Rigging failure on panel lift

[Kiwi-truckwit]

I was just reading about an incident where a crane was pulled over after the rigging failed whilst pitching a concrete panel. Fortunately, it didn't result in major injuries.
I can't quite make it out from the video, but it looks like it might be lifted from steel brackets bolted to the panel... Is this common practise? Or do you use similar lifters to ours, which are cast into the panel?
http://m.vertikal.net/index.php?id=...=29673&cHash=61bc5dbd33e3c08afda575b96f701c26

 

[crane operator]

The panels actually have imbeds poured into them, that I've been around. The bolted pieces are generally for the braces they put on after setting them. The small brackets at the top are for the roof joists. That guy on the right in the video standing on the slab should be buying lotto tickets on the way home.

It can all go bad so fast. Tilt ups are tricky, and the picks are repetitive and always at full chart. Its so tricky, because your gaining weight and radius as your going up, which isn't ideal, or easy. Looked to me like the imbed failed, or the ball socket that captures the imbed did. The ball socket on the imbed may have not been seated fully, I've caught that before a lift before.

 

[crane operator]

 

[Kiwi-truckwit]

The panels actually have imbeds poured into them, that I've been around. The bolted pieces are generally for the braces they put on after setting them. The small brackets at the top are for the roof joists. That guy on the right in the video standing on the slab should be buying lotto tickets on the way home.

It can all go bad so fast. Tilt ups are tricky, and the picks are repetitive and always at full chart. Its so tricky, because your gaining weight and radius as your going up, which isn't ideal, or easy. Looked to me like the imbed failed, or the ball socket that captures the imbed did. The ball socket on the imbed may have not been seated fully, I've caught that before a lift before.

Thanks for that, sounds like the same system we have here. Face lifters are sort of mushroom shaped, and the lifting clutch (Swiftlift) is sorta like a half ball with a slot in it.
Edge lifts are a plate with a hole in it, and the lifter (pinlift) is a curved pin that fits through the hole. These are engineered by a specialist company and are supposed to have a safety factor of 5:1, I've heard of them failing but it's usually through overlifting or incorrect fitting.

The job I'm currently on has precast panels weighing close to 60 metric ton, cast on site. They're being placed by a 280t crawler. As the building is over 30m high, all the access to the top half is via mancage, which is what I'm doing here.

 

[crane operator]

These are the two styles I've used the most. I set a lot of precast sewer vaults, and culvert structures, but they mostly use the same lifting gear. I don't have enough crane for the big precast wall structures, and I don't see a lot of that construction in my local area. They build a lot more masonry walls here. When I lived further north they used it more there.

That looks like great fun kiwi- lots of nice open area to work in. You bringing the wall braces up also, or are they getting them up to them some other way?

 

[Kiwi-truckwit]

The props were bolted to the panel before it was pitched. The bottoms were then dragged out by hand as the panel was lowered into place.
Those lifters are the same as we use. Most commercial and some residential buildings use panels, and there's some pretty neat trailers for transporting them

 

[old-iron-habit]

These are the two styles I've used the most. I set a lot of precast sewer vaults, and culvert structures, but they mostly use the same lifting gear. I don't have enough crane for the big precast wall structures, and I don't see a lot of that construction in my local area. They build a lot more masonry walls here. When I lived further north they used it more there.

That looks like great fun kiwi- lots of nice open area to work in. You bringing the wall braces up also, or are they getting them up to them some other way?

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Same style lifters we used for over 40 years. 5 to 1 safety factor per code as in all hoisting gear. We also attached the brace to the panel before hoisting. I would like to see some close up pictures of the release point and rigging. Not sure where the Austin is in which the incident took place. Warm clothes being worn by the crew. Wonder if someone didn't get the ice all out preventing a 100% latch. I've heard of that before. Maybe we will get a follow up report someday. In any event its a good visual lesson on staying out of the fall zone.

 

[DARO]

That was a close call. Id put money on old irons thought. Fitting not set in the pocket. Ice, snow, dirt, i bet those guys remember to clear the lift zone for awhile.
The standing on the load like that is one of my pet peeves.
And its good no one died.

 

[Kiwi-truckwit]

Same style lifters we used for over 40 years. 5 to 1 safety factor per code as in all hoisting gear. We also attached the brace to the panel before hoisting. I would like to see some close up pictures of the release point and rigging. Not sure where the Austin is in which the incident took place. Warm clothes being worn by the crew. Wonder if someone didn't get the ice all out preventing a 100% latch. I've heard of that before. Maybe we will get a follow up report someday. In any event its a good visual lesson on staying out of the fall zone.

Certainly amazing that everyone got missed on the way down. I feel for the operator though, nobody wants to be in that situation.