Maintenance

Dennis Domenichini explains

what constitutes a proper job

What to look for

Dennis Domenichini explains what is required for a mobile crane structural inspection

This crane would

not have tipped if
the weld holding
the outrigger jack
on to the beam
hadnt broken

t is important to have equipment

that is in good condition if we are
to assure job safety. In the crane
industry, the key to achieving this
goal is careful inspection by
competent personnel followed by
proper repair procedures.
Despite this, a great number of crane
operators and owners see crane
inspection only as a way to get on more
job sites, or perhaps simply as a
necessary evil required to meet their
legal responsibilities. For these
operators, the only criteria for good
inspection is low cost and quick delivery
of a clean inspection report. Of course,
this is missing the point. The diligent
operator understands that inspection is a
preventive maintenance tool and, while
it does expand the market and reduce
liability, the main reason for doing it is
safety. Simply stated: inspection
prevents accidents.
Many will argue that most crane
accidents are operator related and
theyre right. However, I have attended
cases where outrigger jacks have broken
off, boom hoist ropes have snapped, and
booms have failed. In some cases, the

crane owner developed a new

commitment to inspection. In other cases,
people have died.
In Canada, nearly all provinces require
inspection to be carried out in
accordance with CSA standard Z-150
(Mobile Crane Safety Code) and others
are in the process of updating their
legislation to include it. Standard Z-150
breaks down inspection into four classes
based on the rate of degradation. These
are Daily, Periodic, Annual, and Tear-down
inspections as described in Table 1 (see
next page). This article will concentrate
on structural inspection of the crane as
called for in the latter two classes.
Inspection methodology
Structural inspection is carried out using
a combination of visual, magnetic particle
and ultrasonic testing techniques.
Typically, all items listed under Annual
Inspection in table 1 are checked as well
as various other items specific to the
crane being tested. Special attention
should be paid to all the hot spots on
these items, however, it is important not
to gloss over the lower stress areas. I
have seen numerous cracks, bulges,

bends and breaks in surprising areas.

Magnetic particle inspection is a
sensitive method for detecting surface
breaking discontinuities that are
otherwise invisible in iron and steel parts.
For crane inspection, it is typically used to
locate fatigue cracks in welds and other
critical parts such as hooks, wedge
sockets and so on. It is not suitable for
finding defects below the surface of the
steel and does not give any information
about depth of defects detected.
The method is carried out using a
hand-held electromagnet to induce a
magnetic field in the material being
tested.To locate the cracks, an indicating
medium, typically dyed iron oxide powder,
is applied to the surface. The powder can
be applied dry or in a wet solution. Where
a crack exists, the powder will be held,
clearly indicating its full length.
To be effective, magnetic particle
testing must be carried out on a clean
surface. This means that any grease, dirt,
flaking paint, and other foreign material
must be cleaned before testing. The test
can, however, be carried out through a
thin layer of tightly adhering paint.
Ultrasonic inspection is used to detect

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Maintenance
Table 1: Inspection classes per Canadian Standards Association Standard Z-150
Class

Frequency

Items to check

Typical check points

Daily inspection

Daily

Components whose
condition could
change frequently

Wire rope, fluids, controls, hooks

All items in Daily

inspection plus
wear items

Brake / clutch wear, sheaves,

hydraulic components

Periodic inspection Every 3 months

or 350 hours

Annual inspection Every 12 months All structural components Outriggers, outrigger boxes, boom
& jib sections, boom & jib masts,
boom stops, hooks, carrier, gantry,
pins & bolts, turret, sheaves, track
frames, wedge sockets, pendants
& straps, wire ropes, winch
mounts, etc.
Tear-down
inspection

Hooks 5 years

All areas hidden from

inspection when
assembled

Boom 10 years
or 10,000 hours

Crack found on
hook using
magnetic particle
testing with wet
particles

internal defects in materials. During

crane inspection, ultrasonics is
commonly used on turntable bolts, hook
shanks and critical pins to detect cracks
or breaks without disassembly. Critical
weld repairs are also often tested by
ultrasonics to verify the weld integrity.
Ultrasonic testing of a pin or bolt is
generally carried out by sending sound
through its length from one end. The
sound will reflect off the far end of the
pin showing the full length of the pin on
the instrument screen. Any cracks in the
pin or bolt will also reflect a portion of
the sound energy which will show up on
the instrument screen between the front
and far end of the pin. Although this
sounds simple, a skilled operator is
required to accurately interpret the
signals on the screen and provide the
correct result.
Where aluminum parts need to be
tested for cracks, magnetic particle

Hook shank & nut, swivels,

trunnion, connecting plates,
bearings, etc.
Accessible interior welds, wear pad
mounts, pin bosses, cylinder lugs

inspection will not work and liquid

penetrant inspection is used instead.
This method works on any material that
is non-porous and is used to detect
surface breaking discontinuities such as
cracks or porosity. While not used often
in crane inspection, it does see use in
aerial work platform inspection where
aluminium booms are commonplace.
Most shops are familiar with this method
and have cans of penetrant and
developer available for use.
The item to be tested must be initially
pre-cleaned with all foreign materials,
including paint, completely removed.
The penetrant solution is then applied
and kept on the part for 15 to 25
minutes to allow it to enter the
discontinuity. The penetrant is then
completely washed off and, after
allowing the part to dry, a developer is
applied. The developer is kept on about
half as long as the penetrating time,
during which it pulls the penetrant out
of the discontinuity, plainly showing the
length of the discontinuity.
Finally, the last and arguably most
difficult test method is visual inspection.
The difficulty with this method is in
knowing what to look for. Common
items that can only be seen by visual
inspection are rope degradation, bends
and dents in lattice and chord members,
worn sheaves, play in pin bosses,
stretched hooks, and on and on. The
successful crane inspector must maintain
a large group of acceptance criteria
pulled from standards, legislation, and
manufacturers specifications. It is this
knowledge, gained from ample training
and experience, that separates the crane
inspector from the nondestructive
testing technician.
Selecting your structural inspector
In many jurisdictions, including Canada,
there is no certification or written
qualifications for structural inspectors of
mobile cranes. In these cases, the
inspector is only as good as the training

and experience gained on the job. Most

nondestructive testing companies will
offer crane inspection, although it often
is not a large part of their business. A
technician from such a company will
easily be able to detect a crack on a part
being tested. However, if the technician
is not that familiar with cranes, the right
parts may not be tested. Furthermore,
certain defects may not be recognised as
such due to a lack of knowledge.
It therefore becomes the crane
owners responsibility to ensure the
competence of the crane inspection
company and technician. There are
many signs of a part time crane
inspector if the right questions are asked.
Here are a few tips:
5 Ask how many cranes they inspect per
month. A true crane inspector should
average at least 10 cranes per month.
5 Ensure that the inspector knows the
names of all parts of the crane. If not,
this is a sign that the inspector isnt
very experienced with cranes.
5 Inquire about rejection criteria for
crane specific components such as
wire rope, sheaves, hooks etc. For
example, a crane inspector should
know how many broken wires are
allowed in a rope and how much wear
is allowed in a hook before they must
be removed from service. Without
this knowledge, just what kind of
inspection can he provide?
5 Ask about the regulations and
standards pertaining to crane
inspection in your area. The inspector
needs to know which regulations
apply and be familiar with them.
Another important element is the
presence of competent engineering
direction. The annual inspection is to be
carried out under the direction of a
professional engineer competent in
crane inspection, welded repair of high
strength steels, and preferably
nondestructive testing. The inspection
company should have such an engineer
on staff to direct the inspection and not
just retained to sign off field reports.
Where the engineer is a
subcontractor, or subcontracts the
inspection, there is less opportunity for
that engineer to provide the training,
supervision, communication, and
technical support required. Further,
there is the strong possibility that the
engineer will be left out of the repair
decision for what the inspector feels to
be minor repairs. This can result in
improper repair procedures being
employed, potentially degrading the
strength of the crane component.
Remember, the calibre of the
inspection company, inspector, and
engineer determines the calibre of the
advice you receive as well as the ultimate
safety of the crane.

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Maintenance

Ultrasonic
instrument being
calibrated for
testing

Preparing for the inspection

There are a few things the crane owner
should do to improve the quality of the
inspection. First and foremost among
these is to wash the crane. As mentioned
previously, magnetic particle inspection
does not work through layers of grease
and dirt. Further, the inspector may miss
whole welds or components if they are
covered in dirt. As an example, I once
inspected a rough terrain crane that was
brand new and spotless. Not only did
the inspection take half the time, but I
was able to inspect more areas than I
had on other similar units. I even found
some welds that I didnt know existed!
The power wash operator should
concentrate on the welds, especially at
corners, terminations and changes of
section. Pay special attention to the
inside of the turret, at the boom tips,
around outriggers and boxes, at track
frame legs, around cylinder mounts and
other areas typically subject to cracking.
Simply put, the cleaner the crane, the
better the inspection.
Secondly, make sure someone is
available to move the crane around for
the inspector as required. This person
doesnt usually need to be with the
inspector all day, but should be available
from time to time.
The crane should be set up in an area
where the boom can be fully extended
and laid down, or barring that, where it
can be extended one section at a time
while horizontal. This will allow the
inspector to check the full length of
each boom section for dents, bends,
cracks, scoring, etc. Manual fly boom
sections and extendable jibs will have to
be extended as well during the
inspection. It may be required to add
counterweight in order to lay the boom
down in this manner.
If the load ropes are to be inspected,

they should be reeved up with enough

parts of line to allow the rope to be fully
spooled off the drum. This may be done
while the inspector is on site thereby
allowing inspection of the entire body of
the wedge socket, including its interior,
when it is disassembled.
Repairs
As a crane ages, it is inevitable that it will
require repairs to its structure. The
guiding rule for any repair is that the
original safety factor supplied by the
manufacturer must be maintained. This
means that bolts must be replaced with
the same grade bolt, and replacement
pins must be of the same material and
heat treatment as original, or equivalent.
Where these parts cannot be obtained
from the manufacturer, laboratory analysis
may be required to identify the material.
Where welded repair is concerned, a
proper repair procedure should be
obtained from the manufacturer or,
where this is unavailable, from an
engineer competent in welded repair of
high strength steel. To maintain the
strength of the original part, the correct
filler metal grade must be used as
determined by the type of steel being
welded and the stresses present in the
part under load. Again, this may require
laboratory testing or portable hardness
testing to obtain information about the
material grade. The welding procedure
should not be left to the discretion of the
welder. From experience, most welders
will almost always choose E7018
electrodes simply due to the ease of
welding with them. Should this be the
wrong choice, however, the safety factor
of the welded component may be
degraded, weakening the part.
When it comes to welding
workmanship, several basic steps are
required to ensure a sound weld. These

steps are just good common sense, but are

often not followed, negatively impacting
the long term serviceability of the weld.
To make a proper weld, the welder
must, as a minimum:
5 Be certified for the welding process,
position, filler metal, and material type.
Do not settle for a mechanic with a
rudimentary welding background.
5 Follow the supplied welding
procedure to the letter.
5 Understand the characteristics of the
material being welded and use the
correct welding rod or wire.
5 Clean the area of any grease, dirt,
paint, rust, or other foreign material, at
least 50 mm on either side of the
repair. Failure to do so will cause
porosity and/or inclusions in the weld
metal, weakening it and making it
more susceptible to cracking.
5 Completely remove the crack and
check it with magnetic particle or
liquid penetrant testing. It is not
always easy to see the remaining
crack in a gouged out groove with
the naked eye. Nor is not true that
turning up the amperage will burn
out the crack. With no root gap,
welding penetration is very limited
and often a portion of the crack will
remain below the surface if this
technique is used. This remaining
crack will again propagate through
the material, likely requiring another
repair after the next inspection.
5 Pay attention to the pre-heat and
post-heat requirements. The
material should be evenly heated to
the pre-heat temperature through
its thickness for three inches (75mm)
to either side of the repair.
Neglecting these requirements can
often lead to re-cracking or high
residual stresses in the weld.
The above steps will usually lead to a
proper repair, but to be sure check it
with magnetic particle inspection,
preferably 48 hours after welding. The
delay period is prescribed so that any
hydrogen cracking (which can take two
days to develop) will be found.
The goal
Remember, the point of structural
inspection is not to receive a piece of
paper. Rather, the goal is to ensure the
continued safe operation of your crane.
The most effective way to achieve this
goal is regular inspection and repair by
experienced and competent personnel
working in accordance with
governing laws and standards.
About the author
Dennis Domenichini is president of
Domson Engineering & Inspection, based
in Ontario, Canada, specialising in the
crane and lift industry

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