Crane tip-over.

[treevet]

Some times infection and infestation can be used to dupe HO's into a takedown. A number of gypsies have been through my town telling ho's trees have EAB and they aren't even ashes. You call the cops and as far as they are concerned "it is just a civil matter.....how do I know if you are right or they are right.".

The economy can make trees very nervous.

 

[treevet]

seems to be a lack of quality training and more importantly litature
Aside from that and more to tree work what I really would like to see and I'll be honest I haven't every really studied is estimating log weight. I'm sure some guys know that stuff, so if any of you have any links to that type of info that would be great. Even if I never work with a crane again it would be nice to know the estimated weights of logs.

Good post.

The log chart is a good resource and can be found in the Sherrill catalogue or on pdf but logs are not always uniform or consistent and may have a void cavity in them or concrete, who knows. Shock loads, like sheeaht....happens too.

The biggest factor is the experience and common sense and intelligence of the players involved in the pick. I usually start small and work up when I am hooking up a piece anything questionable is gonna get a nod from the crane op. The person hooking up or the crane op should have worked up in experience that put him on this job site making these decisions as well. More so when booming over a house or some other delicate target extra care is a no brainer. That piece cut in half would have saved the day and taken maybe another 15 minutes.

 

[treesquirrel]

I need to print this image and put it in my bid folder for those potential customers that insist that a crane is the way to go and nothing else will do.

 

[treevet]

I need to print this image and put it in my bid folder for those potential customers that insist that a crane is the way to go and nothing else will do.

you do craners ts, whatdoya wanna steer them away from a good thing for?

 

[treesquirrel]

you do craners ts, whatdoya wanna steer them away from a good thing for?

Naww, I'm commenting on the customers I speak to that are convinced it will require a crane to do a removal that just don't need it. You'd be surprised how many easy removals where I've had a customer immediately ask me if I have a crane to use.

If the job requires it I pass it on. But a surprising number of people think ALL trees have to be moved with a crane.

I did not mean any insult.

 

[treevet]

Naww, I'm commenting on the customers I speak to that are convinced it will require a crane to do a removal that just don't need it. You'd be surprised how many easy removals where I've had a customer immediately ask me if I have a crane to use.

If the job requires it I pass it on. But a surprising number of people think ALL trees have to be moved with a crane.

I did not mean any insult.

No insult TS, I agree completely. Most TD's are way faster without a crane. Gravity being faster than any 2 speed winch. (or lowering for that matter).

 

[pdqdl]

This picture pretty much tells the whole story:

 

[treevet]

damn....how'd the climber survive that? Must have been on the other side of the stick if they were picking that piece off the tree and not the ground.

Some lottery tickets need to be bought. Not much property damage either.

 

[JohnH]

I'm pretty sure you can put on a lot more counter weights on that crane. in the picture there does't seam to be that many at all.:dunno:

 

[lego1970]

The log chart is a good resource and can be found in the Sherrill catalogue or on pdf but logs are not always uniform or consistent and may have a void cavity in them or concrete, who knows. Shock loads, like sheeaht....happens too.

The biggest factor is the experience and common sense and intelligence of the players involved in the pick. I usually start small and work up when I am hooking up a piece anything questionable is gonna get a nod from the crane op. The person hooking up or the crane op should have worked up in experience that put him on this job site making these decisions as well. More so when booming over a house or some other delicate target extra care is a no brainer. That piece cut in half would have saved the day and taken maybe another 15 minutes.

I agree especially in this case where as you mentioned 15 minutes more would of saved the day. Also I agree most is common sense, however I've been on a few jobs were someone want to keep the logs a certain length. Also while not tree related I've hauled many loads where the rigger on the delivery end either doesn't have a big enough crane or looks to me as if I should know his job better then him and or how far we can push his crane. My friends crane has a manual that is very broad and not specific towards his particuliar crane. Luckily the computer and engineers safegaurds does most of the thinking but it would be nice to have better manuals. It's like rebuilding a car using a Chilton manual,

"Take motor out, replace bearings, rings, and gaskets, put motor in engine bay and attach motor mounts, coolant, fuel, and electrical lines. You are now done" Attached is pics of a 1984 Buick Century while your trying to rebuild a 2000 Chevy.

My friend is pretty cautious with his, and aside from what I posted above, we or he hasn't had any other close calls that I know of. Not that I'm big on regulations and not that I'm implying that there should be but it does kind of surprise me that you can buy and operate these big cranes with no formal license or certificate.

P.S. Thanks for the resources.

 

[jomoco]

The uppermost cut on that trunk looks mighty funky to me, too much up, sudden release, dynamic jump cut!

Something about that cut aint right?

That crane was plenty big enough, and then some.

jomoco

 

[treevet]

The uppermost cut on that trunk looks mighty funky to me, too much up, sudden release, dynamic jump cut!

Something about that cut aint right?

That crane was plenty big enough, and then some.

jomoco

I have to agree with that assessment as I just took a look somewhere else. Looks like he cut straight thru without a back cut and it held wood until it tore wood off the top section.

My tech is to back cut half way thru on the crane side and then make a perfect matching finishing cut on the side away from the pull of the boom. Most around here do that (crane subs will attest). Snaps off everytime without any side (unpredictable) holding wood.

 

[jomoco]

I have to agree with that assessment as I just took a look somewhere else. Looks like he cut straight thru without a back cut and it held wood until it tore wood off the top section.

My tech is to back cut half way thru on the crane side and then make a perfect matching finishing cut on the side away from the pull of the boom. Most around here do that (crane subs will attest). Snaps off everytime without any side (unpredictable) holding wood.

Interesting TV, I do the same thing without ever leaving the cut, crane side first and walk it around to the release point away from me and towards the crane, one smooth clean cut around the trunk.

jomoco

 

[treevet]

Interesting TV, I do the same thing without ever leaving the cut, crane side first and walk it around to the release point away from me and towards the crane, one smooth clean cut around the trunk.

jomoco

that'd keep it matching...

 

[Hddnis]

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091117/ARTICLES/911179974/1349#


They got the crane out now.

There is some video and more pictures on the link above and the original link on page one.



Mr. HE

 

[Hddnis]

The wife of the couple that lived in and owned the home was in a traffic accident that morning and they were dealing with that when their neighbors called to tell them that the crane fell through their house.:jawdrop:


Mr. HE

 

[jomoco]

Other pics show it was crane operator error. The duffus was picking without his counterweights on.

He will be able to join the ranks of the unemployed soon I expect.

Major mistake.

jomoco

 

[rbtree]

I'm pretty sure you can put on a lot more counter weights on that crane. in the picture there does't seam to be that many at all.:dunno:

Yup, there's only one on, with the rest doing a good job of holding the back of the flatbed down So, the crane became a 50 tonner, effectively. That's a hell of a lot of boom weight, jib and all, extended at a 45 degree angle or less.

The log that caused the failure is a complex shape. However, I don't think it would have flipped or tipped as the chokers can be seen near the top...Likely, the boom position wasn't correctly positioned to bring the load gently to vertical. The cutter may have not been gentle with it, while it was not tensioned enough. If so it may have tipped off and fell as it took the whole rig down with it.

I've never worked with a jib on, and wouldn't want to. It greatly limits the load chart.

 

[rbtree]

Other pics show it was crane operator error. The duffus was picking without his counterweights on.

He will be able to join the ranks of the unemployed soon I expect.

Major mistake.

jomoco

Yup, Atlas may have planned it that way to pay for the crane as if it was a 50 tonner, which is how it works......

It's also up to the cutter to be able to calculate the load, and know what the crane is good for. Major fail all around.....

 

[treemandan]

Other pics show it was crane operator error. The duffus was picking without his counterweights on.

He will be able to join the ranks of the unemployed soon I expect.

Major mistake.

jomoco

I suppose that might make a difference. really what else could it be, how do you shock load when picking a trunk? The stuff is heavy, real heavy at the bottom. It is soooo heavy down low and it adds up quick. I was never a great fan of making huge pics and don't really do and when it come to trunk pics I am really accounting for the extra weight.
But man, no counter-weights? its a shame to see guy out there that gotta try crap like that.