The Gross Capacity must include the weight of anything and everything that is mounted or stowed on the boom of the crane or hanging from the boom tip. The maximum load must never exceed the crane’s Net Capacity! The actual load the crane can lift is referred to as the “Net Capacity”. The values given in the charts are “Gross Capacities” or “Rated Capacities”.

How To Determine The Net Capacity Of The CraneĪccording to crane hunter, the capacities listed in a cranes load chart are not the actual loads that can be lifted on the hook. The “Stowed jib deductions” row is what you would deduct if the jib was stowed on the base of the boom for the particular boom length. Each crane has a load chart that, in short, specifies the crane’s capabilities - detailing its features and how its lift capacity varies when considering distance and angle.The gross capacity of this crane can be determined by either following the radius column and interesting boom length, or following the boom angle column and intersecting the radius or boom length column. Just like the old saying ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail,’ failing to consult a crane load chart before renting or employing a crane for a specific job could leave you with too much or too little capacity for your job.īefore a crane is rented, transported, employed or purchased, the crane chart must be consulted. To illustrate how to read a crane chart, we’ve chosen the chart for the Terex RT345XL, a rough terrain crane with a maximum lift capacity of 45 tons.ġ.Įveryone, from the crane operator, to the job supervisors, to even the sales guys have to know how to read a crane chart. It includes data for operation with the outriggers extended, transport weight, and steering dimensions.ĭIMENSIONS and WEIGHT - The chart shows the crane dimensions. Knowledge of this information is especially critical if the crane will be working in a confined space, as the lifting capacity varies depending on whether the outriggers are extended.

The transport weight (below) determines the trailer to be used, how to load the crane on the trailer, the route to take, and what permits are required to get it to the jobsite.Īlong the top axis, the first number is the gross vehicle weight. In the other two columns, the arrows indicate the weight load for each axle depending on what additional accessories are loaded.Ģ. LIFT CAPACITY - This is where the magic happens. In the legend at the top of the chart, you can see these ratings apply when using 6.5 tons of counterweight, with the outriggers extended to 22 x 22.3 feet. Here, you’d graph out the specific lift the crane is needed for.

Crane lift chart