Chapter 8

Hoisting

8.1. Introduction
Hoisting is the operation of lifting the weight from one location and moving it to another location which
is at a reasonable distance and then dumping it. Hoisting equipment includes jacks, winches, chain hoists,
and cranes. As a hoisting equipment, crane is the only single machine which is capable of providing three-
dimensional movement of a weight. It does hoisting operation speedily with safety and precision.

8.2. Cranes
Cranes are primarily used for lifting, lowering, and transporting loads. They move loads horizontally
by swinging or traveling. Most mobile cranes consist of a carrier and superstructure equipped with a boom
and hook.
The current trend toward the use of hydraulically operated equipment includes hydraulically powered
telescoping boom cranes. The mobile telescoping-boom crane is capable of lifting loads to the top of a 24-
storey building. Some mobile cranes are intended to be used only as cranes and do not have the capability
of using the crane-shovel front-end attachments.

8.3. Classification of Cranes

Cranes are broadly classified as:
 Stationary or derrick cranes
They consist of a mast, a boom and a bull wheel on which the boom rotates about a a vertical axis
and guys or supporting members.
 Mobile cranes
They are mounted on mobile unit which is either crawler type or wheel type (truck mounted). Truck
cranes have high mobility while the crawler mounted cranes move slowly. Crawler type cranes are
capable of moving on rough terrain. These cranes are used for transporting loads to shorter
distances.
 Overhead or gantry cranes
These types of cranes, due to its large service area, freedom from floor obstructions and three-
way mobility, are widely used in erection, foundry, steel plant, storage yards, and different types
of industrial works.
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  Traveller cranes
Travelling cranes or bridge cranes have their crabs moving on girders which are supported on
legs instead of on overhead gantry track as used in overhead cranes. The legs are capable of
moving on tracks laid on the floor.
 Tower cranes
Tower cranes are actually derrick cranes mounted on a steel tower. Tower cranes are usually used
for industrial and high-rise buildings.

 Types of tower cranes

 Horizontal jib (saddle jib) crane
 Luffing boom crane
 Articulated boom crane

Luffing boom models have the ability to operate in areas of restricted horizontal clearance
not suitable for horizontal jib cranes with their fixed jibs and counterweights. Articulated jib

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 cranes are able to reposition their hinged jibs to convert excess hook reach into added hook
height. Thus, such cranes can be operated in either the horizontalor luffed position.

8.4. The major factors controlling the load that may be safely lifted by a crane include:
 its operating radius (horizontal distance from the the center of rotation to the hook)
 position of the boom in relation to the carrier
 amount of counterweight
 condition of the supporting surface

Note:
1. Safety regulations limit maximum crane load to a percentage of the tipping load (load that will cause
the crane to actually begin to tip). The rated load of a lifting crane shall not exceed the following
percentages of tipping loads at specified radii:
 Crawler-mounted machines: 75%
 Rubber-tire-mounted machines: 85%
 Machines on outriggers: 85%
2. Hook blocks, slings, spreader bars, and other load-handling devices are considered part of the load
and their weight must be inluded in the maximum safe load capacity calculation.

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 Maximum Capacity vs. Lift Radius for Tower Crane (kg)
Boom Length (maximum hook radius)-m
Lift Radius
79.2 70.1 61.0 51.8 42.7 33.5
33.5 9781 10708 12908 15811 18000 18000
36.6 8883 9737 11765 14444 17281
39.6 8075 8867 10729 13211 15840
42.7 7430 8173 9916 12239
45.7 6830 7528 9161 11333
48.8 6214 6869 8407 11206
51.8 5740 6356 7808 10450
54.9 5361 5951 7330
57.9 4748 5292 6555
61.0 4400 4904 5643
64.0 4124 4607
67.1 3723 4180
79.2 3327
Minimum lift radius = 3.6 m

Rated Lift Capacity for Hydraulic Crane

Operating Radius Rated Capacity (kg)
(m) Outriggers Extended Outriggers Retracted
3.05 27215.54 15331.42
3.65 25083.65 10976.93
4.57 16737.56 7484.27
6.10 9525.44 4581.28
7.62 6395.65 3039.07
9.14 4717.36 2177.24
10.67 3810.18 1587.57
12.19 3129.79 1179.34
13.72 2540.12 861.83
15.24 2177.24 589.67
16.76 1769.01
18.29 1496.86
21.34 1179.34
24.38 907.18
27.43 589.67
28.96 453.59

Rated Lifting Capacity for Crawler Crane with Lattice Boom (kg)
Operating Boom Length (m)
Radius (m) 12 18 24 30 36.0 42.0
3.0 36287.39
4.5 20175.79 20098.68
6.0 13417.26 13322.01 13176.86 13027.17
7.5 9938.21 9824.81 9675.13 9516.37 9348.54
9.0 7810.86 7692.93 7538.71 7375.41 7198.51 7030.68
10.5 6377.51 6259.57 6096.29 5932.99 5756.09 5579.19
12.0 5343.32 7035.22 5062.10 4894.26 4712.82 4535.92
15.0 3828.32 3665.03 3497.20 3315.76 3134.32
18.0 2930.21 2771.45 2603.62 2417.65 2236.21

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 21.0 2145.49 1977.66 1791.69 1610.25
24.0 1678.29 1515.00 1333.56 1152.13
27.0 1161.20 979.76 798.32
30.0 875.43 694.00 512.56
33.0 467.20
Adapted from American Crane Corporation

Cranes intended for lifting very heavy loads are usually crawler-mounted lattice-boom models. To lift
even heavier loads, several cranes can be used together or the crane can be modified to allow the use of
extra counterweight. When a modified counterweight is used, some method must be provided to support
the counterweight when there is no load on the hook. One method of accomplishing this is to remove the
crane from its mounting and support the counterweight and boom butt on a circular track called ring mount.

8.5. Job Management

There are a number of attachments besides the basic hook available to assist the crane in lifting and
transporting various types of loads. A number of these attachments are given in the figure below. Among
these attachments, concrete buckets, slings and special hooks, and load dropping tools (weights) are most
often used in construction applications. The skull cracker (wreckinig ball) is a heavy weight that is hoisted
by the crane and then swung or allowed to drop free to perform like a sledge hammer. It is used to break
up pavement and for demolition work.
High-voltage lines present a major safety hazard to crane operations. U.S. Occapational Safety and
Health Act (OSHA) regulations prohibit a crane or its load from approaching closer than 3 m to a high-voltage
line carrying 50 kV or less. Additional 1 cm must be added for each kilovolt over 50 kV.

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  Suggestions for safe crane operations:
 Carefully set outriggers on firm supports.
 The crane base must be level. Safe crane capacity is reduced as much as 50% when the crane is
out of level by only 3 and operating with a long boom at minimum radius.
 Use a communications systems or hand signals when the crane operator cannot see the load at all
times. Make sure that all workers involved in the operation know the hand signals to be used.
 Provide tag lines (restraining lines)when there is any danger caused by swinging loads.
 Ensure that crane operators are well trained and know the capability of their machines.
 Check safe-lifting capacity charts for the entire range of planned swing before starting a lift. Use
a load indicator if possible.
 The crane operator must observe the crane’s rated capacity and not overload the crane.
 Construction companies require lift plans for each lift such as the one shown in the figure below.
Section 1 is used to determine the load to be lifted and compare the load to the rated capacity of
the crane. If the lift exceeds 75% of the rated capacity, it is considered a critical lift and extra
attention is required for the safe operation of the lift as indicated in Section 2. Wind can also be a
concern, and most crane operations must cease when the wind exceeds 48.3 kph.

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Problem Set for Chapter 8:
1. A contractor has a project to construct a large industrial plant and has decided to use a crawler crane
with a lattice boom to support steel erection. The contractor has analyzed his lift requirements and
determined that the longest operating radius required will be 15 m and the highest reach required will
be 20 m. The maximum vertical reach was selected to ensure clearance of the hook and load above the
structure being constructed. The bottom of the boom is mounted on the crane superstructure 1.5 m above
the ground, and the hook and slings required to move the steel elements weigh 453.5 kg.
a. What length of boom should the contractor mount on the crane for this project?
b. What is the maximum load the crane can lift safely at an operating radius of 15 m with the boom
selected in a?
2. The tower crane whose capacity chart is shown in the Table below is equipped with a 79.2-m boom. The
crane is preparing to lift a load weighing 4536 kg. The weight of slings and the spreader bar to be used
is 544 kg. What is the maximum safe lift radius for this load?

Table on Maximum capacity vs. lift radius for a tower crane

Lift Radius Boom Length (maximum hook radius) (m)
(m) 79.2 70.1 61 51.8 42.7 33.5
33.5 9781 10708 12908 15811 18000 18000
36.6 8883 9737 11765 14444 17281
39.6 8075 8867 10729 13211 15840
42.7 7430 8173 9916 12239
45.7 6830 7528 9161 11333
48.8 6214 6869 8407 11206
51.8 5740 6356 7808 10450
54.9 5361 5951 7330
57.9 4748 5292 6555
61.0 4400 4904 5643
64.0 4124 4607
67.1 3723 4180
79.2 3327
Maximum lift radius = 3.6 m

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