Why we need innovative crane mat and outrigger pad solutions in the construction industry
The key function of load spreader mats is to reduce the applied pressure to the ground to make sure that the machine and the lift remain stable. Ground conditions under a crane outrigger pose the most risk of a crane overturning. It can be difficult to know if the ground beneath a crane will support the weight and pressure under the outriggers, which is why the outrigger load must be evenly spread over a larger area.
Over the past 20-years, crane technology has greatly advanced. Smaller cranes are now lifting more at greater radiuses and exerting heavier loads through their outriggers. What hasn’t advanced at the same rate, if at all, is crane mat technology. There doesn’t appear to be any formal protocol on material selection, certification or testing.
What’s clear from our research is that some manufacturers and distributors of crane mats are promoting the compressive strength of the material – even though all crane mat materials have high compressive strength. We believe a far better question to ask is ‘are they capable of safely spreading the outrigger load horizontally before distribution to the ground’.
With ongoing concerns about climate change and extreme variable weather conditions, ground load bearing test results for any given area can vary from day to day. Various ground conditions would have different allowable ground bearing conditions and pressures – and different machines and lifting environments would have different concentrated outrigger loads. That’s why we believe the material of the outrigger mat should have known structural properties at the time of use.
