Engineered support for IUOE’s new tower crane

The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Training Center in Crosby, Texas, USA, has installed a new self-erecting tower crane supported by engineered crane pads from DICA, as the facility continues to expand its hands-on training capabilities.

DICA EcoMax crane pads support the outrigger of a Potain Igo T99 self-erecting tower crane at the IUOE Training Center in Texas, USA.

The training center recently added a Potain Igo T99, replacing a smaller Igo T70, prompting a reassessment of ground conditions and support materials to accommodate higher corner loads. To address this, the site was upgraded with a layer of crushed limestone, and DICA conducted a FIT Assessment to determine appropriate load distribution solutions.

Based on the analysis, DICA recommended its EM2-64 EcoMax crane pads, offering 24 square feet (2.2 square meters) of support area. The pads combine steel I-beam reinforcement with fiber-reinforced composite materials, designed to improve stiffness and evenly distribute outrigger loads across the supporting surface.

“The industry has come to expect professional, engineered outrigger pads,” said John Callahan, training and equipment assistant at the IUOE Training Center. “This is safer than using whatever materials you have on hand on a job site because you know that this set of pads is intended for use with that specific crane and are designed to handle the loads.”