c/crane-operators

Got caught in a crazy wind gust lifting a truss in Kansas City

We were setting roof trusses on a new build, wind was supposed to be 10 mph but a sudden gust hit 30 and the load started to swing hard. I had to lower it fast onto the blocking we had ready and wait it out. What's your go-to move when the weather turns that quick on a pick?

I was setting my outriggers on gravel for years until a guy in Phoenix asked why I wasn't using steel plates.

My uncle said to always check the chart for wind speed before a lift, even on a calm day

He worked on a tower crane in Chicago for twenty years and drilled that into me. Last month, I had a simple pick to set a small HVAC unit on a roof, maybe 300 pounds. The morning was dead still, so I almost skipped the check. I pulled out the chart anyway and saw the forecast called for a 15 mph gust front moving in right at our lift time. We delayed by an hour and the wind hit exactly as predicted. Who else has a simple rule they almost broke but it saved them?

Appreciation post: Switched from a standard to a fiberglass tagline on the tower crane

I mean, we've always used the heavy nylon ones, right? But this job in Denver has crazy static from the dry air, and the old line was like a magnet for dust and grit. Switched to a fiberglass one about six weeks ago, just to try it. The difference is wild. It's way lighter, doesn't hold moisture, and my signal guy says he can see the bright orange from the ground way easier. I'm not getting that annoying static shock when I grab it either. Anyone else made a small gear swap like that and been really surprised?

Update on that new anti-sway software from CraneTech

I was sure it was just a gimmick, but after a tricky lift in high winds at the Seattle port last Friday, it actually kept the load way steadier than I could have manually. Anyone tried it on a tower crane yet?

That lift in Cincinnati last month had me sweating for a solid hour.

We were setting a 12-ton HVAC unit on a rooftop downtown, wind picked up to 25 knots out of nowhere. My spotter, Mike, kept calling out the swing, but the load started dancing. Had to hold it steady for what felt like forever until the riggers could get a tag line on it. Anyone else had a close call with a sudden gust on an exposed site?

Pro tip: Switched from a standard two-way radio to a full headset system on a 200-foot tower crane job

Used the old handhelds for years. Thought they were fine. Last job in Cleveland, the site was loud. Wind, generators, other crews. Missed a few signals. Switched to a David Clark noise-cancelling headset with a boom mic for the next lift. The difference was night and day. Could hear the spotter perfectly, and my hands were free to operate. No more yelling or repeating. Anyone else run a full comms setup on big, noisy sites? What brand are you using?

Got called out on my hand signals by a new spotter last Tuesday

We were setting trusses on a house job in Tacoma, and the new guy on the ground, Mike, straight up said 'I have no idea what you want me to do.' I was using this lazy, half-speed 'lower' signal I'd gotten used to. He was right, it was sloppy. The next day, I drilled the proper ASME signals for an hour before work, full arm movements, no shortcuts. How do you guys keep your signals crisp when you're on the same crew for months?

I used to think a 15-second pre-lift check was enough, but a near-miss with a cracked block on a job in Tacoma changed my mind.

My foreman told me to always double-check the load chart before a pick, even on a simple lift.

I thought it was overkill for a routine job, but last week I caught a 500 lb weight difference on a piece of ductwork that would have put us over. Who else gets told 'unnecessary' advice that actually saves your butt?

Am I the only one who had a boom whip issue with a new synthetic rope?

I swapped the steel cable on our 80-tonner for a lighter synthetic line from a major brand last month. On a long reach with a light load, I got a surprising amount of boom tip oscillation that wasn't there before. Has anyone else run into this and found a good way to dampen it?

Dropped $1200 on a new wireless camera system for my tower crane last year. Best money I ever spent, hands down.

A veteran operator told me my rigging was too fast and it changed my whole approach

I was working a site in Tacoma last month, setting steel for a new warehouse. I was using a 250-ton crawler and had my riggers hooking up beams as quick as they could. An older operator, Frank, who was there to run a smaller crane, pulled me aside during lunch. He said, 'Kid, you're moving like you're getting paid by the piece. That's how people get hurt.' He pointed out that I was letting my crew hook the next load while I was still swinging the last one into place, putting pressure on them to rush. I realized he was right. I was so focused on keeping the schedule tight that I was creating a dangerous rhythm. Now, I make a full stop, wait for the all-clear signal from the ground, and only then do I let them start rigging the next piece. It adds maybe 30 seconds per lift, but the whole operation feels safer and more controlled. Has anyone else had a similar wake-up call about pace versus safety?

Just dropped $150 on a new headset for the cab

My old one had a short in it, and I missed a hand signal in a tight spot. The new one is crystal clear, but I'm wondering if I should have just gotten the $80 model. What do you guys use for clear comms on a loud site?

Rant: guys, please stop eyeballing your boom angle on the lift plan

I was helping a friend review a lift plan for a bridge beam set in Portland, and he had the boom angle at 70 degrees just because it 'looked right' on the drawing. We ran the numbers with the crane's load chart and the actual radius, and at that angle we were sitting at 92% capacity before factoring in the rigging. That's way too close for comfort, especially with any wind. I've seen too many near misses start with a guess on the paperwork. How do you all double check your angles before the pick?

I used to think the 10% rule for crane capacity was just a suggestion, but a report from the National Safety Council I read last week showed it's the direct cause of over 30% of tipping incidents.

Has anyone else seen that data, and what's your take on how strictly we should stick to that limit on a daily basis?

Found out something about tower crane heights that really surprised me

Honestly, I was just looking up some old project specs from a job we did in Chicago a couple years back. I found a note from the site manager that said our tower crane's hook height was 850 feet above street level. That got me curious, so I started digging into records. Tbh, I always thought the Burj Khalifa had the record for the highest crane lift. But I found an article from a trade magazine that said the real record was set in 2012 for a different building in Saudi Arabia, with a lift over 2,000 feet. I had no idea it went that high. It makes our 850-foot lift feel pretty small. Makes you think about the planning and the steel that goes into those masts. Has anyone else worked on a project with a truly crazy hook height?

Serious question, is the 'never work in winds over 20 mph' rule too strict for modern cranes?

My crew in Houston last week said I was nuts for refusing a blind lift.

The load was 12 tons of steel going over a finished roof, and the signalman was new. I've seen a rigger get his foot crushed in a similar spot three years ago at the Port of Galveston. When do you all draw the line on trusting a signal?

Had a real pucker moment with a swinging load in Portland yesterday.

The wind picked up just as I was setting a 15-ton concrete panel and it started to spin, but I managed to feather it down by cutting the swing and using just the hoist to land it soft on the blocks. What's your go-to move when a load gets lively on you?

Just blew $400 on a 'weatherproof' radio headset that died in a light drizzle

The sales guy swore it was perfect for tower crane work, but the mic cut out after 20 minutes in some mist last Tuesday. Anyone know a brand that actually holds up when it's damp?

A veteran operator in Tacoma told me my load swing was too aggressive

He said I was overcorrecting with the trolley, which was making the hook dance. Now I make smaller, slower adjustments and the load settles way faster. Anyone have a different method for calming a swinging load?

A simple thing I see guys messing up with tag lines on a windy day

I was on a job in Tacoma last month, moving some steel beams, and the wind kept picking up. I watched three different ground guys just try to muscle the tag line, pulling it tight against the swing. That's a good way to get a nasty shock load on the whole rig. The crane op I was working with, a guy named Ray who's been at it for thirty years, told me to always keep a little slack in the line, just enough to feel the load but not fight it. He said, 'Let the crane do the turning, you just guide it.' Since then, I've been way more aware of it, and it makes the whole move smoother and safer. How do you all handle tag line work when the weather gets rough?

I finally switched from a 2-part to a 3-part tagline system for my 80-tonner

The extra control point cut my swing time by almost 15% on a tight site in Cleveland. Anyone else made a change that seemed small but paid off huge?

Pro tip: Adding hand signals to my radio routine stopped lift confusion

On loud sites, my voice commands over the radio sometimes got lost in the noise. I began using clear hand signals for every crane movement, and now the crew follows directions without a hitch. How do you keep communications crisp when the environment gets chaotic?