Tag Archives: crane hire guide

Important Questions to Ask When Hiring a Crane

crane services

Are you preparing to begin a commercial building project? You will need a crane. If purchasing a crane is not an option, renting one from a crane rental services provider may be a more cost-effective solution.

You need to get in touch with a reliable crane rental company to discuss your requirements. To have a great time and rent the right unit, you must ask yourself several crucial questions. These questions include:

What do you want to lift?

Understanding the weights of the heaviest items you want to lift is critical. Knowing the weight of the load may appear straightforward, but there may be more to it than meets the eye.

You should learn the actual weights of your loads because it will determine the size of the crane you need to hire. The weight also has a significant impact on safety and efficiency of the unit.

Some people will advise that you guess the weight of the load, but don’t do this. You also should never randomly add weight.

You may think you are saving time, but doing this causes an error that may bother you later.

Adding a “contingency” load of a reasonable value to your load is best done directly and with the crane company’s input.

So, if you aren’t sure about the exact weight you want to lift, consult the crane company, and it will help you estimate it.

You can adjust the value of this contingency as conditions change and the project evolves, and you’ll always know where you stand.

The load’s dimensions is another thing to consider, so pay attention to it. Large items may be difficult to transport, so be cautious of their sizes.

While you are at it, know the location of the center of gravity. An excellent way to do it is to consult the fabricators’ designs. If your load’s center of gravity is not specified, let the fabricator help you estimate it. Don’t do it alone, as you will likely mess up.

How long will you need to hire the crane?

Before renting a crane, you must determine how long you will need the crane. The longer you use the crane, the more it costs.

As you are coming up with the cost of hiring the crane, consider the cost of deploying the crane. All-terrain cranes are designed to be driven on highways and are more cost-effective to transport than crawler cranes.

Larger all-terrain cranes typically require one or two truckloads of counterweights. Crawler cranes may need anywhere from a dozen to several dozen truckloads to get there, which means they will be expensive to transport.

The worst mistake you can make is hiring a crane only to find that you need it longer than you estimated. To ensure that you are hiring the crane for the right amount of time, work with professionals who will help you analyze the magnitude of the project and the amount of time it will take you to complete it.

Who will operate the crane?

The crane operator you hire significantly impacts the quality of experience you have with your crane. When you hire an inexperienced crane operator, there is even the risk of the crane collapsing and causing an accident.

To be safe, hire a contractor that knows what they are doing.

Most crane rental companies have two types of services. A service where they hire you the crane with the operator and one where they simply hire you the crane, and then you find your operator.

To avoid complications, hire a crane together with the contractor. This way, you are sure that the contractor is well-versed with the crane, and they are less likely to cause an accident.

They also are more likely to take good care of the crane as they use it regularly.

When you visit the rental companies, don’t just accept the operator recommended by the company. Instead, take your time to review their certifications and ensure they are experienced enough and authorized to work in your area.

Do you need to prepare the site?

Sometimes, you might need to prepare your work site to reduce the chances of accidents. Before renting a crane, bring a geotechnical expert to examine the area and recommend the best place to install the crane.

When hiring, find engineers supplying you with the ground-bearing pressures your equipment will exert on your location. If these pressure levels need to be reduced, the engineers will work with you to devise solutions to reduce the values to acceptable levels.

If the intended crane position is on disturbed soil, you may have to compact the soils. Remember that you shouldn’t erect cranes on disturbed or freshly backfilled soil, so you must give the soil time to settle before you bring on the crane.

Occasionally, the ideal site for the crane is above utilities, pipes, vaults, vessels, or other vital objects that may impact the crane’s capacity to support its operation at that location.

You must know about these subsurface problems to avoid damage.

To avoid accidents, work with engineers with extensive expertise in dealing with these difficulties and are eager to collaborate with you to find a solution.

Parting shot

When hiring a crane from crane services DC, you should ask these questions. As a rule of thumb, take your time hiring the crane.

Take your time and find a crane that is the right size and type for your project.

You also should hire an experienced crane operator who will minimize the chances of accidents and take good care of the crane.

Finally, properly prepare your work site. As a rule of thumb, work with experienced engineers who will adequately prepare the area and, at the same time, guide you on the best procedure to lift your load.

Guide to Hiring the Right Crane for Your Project and Save Money

crane hire

When you are looking to hire a crane for your project, you want a crane that will not only perfectly handle your project, but also save you money, right? If this is the first time you hire a crane from crane rental services, here are tips to ensure you hire the right unit. 

When you have a small site

You need a small crane if you have a low-intensity site with a small number of workers (12-15) and a required lift capacity of up to two tonnes. 

A classic example is when you are building a timber frame or conventional house using pallets of bricks, blocks, and mortar. In such an instance, you need a small tower crane controlled by a remote control.

You can considerably cut your running costs by employing this type of crane with one worker loading the hook and operating the crane controls. 

You should teach many site workers to undertake this function, allowing you to continue operating in the event of an absence rather than waiting for a single trained operator to return.

As you can tell, this keeps the crane operational and the project on track. You also don’t rely on one person to do all the work. 

When you have a large or busy site

A tower crane will be more appropriate if your loads exceed two tons at 30 meters, and your project will take 20 weeks or longer. 

Saddle jib or flat-top cranes are available in various height and jib configurations, making them more versatile and less expensive to hire than mobile cranes with comparable lifting capabilities.

Be cautious of the height of the crane.

The height of a crane significantly impacts costs. The tall crane is not only expensive to hire, but also requires a larger and stronger base to withstand the stresses, which necessitates a lot more concrete and steel.

Taller cranes also require more electricity and emit more carbon emissions. As a result, even a modest reduction in the height required for your lifting requirements might significantly impact your overall costs.

Before you hire a crane, take your time and find out if there is any way you can hire a slightly shorter crane than you would ordinarily need. This calls for you to work closely with experienced contractors who know what they are doing. 

Watch where you position the crane.

The placement of the crane, as well as other construction site factors, will impact your final expenses. A common example is when a materials shop is placed in the middle of a courtyard or the center of the site.

This means that if you have more than one crane, when one is loading, the other cannot get to the materials and must sit idle, wasting time. 

This configuration significantly increases the likelihood of collisions and makes site operations complex and inefficient.

To save time and money, set up the materials store conveniently. This way, you will have maximum hook time and low crane-hire expenses.

Ensure you have enough power.

Three-phase power is required for sites installing a lift shaft, as most tall buildings do. Wherever possible, you should install power as the first thing, allowing you to use mains power for the tower crane during construction. 

This is substantially less expensive than using a generator with its related hire charges, fuel tank, and fuel.

Be cautious of the rental company you hire from

The rental company you choose to hire from has a significant impact on the crane you hire and your experience. 

As a rule, don’t hire from a rental company with a single or a few cranes. This is because you won’t get a replacement crane in the event the one you are using breaks down. 

The best way to do it is to hire from a company with many cranes. As much as the company is expensive, you should note that you might save a lot of money in the long run. 

This is because if the crane you are using breaks down, you need to notify the rental company, and they replace the crane at no extra cost on your part. 

Hire a well-maintained crane.

How well-maintained the crane is is important as it determines how well it functions, not to mention how much money you spend. 

As a rule of thumb, you should hire a crane that is in perfect shape. This calls for you to do a double or even triple-check on the maintenance records of the crane and ensure that it’s well taken care of. 

You should avoid a poorly maintained crane as it will keep breaking down, and you don’t want this. 

A well-maintained crane will indeed be a little expensive to hire, but in the long run, it will be cheaper as it will function more efficiently and won’t break down too regularly, which means that you will complete your project without many complications, and within the shortest time possible. 

Parting shot

You don’t have to be complicated when it comes to saving money when undertaking crane hire VA. You only need simple modifications to lower your expenses throughout a building project, both in one-time hire prices and continuing operational expenditures.

When doing the hiring, don’t hire from any company. Instead, take your time and hire from a reputable company with many cranes to hire from. 

As a rule of thumb, don’t hire from a small company with a single crane. Even if they give you a great offer, they might be too expensive. 

As mentioned, a small crane company has no replacement crane when the one you are using breaks down. The consequence is you are forced to hire another crane from a different company, which, as you can tell, is too costly.