A wind farm in Lubbock changed my mind about load charts

I always trusted the charts over feel, but last month I watched a veteran operator fudge his radius on a 250 tonner to clear a blade section. It worked, and the math still checked out after he explained the wind factor. Now I double check the anemometer before I set my pick, anyone else run into sites where the charts don't match the real conditions?

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linda50021d ago

People act like the load chart is carved in stone, but it has limits baked in for a reason. The wind factor is already accounted for in those numbers, so if the operator had to fudge the radius to make it work, that tells me the real issue was picking the wrong crane for the job. Watching it work once doesn't make it a rule, it makes it a lucky day. I've seen guys push charts for years and never get caught, but that's survivorship bias talking. Double checking the anemometer is fine, but I'd be more worried about the guy who thinks he can outsmart the math on a regular basis. That's how you end up with a bent boom and a very long paperwork trail.