When Do You Need a Larger Crane?
Bigger is not always better — but radius, height, and site restrictions can push a project past the crane originally planned for it. Here is how to tell before the machine is already on site.
Bigger is not always better.
But there are situations where the crane originally considered for a project simply does not have enough capacity or reach to perform the lift from the available setup location.
The challenge is knowing when the project has crossed that line.
Choosing a larger crane is not necessarily about lifting a heavier load. A relatively light load can require a much larger crane if it needs to travel a long distance, reach over an obstruction, or be placed at significant height.
Weight Is Only One Part of the Decision
The first thing most people consider is the weight of the load.
That is important, but it is only the beginning.
The crane also needs to account for:
- Working radius
- Boom length
- Hook height
- Crane configuration
- Rigging weight
- Ground conditions
- Access
- Site restrictions
A 5,000-pound load may be easy to lift from one location and difficult from another.
Move the crane farther away, and the capacity requirement changes.
Raise the landing point, and the required reach changes.
Add an obstruction, and the setup location may change again.
When Radius Pushes You Into a Larger Crane
One of the most common reasons a project needs a larger crane is working radius.
If the crane cannot set up close to the load, the boom has to reach farther.
As radius increases, available capacity generally decreases.
Eventually, the original crane may no longer have sufficient chart capacity for the load.
At that point, moving the crane closer may be one option.
If the site does not allow that, a larger crane may be required.
When Height Requires a Larger Crane
A crane also needs enough reach to get the load to its final elevation.
For a rooftop installation, that may mean clearing the building's roofline and placing the load at a specific location.
The crane has to reach the required height while maintaining enough capacity for the load.
A machine may be strong enough but not have the required reach.
Or it may have enough reach but not enough capacity at that configuration.
Either condition can require a larger crane.
When Site Restrictions Change the Plan
Sometimes the original crane is appropriate until someone looks closely at the jobsite.
Perhaps the crane cannot set up where originally planned because of:
- Narrow access
- Overhead utilities
- A neighboring structure
- Traffic restrictions
- Landscaping
- Underground infrastructure
- Limited working space
Moving the crane changes the geometry of the lift.
A larger crane may then be necessary to maintain the required capacity from the new setup location.
A Larger Crane Can Sometimes Be More Efficient
There is another reason to consider a larger machine.
Sometimes the larger crane can complete the entire lift from one setup location.
A smaller crane might technically perform the work but require repositioning.
Every repositioning takes time.
The crane has to lower or secure the load, change position, reset the outriggers, reconfigure as necessary, and verify the new setup.
That can add labor, time, and complexity.
The larger crane may have a higher hourly rate but still make more sense for the overall project.
Do Not Wait Until Lift Day
The worst time to discover that a crane is too small is when it is already sitting on the jobsite.
At that point, the crew may be ready, the delivery may be waiting, and other contractors may already be scheduled.
Changing equipment can mean additional mobilization, delays, and rescheduling.
That is why the crane should be selected based on the actual lift requirements before the scheduled date.
How to Know If You Need More Capacity
Start with accurate information:
- Verify the load weight.
- Add rigging and below-the-hook equipment.
- Determine where the crane can actually set up.
- Measure the working radius.
- Determine the required hook height.
- Identify obstructions.
- Evaluate ground and access conditions.
- Check the load chart for the required configuration.
That process will show whether the current crane has enough capacity.
The Goal Is the Right Crane
The objective is not to get the biggest crane possible.
It is to get the crane that can perform the lift with the required reach and capacity from a workable setup location.
Sometimes that is a smaller machine.
Sometimes the project requires something substantially larger.
The numbers and site conditions should determine the answer.
Planning a Lift?
If you are unsure what size crane your project requires, send Advanced Crane the load information, site photos, setup location, and landing point. The team can help evaluate the lift before you schedule equipment.