the project
Lifting lug details (hole diam., trunion size etc) in
relation to shackle and sling dimensions
m Dimensions and WLL of spreader and lifting
beams
INFORMATIONABOUT THE LOAD
Specify in detail:
Weight of load in Metric Tonnes, pounds or
Short Tons
Overall dimensions of load
Location and dimensions of transport
saddleslsupport points in relation to the C. of G.
Location of Centre of Gravity of the load in
relation to the lifting pointslsupport points
Dimensions and location of lifting points in l
relation to the C. of G.
INFORMATIONABOUT THE JOB SITE
Dimensions and Elevation of foundation(s)
Size and location of foundation bolts and shim
plates
l
Fig.3 Location and dimensions of obstacles such as
but not limited to:
DIMENSIONS o Drainage and sewer pipes under gound
Dimensioning of a drawing can be in the International metric o Light and telephone poles
o High tension lines
system (SI) or in the Imperia1system. In the International
system all dimensions are in mm (millimetres; 1000 mm = o Pipe racks and underground pipelines
o Allowable ground pressure
l m ) without specifically stating the units. If other units are
used they should be mentioned. (For more information on o Surrounding structures etc.
units see my previous articles in IC of September and
November 2001). The rigging plans shown are made with Autocad drawing
In a Rigging plan the following dimensions should at least be software and show a lot of details of equipment which is not
specified: always necessary for a correct rigging plan. See Fig.4 as an
Radius and crane lifting capacity at which we example of the same rigging plan but without the details of
piek up the load (for each crane, i.e. main crane the main boom, carbody and spreader beam.
********
as wei1 as tail crane)
Radius and crane lifting capacity at which the
load is set (again for each crane)
Outrigger (crawler) base of crane(s)
Radius of counterweight (or Superlift tray, or
radius of A-frame)
Position of each crane in relation to foundations
or other land marks
Type, model or make of crane that is used
Offset of top sheave, boom length, boom width
etc.
Centre lines of load, foundations, crane(s) etc.
Dimensions and locations of obstacles, which
could interfere with the lifting of the load
Dimensions and details of load spreading mats ll
LIFTING INFORMATION
Specify in detail:
* Radius and capacity of main crane at pick-up
and setting down of the load
Preparation o f Lifting Arrangement
Step by Step

l
Things can always be that little bit better

Offshore Lifts

eave Compensation:
What is it? Who needs it?

Wire ropes and cranes,


how can they
dance together?

List o f Advertisers / Colophon

Huisman-ltrec, a Dutch cornpany based in Schiedam, near


by Ernst Delfos, publisher
Rotterdam, has been operating successfully on this basis for
Extremely specific expertise is essential t o serve the needs of many years.This logica1way of working is not the only reason
the rnarket in both hoist and transportation systerns used by that has enabled the company to rack up spectacular growth.
the shipping industry and pipe laying systerns used by the The cornpany's great strength lies in its ability t o offer a total
petroleum and natura1 gas industries. integrated package: frorn plan t o crane, including all neces-
sary power train rnachinery,software and security modules.
A supplier needs k m l e d g e , experience and guts. Peopletaking
decisions about installations are often people who wil1 never Recent developments in the area of hoist and transportation
need t o work there.The supplier needs the courage t o open up systerns used by the shipping industry and systerns in
a debate and, where available, to offer a better alternative. off-shore activities led the Construction Insights editorial
team t o review this sector of the industry in detail. You are
That means knowingwhattheclient wants.And also kncwing now reading the outcorne. An informative journal (one t o
that sornetirnes things can be done a little bit better. Such an keep) that gives an insight int0 a fast rnoving rnarket.
approach rnay sound a trifle superior and even arrogant, but
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How can objects be su rted safely? This is the most


important issue when p
arrangement. Most
engineered iifts. To p
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he rnass of the object should be Strong points
carefully deterrnined. Ideally, the During the transport the object is connec-
object is weighed, but this is often ted t o a crane or rests on the appropriate
not practical. If the rnass is deterrnined supports using suitable 'stmng' points.
usingdrawings, no item should be ornitted, These are usually located near internal
because this wil1 result in an erroneous bulkheads or stiffeners. Sornetirnes these
centre of gravity calculation. Or, even points are ternporary, but if they are per-
more serieus, no items rnay be added t o manent, then it must be ensured that
the object t o be lifted, hence overloading these points do not accidentally get rnisu-
the crane or hoisting points. Frequent per- sed for any other purpose.
sonal checks of the object t o be lifted wil1
solve this problern. It is better t o reduce Statically deterrnined ,

the uncertainty by checking ratherthan to Preferably an object must be supported in


add an 'uncertainty' rnargin. a statically deterrnined way. A rigid body
has 6 degrees of freedorn. At least 6 cons-
Centre of gravity traints need t o be applied so as t o prevent
The centre of gravity (COC) can be calcula- all rnovernent by the object. If an object is
ted once the individual rnasses and the statically deterrnined, than each of the
individual COC's are known. Nevertheless support forces can be calculated theoreti-
it has been found that there is a greater cally. If extra constraints are added, the
error in the COC than the total rnass. forces can not be calculated any longer
A srnall deviation of the COC rnay lead t o and certain assurnptions concerning the
large changes i n the support reaction distribution of the forces must then be
forces.Therefore the effect of a COG shift made.
must be exarnined. A COC shift in each of
the three directions must be checked. It is Because gravity is the highest loading
recornrnendedt o evaluate the effects of a during transport, the supports in vertical
COC shift of 5% in the support distances direction play a major role. For a rigid
in all directions. body, three vertical supports are required
t o obtain a statically deterrnined support.
If the object is not rigid but flexible, an
extra support rnay be required for each
extra degree of freedorn.

If all degrees of freedorn are not constrai-


ned, the object wil1 try t o obtain a state of
lowest potential energy, in other words:
the centre of gravity wil1 move down.
Destabilising forces like wind and accele-
rations cause the object t o oscillate
around this equilibrium state.

Often a rigid object has four strong points.


To be able t o lift this object in a statically Figure I: Statically deterrnined support
deterrnined way,thefol l owingis proposed:
Equalising the 4 forces using spreaders
or linked hydraulic jacks
Equalising 2 forces by allowing slings t o
slide over the hook
t
Slings wil1 not slide over their suspension
without friction and this friction rnay lead
t o uneven load distributions. By tensio-
ning the slings a few times without an
actual lift of the object the distribution of
loads over the slings wil1 be irnproved.

Statically over deterrnined lifting opera-


tions can only be perforrned safely if the
reaction forces are rnonitored and can be Figure 2: Supporting a stiff or flexible object
controlled by the lifting equiprnent should
specified criteria be exceeded.
Stability
Two causes of stability loss are given:
Position of the centre of gravity (COC),
which may never pass the turn over line.
Plus elastic deformation. Examples are
buckling and capsizing. These are all
second order effects: a 10% increase in
mass results in more than 10% increase in
support loads.

The more stability is available the less a


lifting plan is sensitive to deviations in
theoretica1position of the COC. Figure 3: Lifting a t four points

Simplicity
The last, or rnaybe the first, criterion is
sirnplicity. A good arrangement is easy to
understand and to execute. Minirnise the
amount of handling: Prepare the site,
assemble all supports, rigging etc. Try to
use single motions (no slewing and hois-
ting at the Same time). Minimise the
arnount of equiprnent. Avoid re-rigging,
flame cutting and welding during the ope-
ration. Space between pins and holes must
contain sufficient rnargin. Lifting procedu-
res should always allow for stopping or
reversing at any time. Figure 4: Loss of stability
They have their own ideas, they are a bit sure of themsel-
ves, even arrogant. But those are the positivo sides of
Huisman-ltrec, based in Schiedam, the Netherlands, one
rid's ieading suppliers of hoist and transportation
systems used by the shipping industry and pipe laying
systems used by the petroleum and natura1 gas indus-
tries. "We know what the client wants, but we also know
that sornetimes it can done just that littie bit better,"
says Petro Walters the chanical Engineering

ustorners come t o US t o cornrnis-


sion a system and they often have
their own idea about precisely how
it should end up IookingThefirst thing we
often do is t o tel1 the custorner t o put that
t o one side, and then w e open u p t h e
debate and offer an alternative," is h o w
Walters explains what appears at first
sight t o be Huisman-ltrec's curieus way o f
working. But precisely this way o f working
is t h e key t o the company's success over
rnany years."We're pretty sure o f ourselves
and rnaybe w e corne across as a bit arrog-
ant, but our clients are extrernely happy
w i t h t h e end result."

Walters gives an exarnple o f this way o f


working: "A client once had a huge crate A Logical Way of Working
delivered t o US. Inside were support i n g It is o f course not just arrogance and a
details for his requirernents for a new superior approach that deterrnines how
installation. It was full o f files and designs Huisman-ltrec goes about its business. "At
t o tel1 US exactly howthe systern was t o be the end o f the day there's a totally logica1
built. We opened the crate and a f e w reason for working this way," Walters
seconds later we closed it again and put it explains. "The people using the systerns
away. We then started thinking on our aren't the people who decide what kind of
o w n about t h e cornrnission. The client is installation wil1 be put in, management
n o w extrernely happy w i t h t h e result, does t h a t sitting i n a nice clean office.
which is rnuch better than t h e original Maybe things shouldn't be like that, but
idea delivered i n the crate." management sornetirnes doesn't really
assernbly takes place in addition t o sales Walters: "Our Managing Director was rat-
and design. The cornpany also has plants her pleased with this invention and wan-
i n the Czech Republic, and in Houston. ted t o involve a client with the design. But
Walters says that the great strength of the at first nobody was interested." The
cornpany is its ability t o provide an inte- Managing Director then approached a
grated package."We deliver an integrated client with an unusual proposal: "He sug-
package, including all necessary power gested putting in the systern without
t rain rnachinery, software and security charge, with the condition that every time
rnodules."This makes the cornpanyunique, it was used the customer would pay
together with strong design, calculation $2000. Until the systern had generated
and blueprint assets. twice its selling price.The client agreed, on
condition they spent the profit together
Splittable block on a garnbling trip t o Las Vegas." But the
Huisman-ltre: does not only design in trip t o Las Vegas never took place because
response t o client cornrnissions. lts engi- the client becarne so enthusiastic shortly
neers are free t o look for irnprovernents or after installation that he paid the pur-
new ideas on their own. This led t o the chase price.
cornpany's developing of the so-called
splittable-block'. This invention makes it
possible t o switch very quickly between
faster hoisting and more powerful hois-
ting. "This invention rneans no more
having t o rernove the hoist cables and
then feeding thern in again.
the crane is operating with higher loads
than the Safe Werking Load (SWL).
Furthermore, when all loads t o be lifted
are more or less equal, there wil1 be more
risk that the crane wil1 be overloaded. In
the Lloyds Code of Lifting Appliances in a
Marine Environment this is accounted by
the duty factor.The European standard for
lifting equipment (FEM) refers t o a similar
factor as appliance factor, while the NEN
2 0 1 8 crane standard applies the Groupfac-
tor. In the table the duty factor according
t o the various standards is compared.
In the FEM the duty factor is concluded
from the load spectrum and the amount
of expected load cycles. I t is concluded
that the duty factor of 1.2 for offshore cra-
nes is based on the assumption that the
crane wil1 be operated frequently and at
the same load, which is the case for
general purpose offshore cranes. For larger
floating cranes the duty factor of 1.2 is
unrealistically large. In order t o determine
the duty factor for floating cranes or cra-
nes for construction and deconstruction,
the duty factor is determined according to
the FEM based on the appliance group.

For offshore lifts the environmental conditions are less wel! controlled than lifts
with land based cranes or even shipboard cranes. Irregular waves and swell lead
t5 reduced control over crane motion. Therefore, the steel structure and drive
system of an offshore crane must be designed for higher dynamic loads than a
land based crane.

his dynamic loading is expressed in


t h ree main factors: Duty Factor,
Horizontal Loads (Offlead and
Sidelead) and the Hoisting Factor. An
insight in these factors is given in the fol-
lowing article.
Horizontal Loads
Load factors A crane designer thinks in offlead and
Duty Factor Fd sidelead. Many crane operators think in
A factor accounting for stochastic effects heel and trim, but heel and trim do not
and reducing the allowable stresses in the take int0 account all effects.The causes of
structure horizontal loads are:
i. Heel and Trim of the crane vessel
Horizontal loads: Offlead and Sidelead (static vessel inclinations)
Offleadfl is the load away from the crane 2. Pitch and Roll of the crane vessel
tip. Sidelead[] is load transverse t o the (dynamicvessel inclinations)
3. Erroneous positioning of the crane tip
above the load
4. Swing of the load due t o motion ofthe
vessel and the crane

For an operator it is easierto limit the side-


lead than the offlead. The operator has a
better view on the sideways swing of the
load. Further the slewing motion is often
much faster than the topping motion and
allows t h e operatorto reduce the sidelead. Where (j) Dynarnicfactor on crane [-l
As a rule of thurnb thefollowing cornbina- Vr Relativa crane t i p speed
tions need t o be considered: [rnls] between hook and
a) Offlead = 1' + i' . Hsig* load just before lift off
Sidelead = 3% + 1.2O . Hsig g Acceleration o f gravity =
b) Offlead = 3.V + 1.2' . Hsig 9.81 [rn/sz]
Sidelead = 1' + i0 . Hsig C Crane stiffness including
all deflections o f t h e crane
'Hsig: In general the horizontal loads have except t h e support struc-
a static component and a component ture [kN/rn]
increasing w i t h t h e wave height. M Mass t o be lifted, mnsisting
In practice the horizontal loads are rnuch o f lower block and load [t]
more difficult and depend on the type o f This equation o f the dynarnic factor is
operation and the crane support vessel. based on a rnass M falling w i t h speed vr
int0 a crane w i t h stiffness C.The stifferthe
crane t h e larger the hoisting factor. The
larger the load t h e smaller t h e hoisting
factor. The larger the relative crane t i p
speed the largerthe hoistingfactor.

The relative crane tip speed vr contains the


following cornponents:

Where Vh Hoisting velocity in [rn/s]


Vd Velocityofthe loadsupport
Hoisting factor structure (deck) just before
The hoistingfactor depends rnainly on the lift o f f [rn/s]
type o f offshore operation. The following VC Velocity o f the crane t i p
types o f operation can be observed: just before lift off [rnls]
internal lift (lift t o or frorn the installation
where the crane is rnounted), platform lift With these data the dynarnic load for
(lift frorn a fixed offshore installation t o internal lifts, platform lifts and supply boat
the crane vessel), supply boat lift (lift frorn lifts can be calculated.
a supply boat t o t h e cranevessel), lift i n air Internal lifts Vd=0 and VC-0
(lift through t h e air t o or frorn the crane Platform lifts Vd=0 and V&
vessel), subrnerged lift (lift through the Supply boat lifts Vd#O and VC+O
splash zone and the sea water) and seabed
lift (lift t o or frorn the sea bed). The relative crane t i p speed increases w i t h
the wave height. This rneans t h a t the
dynarnic factor wil1 also increase w i t h the
wave height and the safe werking load wil1
be derated for higher waves.
After the load is lifted frorn deck the follo-
wing dynarnicfactor applies:

Where d) Dynarnicfactor on crane [-l


ah Acceleration of the hoist
[rn/s2]
The hoisting factors as defined in the 3.c Acceleration o f t h e crane
crane standards (Lloyds, DNV, FEM, NEN) t i p due t o vessel and crane
are al1 based on lifts frorn a deck. For such rnotion [rn/s2]
lifts the following equation is applicable: This equation could also be applied t o lifts in
air.H ow/ever,it is seldorn the most deterrnin-
ing load factor, because it happens after an
internal, platform or supply boat lift. Crane
standards do not considerthis situation.
Subrnerged lifts and seabed lifts are also heave cornpensation systerns are required
not considered in crane standards. The t o carry out the operation safely.
reason is that the SafeWorking Load (SWL)
fora subrnerged lift can not be related t o This equation for subrnerged lifts shows
the rnass of the load. Effects of buoyancy, that a general load chart for subrnerged
drag,added rnass and suction forces of the lifts can not be given. For subrnerged lifts it
load t o the seabed depend very rnuch on is recornrnended t o deterrnine the expec-
the shape of the load. In particular, the ted dynarnic load [kN] and t o verify if this
added rnass appears t o have a big effect load is less than the dynarnic load [kN] as
on the dynarnic load on a crane. For a sub- can be concluded frorn the dynarnic fac-
rnerged lift the following equation could tors for internal lifts.
be applied for the dynarnic factor.

Where d) Dynarnic load factor on


crane tip M
ecause of the way a ves moves, controlling a crane at rol1 and pitch motions must also be meas-
sea is more diffcult than rforming the same operation ured because the lifting point (crane tip) is
not usually located at the centreline of the
on land. Serious probiems can arise from the fact that the
vessel. Secondly the actual position o f the
crane is instatied on a moving object. The vertical move- crane t i p must be measured, using sensors
ment of the crane tip in articular can cause the ioad to t o establish t h e slew angle and t h e jib
oduce additional forces on the angle of the crane.
crane when the load is moving through the water.
The next step is t o recalculate the rneas-
ured heave, rol1 and pitch t o determine the
here are t w o effects which can be vertical motion at the crane tip. Once the
resolvad by heave compensation: vertical motion at the crane tip is known
Vertical movernent o f the load w i t h as a real time signal,all that is needed is t o
respect t o t h e seabed or fixed platform. control the hoist winch exactly opposite t o
Additional forces on the crane due t o drag the calculated rnotions. The result wil1 be
forces caused by a moving object i n t h e that the load remains at constant distance
surrounding water. frorn the seabed.

Landing an object on the seabed It is easy t o understand that forthis opera-


In order t o reduce the impact of the load tion, both the control systern and the drive
landing at t o o high a speed on the seabed, system must have a very fast reaction and
the crane system needs t o compensate the speed that can cope w i t h t h e crane t i p
vertical motion o f the crane t i p caused by speeds. It is assumed often that only the
the waves. In order t o compensate for the heave motions need t o be compensated.
vessel's movernents, the actual motion o f This, however, is not true. Most vessels
the vessel must be measured first.This can have quite fast rol1 and pitch behaviour,
be done using a Motion Reference Unit which together w i t h a crane t i p far out-
(M.R.U.) which can output real time heave, board, results in speeds o f up t o twice the
rol1 and pitch rnotions o f the vessel. The heave speed!
large va riatton in load induced on the
The pressure Ap is a function of the load. The speed m is a function of a
The speed m is a function ofthe oil flow. L=F(a)
The oil flow is a function of the swash- m =F(a.)
plate angle B. This systern is in p r i n c i p l e ~Al cer-
L=F(Ap) tain swashpiate is requird t o make
m =F(B) balance with the load.
This systern is in principle&.&, If the swashplate angle increases slightiy,
The Load L is a function of a. then the rnotorsysternaccelerates.

wire prior t o lifting frorn the seabed, or


prior t o l i f t i n g frorn another rnoving
object, such as a supply boat.

Without constant tensioning it is very dif-


ficult t o hoist the load and t o prevent it
frorn "burnping" back onto the supply
boat during t h e next wave. The proper
way t o do this operation is t o select con-
stant tension mode and slowly hoist w i t h
a slack wire. As soon as the selected con-
stant tension value is reached (no slack on
t h e wire) t h e systern wil1 autornatically
rnaintain t h e line tension and keep the
line tension under control irrespective o f
t h e vessel or load motion. The operator
can now wait until the ship is at the top o f
a wave and then switch off constant ten-
Sion and start hoisting. This wil1 prevent
the load frorn hitting the seabed again at
the next wave.
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A reeving system that adds andlor remo-
ves torsion from the winches int0 the
tackle. This could wel1 be the case if both
rope ends are connected to a drum. The
best solution is to disconnect the end con-
nections from time to time and give some
counter torsion.

The sheave grooves may be too narrow.


This wil1 cause the rope running over these
sheaves to spin overthem.The groove radius
At multi-layer winches most attention should be at least 1% larger than the maxi-
should be paid to the windings near the mum rope diameter. If not, either a smaller
flangs and at the crossings of upper and wire must be installed or the sheave dimen-
l o w r layers (eve ryi80). Discard criteria for sion has to be corrected. Also the opening
steel wire ropes can befound in 1504308. angle of a sheave may be too narrow.

Ropes should always be wel1 greased to 6 Torsion due t o crane movements. If a

greatly reduce wear and corrosion. Lack of crane performs a certain cycle (loaded and
grease has a negative effect on service life. unloaded), a movement pattern could
occur that brings torsion in the rope. This
Twisting of lower tackle wil1 cause spinning after a certain amount
Twisting of lowertacklecouldbe caused by: of cycles. Winding and unwinding the
complete rope from the drum from time to
Improper design of tackle stability. Try time can prevent this.
using a rope with a lower torque factor or
use larger sheave diameter. The twist wil1 Waviness and bird caging
occur with and without load at larger Waviness and bird caging are both caused
tackle lengths. by torsion in the rope, but act in different
directions. Bird caging means the rope
6 Operations that cause torsion on the turns open. Waviness means the rope
lower tackle, for instance if the swivel of turns in. In both situations some strands
the hook does not function properly. The wil1 carry more load than others.
swivel torque should normally not provoke
t00 much torsion. It is important that a swirl is not applied to
the dead end connection of an ordinary
Improper rope manufacturing or instal- rope.This is only allowed for non-spinning
lation. ropes.
Broker) wires by selecting a rope less sensitive t o fati-
If broken wires are found t h e cause very gue (higher product o f strands and wires),
much depends on t h e spot where they or cut and slip practice (so t h a t t h e
occur. damage is spread over a larger piece o f
rope).

Near the end connection: the end con-


nection rnay not be installed properly. Try
cutting the rope and refitting the connec-
tion. Alternatively, the end connection
On the Lebus crossings: the broken wires rnay have lack o f swivelling capacity. In
are probably caused by one winding one direction an end connection can
destroying the next winding while being mostly swivel, i n the other direction swi-
laid into the drum, meaning the rope con- vel capacity rnay be lacking. The need for
struction is not suitable. A srnoother rope swivelling can be caused by vibration.
(like cornpacted or Lang's lay) could
improve the situation.

At the rope section that runs most fre-


quently over a sheave: t h e broken wires
are caused by fatigue. It can be irnproved

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