Staying Safe Around Construction Equipment

3 Things To Consider Before Renting A Crane

If you are planning to do some serious remodeling to your home, having access to a crane can be a big help. Lifting heavy objects like stone, wood trusses, or steel structural frames can be tiring. With the help of a crane, these heavy objects can quickly and easily be lifted into place.

To ensure that you are renting the right crane for your home remodel, here are three things you should take into consideration.

1. The weight of the loads you plan to lift.

In order to rent the right crane for your home improvement project, you must know how heavy the loads are that you plan to lift. Different cranes have different load capacities, which are determined by a calculation known as the moment rating.

To calculate the moment rating, you will need to multiply the weight of the load you are lifting by the load radius, which is the distance from the center of the crane's rotation axis to the center of your load. Once you have calculated the moment rating, you can determine which crane has the lift capacity to accommodate your needs.

2. The diameter of the wire rope used by the crane.

Many modern cranes are equipped to accommodate different sizes of wire rope. The wire rope is used within the cranes pulley system to ensure the maximum amount of lift capacity. It's important that you check the diameter of the wire rope on any crane you rent prior to use.

Since reducing the diameter of the wire rope installed on a crane can reduce its lift capacity by up to a third, you may not be able to trust the load capacity information found on the crane's load chart. Be sure to double check the load capacity with the retailer if you notice that the wire rope on your crane looks thinner than normal.

3. The amount of room you have to set up the crane.

If your home is located in an urban environment, space could be at a premium. If you need to get your crane into a limited amount of space, you may want to consider renting a mobile crane.

Tower cranes require a significant amount of room to function properly, but a mobile crane has the strength to assist with your home remodel without taking up all of your work space. Mobile cranes can also be set up much faster than tower cranes, which will reduce your rental costs by reducing the amount of time you have the crane in your possession.

Investing in a crane when remodeling your home can be beneficial. Be sure that you know how heavy your lift loads will be, how the wire rope's diameter will affect lift capacity, and consider a mobile crane for small spaces, and you will have a positive experience when renting a crane in the future.

To learn more about crane rental, contact a company like A C Jones Trucking Inc. 


Share