It’s hard to imagine life without electricity. We flip a switch and things start working. It powers your lights, television, refrigerator, air conditioner and so much more. Powerlines deliver electricity to our homes and offices and don’t seem dangerous because they are normally mounted up high and out of reach. The truth is, they have […]
One of the most overlooked considerations when designing a rigging system is sling angles. When slings are used in a bridle at an angle, the angle increases the force applied to each sling and the rigging hardware such as shackles, spreader bars, links and collector rings. The illustration below clearly shows the effect of specific […]
How do you lift an object 450 feet that weighs 780 tons (1,560,000 pounds)? First, you will need two 1500-ton capacity cranes with 500 feet of boom each. Then you will need to design and build a specialized rigging system to join the two cranes to the nacelle with equal loads. Top it off with […]
No one expects to have a crane accident, but it can happen to anyone. Everyone who uses a crane is subject to a calculated risk. All of us need to be prepared in the event an accident occurs. WHAT IF YOU ARE FACED WITH THIS AT YOUR SITE? […]
Review of rigging attachments to the equipment being lifted have prevented lift failures. When planning major crane lifts we are very careful about confirming the crane foundation, rigging stability/capacity, and crane capacity. Are we taking enough time to analyze the points of attachment for the rigging? Becht Engineering Heavy Lift Division says “NO”. Our experience […]
Where will crane mats be in 10 years, 20 years, 50 years? It takes approximately 90 years to grow a 12-inch by 12-inch oak timber twenty feet long. High quality hardwood timbers are becoming harder to find. This is widely known but rarely discussed. The shortage of wood timbers is a national problem. Timber Mats […]
Making A Super Heavy Lift? Here’s What You Need To Know If you are making a single super lift or a series of super lifts there will be a tremendous number of documents created during the planning stages. In addition to the original documents there will be numerous revisions as the fine tuning of the […]
I am sure most of you heard about the tragic crane accident that occurred in Mecca in September 2015. I was paying very close attention as the crane was very large and similar to the cranes we work with everyday here at Becht. We have utilized the same make and model on three projects just […]
I have been receiving many inquiries recently from individuals and companies concerned about the status of OSHA Rule 1926.1427 – All wondering if they are in compliance. Bottom Line – There is currently a nationwide controversy regarding OSHA regulation on crane operators. Background OSHA enacted a new crane rule in 2010. The part 1926.1427 (Crane Operators) […]
This is the second part of “Lift Director – Are you in Compliance?” published Sept. 10, 2014. Click Here to view Part 1 Who Are these Persons? Where do we find them? First, this person is a “natural leader” — not afraid to make informed decisions and stand behind them. A person that others will […]
