The role of the civil engineer in planning crane operations in the construction industry

Abstract

As the complexity of heavy lifting operations grows, the civil engineer will play a vital role in the planning of these operations. The civil engineer must possess the range of skills required to plan safe and economical lifts. The implementation of computer-aided drafting techniques is beneficial to the planning process of mobile crane operations in construction. In particular, the planning of erection operations for tilt-up construction can be improved by the application of CAD technology. Co-operation between the general contractor and the crane sub-contractor in planning tilt-up operations can reduce the erection costs and improve the schedule of thB project. Mobile crane manufacturers present their load capacity chart information in a wide variety of formats. This is particularly true in the case of Jib capacity charts. A standard format is desirable for consistent, reliable information retrieval. By evaluating the parameters available in a mixed format for various machines, the information can be transformed into a useful standard format. Once in this format, the information can be stored in computer files for quick retrieval and manipulation.