How do cranes not fall over?

[Gimme_gimme]

Hey everyone! I’ve always wondered, how do cranes manage to stay upright and not tip over when they’re lifting heavy loads? Is it all about the counterweights, or are there other safety features at play? Would love to hear some insights into the engineering behind crane stability!

 

[SiteSupervisor]

Great question! It’s definitely more than just counterweights—outriggers, load charts, and ground conditions all play a role in keeping cranes stable. This video does a solid job explaining the mechanics behind it:

. It's worth a watch.

 

[Francisco Misajon]

Yeah, it’s wild how much goes into keeping cranes balanced! I used to think it was just counterweights too, but once you see how outriggers and load calculations work together, it all starts to make sense. Anyone ever been on-site when a crane started to shift or get unstable?

 

[SteelToeJoe]

Yeah, it’s crazy how precise everything has to be. I’ve seen crews spend hours just leveling ground before setup. Has anyone here worked with self-erecting cranes? Curious how their stability compares to tower cranes.