Mobile Crane Inspection

Mobile cranes are inspected as a machine and as a structure at the same time. The carrier, the outriggers and the boom each fail in different ways, and a crane that is mechanically sound can still be unsafe because its stability system has drifted out of calibration. ITMAD inspects all-terrain, rough-terrain and truck-mounted cranes, crawler and lattice boom cranes, and lorry loaders, at your site or yard.

Boom and structure

• Telescopic boom sections examined for distortion, dents, weld cracking and wear at the slide pads
• Extension and retraction under load, checking for sequencing faults and rope or cylinder wear
• Lattice sections and jib assemblies inspected for bent or repaired lacings, which are grounds for rejection rather than repair
• Pins, pin retention and lugs at every connection point
• Boom head sheaves, guards and rope retention
• Fly jib and extension stowage and locking

Slew, superstructure and carrier

• Slewing ring bolt torque and tilt or rock check, which is the standard indicator of bearing wear
• Slew drive, brake and lock function
• Counterweight condition, correct mass and secure attachment
• Chassis and frame examined for cracking around outrigger boxes and boom foot mountings
• Tyres, axles, steering and service brakes on wheeled machines
• Tracks, rollers, idlers and track tension on crawler cranes

Outriggers and stability

Outriggers are examined for beam and jack condition, cylinder drift under sustained load, pad security and locking, and the correct operation of the extension position sensing that the load chart depends on. Level indication is verified. Where a crane is rated at multiple outrigger positions, the machine's response to each configuration is checked, because a crane that reports full extension when partially deployed will permit a lift the chart does not allow.

Load moment indication and safety devices

The load moment indicator is checked against known loads and radii, not merely powered up and observed. Anti-two-block, hoist limits, boom angle and length sensing, and the audible and visual warnings are function tested. Where the LMI can be overridden, the override key control and its logging are examined. We verify that the load chart in the cab is the correct one for the machine, boom configuration and counterweight fitted — a mismatch here is common and is more dangerous than most mechanical defects.

Hoist, rope and hook

• Wire rope assessed against ISO 4309 discard criteria: broken wires, corrosion, deformation, diameter reduction and core condition
• Rope termination, wedge sockets and dead-end anchoring
• Drum condition, spooling, minimum dead turns and grooving wear
• Hoist and load holding brakes tested for holding capability
• Hook examined for throat opening, twist, wear and cracking, with magnetic particle inspection where condition or standard requires
• Safety latch and swivel operation

Hydraulics, controls and cab

• Cylinders, hoses and fittings for leakage, chafing and creep under held load
• Relief valve settings and holding valve function
• Control response, deadman and emergency stop
• Cab structure, glazing, seat, mirrors and camera systems
• Access, walkways, handrails and fall protection anchorage on the superstructure
• Legible and correct rated capacity markings

Lorry loaders and loader cranes

Vehicle-mounted loader cranes are inspected as an assembly with the vehicle, since the stability of the installation depends on the chassis, the subframe and the mounting as much as on the crane. Subframe attachment, stabiliser deployment and the interaction between crane operation and vehicle handbrake and PTO interlocks are examined. Remote control units and their emergency stops are function tested.

Standards

Inspection is performed to the standard your contract or governing authority specifies. For mobile cranes that is normally ASME B30.5, with ASME B30.22 for articulating boom cranes, EN 13000 where the machine is CE marked, ISO 9927-1 for crane inspection and ISO 4309 for wire rope. BS 7121 Part 2 applies where the client works to British practice. Manufacturer's inspection and maintenance requirements are applied alongside the standard, because they govern component-specific checks the standard does not detail.

When inspection is required

• Periodic third-party examination at the interval set by the governing authority
• On arrival at a new site, before the crane is released for work
• After transport, reassembly or change of boom configuration
• Following structural repair, weld repair or replacement of a load-bearing component
• After an overload event, contact with a structure, or an incident of any kind
• Before hire out or acceptance of a hired machine
• As part of pre-purchase assessment of a used crane

Load testing

Proof load testing is carried out where the standard, the authority or the circumstances require it — on new machines, after structural repair, after reconfiguration, and at specified intervals. Test loads are applied at the radii and configurations that matter for the machine's duty, using calibrated weights or water bag systems with load cell measurement, with deflection recorded and the structure re-examined afterwards.

Accreditation and approvals

ITMAD is accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 as an inspection body, is an ADNOC approved inspection contractor, and is listed on the Abu Dhabi City Municipality register of Approved Third Party Inspection Bodies — the approval Abu Dhabi clients verify before accepting a crane inspection certificate. Inspection is carried out at your site or yard across the UAE and on mobilisation across the GCC.

What you receive

• An inspection certificate in the format the governing authority requires
• A report identifying the crane by make, model, serial number and capacity
• Findings recorded component by component with photographic evidence of defects
• Defects classified by severity, separating what stops the crane from what must be monitored
• Load test results with applied load, radius, configuration and post-test condition
• Confirmation that the load chart in the cab matches the machine configuration
• Colour-coded tagging applied on site
• Your equipment register updated, where we hold it, with due date notification