Crane Mat Design - Engineering Research
David Duerr, P.E. is currently conducting a detailed study of the strength and behavior of crane mats. The goal of this work is an improved understanding of the strength of mats, particularly timber mats, how mats on soil behave under the loads imposed by a mobile crane, and the development of a practical mat design method that provides a suitable level of reliability without using gross approximations.
The first product of this work is the paper "Effective Bearing Length of Crane Mats," which was presented at the 2010 Crane & Rigging Conference in Houston.
A nationwide survey of crane mats is now being conducted to quantify in statistically valid terms the true dimensions of crane mat timbers, details of the mat tie rods, and the conditions of crane mats as they are being used in the field by crane and rigging contractors. These data will ultimately be used to validate or modify the allowable stresses used by engineers in the construction industry to design and analyze timber crane mats.
The following companies have generously provided assistance in this study to date:
- American Mat & Timber Co., Inc., Houston
- Barnhart Crane & Rigging Co., Memphis
- Bragg Crane & Rigging Co., Richmond, CA
- Burkhalter Rigging, Inc., Columbus, MS
- Crane Rental Corporation, Davenport, FL
- Deep South Crane & Rigging Co., Baton Rouge
- Lampson International, Inc., Kennewick, WA
- Maxim Crane Works, Benica, CA; Long Beach, CA; and Wilder, KY
- Mr. Crane, Inc., Orange, CA
- Southern Crane, Raleigh, NC
- Taylor Crane & Rigging Inc., Coffeyville, KS
- W.J. Casey Trucking & Rigging Co., Inc, Branchburg, NJ
- White Construction, Inc., Robinson, IL
Updated information will be posted here as this study progresses.
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