Alturna mats Under Crane Cribbing?

chris_girard

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Has anyone had any problems using Alturna mats under the crane cribbing that you put down for the outriggers?

My crane operator doesn't want to use them because he says that they look too slippery and he's afraid the outriggers and cribbing will slide on them.

Any thoughts on this for those that have been using them this way under the outriggers? To me, it seems like they are a great way to spread the load better on the ground if you can set the outriggers and cribbing on them.
 
They are fine on level ground. On slopes, there is definitely the possibility of sliding in certain situations.

They are a quick way to spread the weight more but if the CO won't use them just spend more time putting down timbers and 'regular' cribbing.
 
Heavy use here as well to provide traction and spread the load under the wheels when moving the crane in and out of places, but I can't recall ever seeing the cribbing being put on top of the mats.
 
IMO, the mats won't appreciably spread the outriggers' concentrated load much beyond the cribbing anyway, they're too flexible.
 
I don't see the point really. Cribbing is sufficient. On a similar note, my buddy was talking with a customer of ours that builds cranes and bucket booms. He was saying the allowable tolerance for an outrigger to lift off the ground was a foot. That seemed crazy to me. Anyone else heard of this?
 
I've had 2 outriggers 6 feet off the ground before on a 60 ton yarder.... And still landed the turn... Granted I didn't understand the side load I was putting on those jacks but they are still in service today...
 
I heard someone say that but if I feel mine lift I'm repositioning or getting another plan of action. That's on a bucket truck. With a crane I don't wanna see any movement at all. That shit scares me:big-no:
 
Rich, opposite side outriggers on ALC and terex lift off ground when booms are far out as SOP, I figured all bucket trucks did.

Willie, 6' sounds pretty huge but your yarder was guyed, true?
 
He must mean 6'off the ground but on the cribbing still. If that shit was floating 6' in the air he'd be tipped over.
 
Correct on the terex Cory. Scares the shit outta me. Maybe that's in spec but the closer you get to that point the less it takes to push you over the edge. Lots of tipped over bucket pics out there. I'm sure most thought they were ok.
It's just not my cup of tea to do that.
 
I don't worry cuz it is in the spec, as you say. They come up to a certain limit then stop, its just flex in the structure. If the truck is level to begin with, and on firm ground, y'all are fine.

Ya know, I've seen far more pics of tipped over cranes than buckets, do you think buckets tipping is fairly common?
 
I can't recall seeing/hearing/reading about a bucket tipping that wasn't related to poor ground under the outrigger.
 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IgDn8f27xvQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Rich, opposite side outriggers on ALC and terex lift off ground when booms are far out as SOP, I figured all bucket trucks did.

Willie, 6' sounds pretty huge but your harder was guyed, true?
Correct, guyed to a d7g which was on a steep hill behind us. Kept dragging it down the hill and every 5 to 10 turns the hooker would have to go reset it. It was an unusual situation.
He must mean 6'off the ground but on the cribbing still. If that shit was floating 6' in the air he'd be tipped over.
With out the guy line I'd have been tipped. One foot on the dash to stay in my seat!
 
I dodged a bullet one day, high wind, distracted, set up the bucket on an inclined roadway in a parking lot, went up, got the lower boom vertical, upper boom horizontal and fully over the side, felt kinda wobbly, looked down to see no outriggers down:\:
 
Nasty vid, Carl. The outrigger doesn't look sunk in??
 
Nope, and I've seen that video before too. I wonder if something hit the boom or if he was "craning." Seems unusual for it to tip on its own.
 
I remember that one. Looks like he was either struck or he had the front end way up in the air. I'm going with he hit the boom with a piece. Tree was in front of him, not off to the side.
 
I've often observed a crane swaying around and some very slightly noticeable lift off the cribbing, and it seemed like proper set up to me.
 
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