Windspeed – Taking care of the load

Windspeed – Taking care of the load

Using a crane in itself is a complicated job. However, when environmental factors decide to play a factor, the job becomes even more complicated and requires you to not only plan and predict before carrying out the task but also to improvise and prepare in case of an immediate problem at hand.

The effects of wind speed

Nature has different faces. While you will love the warm sunny days you will probably not love to be out there doing construction work when bad wind kicks in. Let us tell you what bad winds can do to your crane and the construction site in case you are unprepared. Strong winds, typically at great heights, can result into collapsing of the jib. They can cause the load to be swayed in an unwarranted direction and thus either collide with another load or crane or the building being constructed. Bad winds can also take advantage of any welding or accessory defects in your crane or the jib (or the rope) and cause them to break or collapse. These possibilities are not exhaustive and each one of them can severely harm the objects in your surroundings and your personnel.

Mitigating the potential loss

So you do realize that wind plays a crucial role in any construction activity in which a crane is used. Now, how do you mitigate such a potential loss?

How it works?

To begin with, at the time of planning of crane lifting, you must visit the site and correctly gauge the wind speed and the weather forecast of that area. You might have visited the site a week back and the conditions might have changed over time. What is also important is the kind of an area where the construction is to be carried out. If the area is typically near the sea or the ocean and is windy, you better be prepared.

Secondly, since beforehand planning of construction can always leave room for improvement, it is important that you stay ready for any change in the windspeed that might occur. To do this effectively, you need to equip yourself with the right kind of windspeed-measuring accessories which can measure the winds from long ranges and effectively communicate them to your personnel through speed displaying devices. Once the wind speed for a particular area is within your knowledge, you can make a correct estimate of how much wind pressure there will be on your crane and therefore make the required adjustments or half the process for the time being if needed.

How it works?

In order to gauge the correct wind speed, two high quality industrial grade accessories are the Wind Speed Meter and the Wind Speed Meter by LSIwireless. IT is rugged and perfect for outdoor applications with an accuracy of up to -/+ 3 mph and a range of up to 150 mph.

It is wireless with a communication range of up to 4600 feet and gives a battery life of up to 4 years. The Wind Speed Indicator has a range of 4000 feet with a clear and bright LED display and accurately displays wind speed. Rest assured, with these two wind-speed-gauging devices, you can be sure that you are safe from any mishaps occurring due to faulty measurement of wind speed.

Mike bode, the founder of lsiwireless.com, a global dealer of lsi-robway™ products.