Wind gust, and not wind speed, is the basis of calculation required for determining the influence of wind on crane operations.

In the Liebherr Training Documents, Influence of wind on crane operation, Liebherr highlights the omnipresent risks of human error, or operator’s mistakes in contrast with machine failures, in crane operations across the construction industry and built environment. The dangers posed by wind and wind gust events on crane operations cannot be underestimated!

The Influence of wind on crane operation training guide serves to inform a broad spectrum of crane stakeholders in the construction industry and built environment, from project planners to crane companies to crane operators, about operating cranes in wind and wind gust events, based on Liebherr’s more than forty years of experience as a leading crane manufacturer. Topics include:

  1. Introduction and presentation of problems
  2. Wind basics
  3. Digression – Wind power turbine schematic
  4. Factors of wind force calculation
  5. Determination of permissible wind speed
  6. Wind influences for “Crane out of operation”

Liebherr notes in the Influence of wind on crane operation training guide that each description of “wind speed” always refers to “wind gust,” as the wind gust is always greater than the normal wind speed. Accordingly, wind gust, and not wind speed, is the basis of calculation required for determining the influence of wind on crane operations, in addition to other factors and variables.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS) defines “wind gust” as the “…rapid fluctuations in the wind speed with a variation of 10 knots (about 11.5 mph) or more between peaks and lulls. The speed of the gust will be the maximum instantaneous wind speed.”

(Image: LiebherrThe longest telescopic boom from Liebherr)

More in the next blog post about weather, wind and crane operations…

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