INTRODUCTION

TO
RIGGING ENGINEERING

Presented by Kent Goodman

Rigging Engineer
Kent.goodman @ cox.net
www.maximumreach.com
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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

SLIDE: DESCRIPTION: SLIDE: DESCRIPTION:

4 Examples of rigging 88 Side hitch plate
8 Definition of rigging 94 Base Ring Reinforcement
13 Rigging accidents 99 Spreader bars
23 Field rigging vs. rigging engineering 116 Tie downs
27 Purpose of rigging engineering 121 Quizzes and models
37 Lift attachment design 122 Quiz # 1
39 Pad eye lugs 126 Quiz # 2
43 Top head lugs and cone lugs 133 Pipe spool and model
53 Side lugs 139 Fine' (finish)
61 Trunnions
65 Flange lugs
76 Equalizer beams
78 One point pick device
86 Double choker hitches
 RIGGING:
Moving a block of stone up a ramp in the
construction of a pyramid
 RIGGING:
Building a coliseum
 RIGGING:
Guying off the masts on wooden ships.
The word "rigging" came from this type
of work on wooden ships.
 RIGGING:
Using block and tackle to hoist the sails
DEFINITION OF FIELD RIGGING
Field rigging is where the design & execution of
the transportation and lifting on a project is
done by the crane operators, riggers, rigging
superintendents and area superintendents.

Until the late 1960's, most of the rigging done in

the USA, and probably around the world, was
done as Field Rigging.

There were a lot of accidents associated with

field rigging. Thus the need for rigging
engineering became apparent.
 FIELD RIGGING
Personal account of bad field rigging
The first crane operator that I oiled for, fabricated and
installed a counter weight box on the back of the house
on a 20 ton crane and one on the front bumper of the
carrier. Each box was then filled with 5.0 tons of metal
punches. This increased the lifting capacity of the
crane to somewhere between 25 and 30 ton.

The house of this crane was held on to the carrier by

one hook roller in front and two in back.

This modification was not done with the approval of the

crane manufacturer.
Note the black & White
striped cwt. boxes on the
back of the house and the
front of the carrier
 FIELD RIGGING (continued)
Personal account of bad field rigging
We later used this same modified 20 ton crane to set 48
ea. 20 ton pre-stressed beams. When erected, each
beam set on one sliding and one fixed bearing plate.
The crane operator stacked all 96 bearing plates on the
counter weight box of the crane. This added about 2.5
tons of cwt to the 10 tons already in both cwt. boxes.

The hardest to reach beams were set first. Each time a

beam was set, two bearing plates were removed from
the cwt box. I can't believe that we never had a
component failure, but it must have been because
cranes were over designed in those days.
FIELD RIGGING: Setting 48 Prestressed Girders

Young Kent
Goodman
 RIGGING ACCIDENTS

Normally, rigging accidents are not caused by

one factor alone.

If two or more negative factors line up in the

same direction, then an accident is bound to
happen. Murphy will make sure that it does.

Following are three examples of lifting

accidents and the contributing factors.
 FIELD RIGGING ACCIDENT # 1
50 Te Crane turned over on top of a 400 Te crane during
the installation of a luffing jib. One rigger was seriously
injured
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
1. The rigging crew partied late the night before the accident
2. The crew did not have a clear work plan
3. The crew thought the weight of the aux. drum assy. was 1 Te. It
actually weighed 5 Te
4. The LMI of the 50 Te crane was inoperative due to a jumper wire
installed by the operator
5. The radius of the 50 Te crane could have been reduce by swinging the
house of the 400 Te crane 180 degrees
NOTE: Boom missed a live hydrogen line by about 1'
50 Te Crane turned over on 400 Te crane

Live hydrogen line

Original location of Aux. drum

aux. drum

Intended location of drum

 FIELD RIGGING ACCIDENT # 2

BOOM DROPPED ON A LINKBELT LS-718 RINGER

OWNED BY A HEAVY LIFT CONTRACTOR (HLC):
• The HLC was asked to make a long radius load test
• This was done to proof the assembly of the crane
• A 60 ton steam drum was used as a test weight
• A HRSG module was parked next to the crane
• Boom dropped before the test radius was reached
• No one was injured

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
a) The wrong Becket was used to dead-end the boom line
b) The erection crew was in a hurry to complete the assy.
and did not install a cable clamp on the pig tail
360 ton Ringer crane accident
 14 Pig Tail
Becket
HRSG module parked in
the wrong spot
 FIELD RIGGING ACCIDENT # 3

BOOM BUCKLED LIFTNG A TOWER:

1. A 125 ton truck crane was lifting a two section electrical
transmission tower. The pick point was just above the
connection
2. Just as it was upended, the the bottom section fell off,
moving the location of the CG above the lift point
3. The top section did a 180 degree loop and twisted the boom
off the crane. No one was injured
4. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
a) The rigging crew relied on a pressed fit and friction to
hold the two sections together.
b) The sections should have been welded or bolted
together
 Existing tower with the same lifting
configuration as the one in the accident

CG Of Top section

Lift point
Connection
between
sections Composite CG

CG Of Bottom section
Top section of
the tower

Bottom section of
the tower
FIELD RIGGING Vs Rigging
Engineering
Now days, the heavy lifts on projects are
classified as "Engineered Lifts" which requires
the expertise of a Rigging Engineer and the
design and development process is called
"Rigging Engineering".

The remaining lifts on the project are classified

as "Field to Rig", and these lifts are performed
by field rigging personnel as discussed earlier.
QUALIFICATIONS OF A
RIGGING ENGINEER
1. Must be a graduate engineer from an accredited four
year program.
2. Must have received a minimum two years training in a
Contractor's recognized and structured rigging
program.
3. Proficient in steel and timber design
4. Proficient in stress analysis
5. Has the experience and knowledge to design, evaluate,
plan, oversee and estimate transportation and lifting
activities during any phase of a project.
6. Must have practical experience with lifting equipment
such as cranes, jacking systems, skidding, rolling,
trailers, etc.
RIGGING ENGINEERS
Rigging Engineers (RE) usually choose one
of two areas of expertise:
1. RE's in the first area work for Engineering Procurement
Construction (EPC) companies. They are responsible
for the rigging design and handling of the heavy lifts
from the fabrication shop to the foundations at the site.

Their work starts at the same time as home office

engineering starts, about 1.5 years before field
construction starts. This much lead time is required to
complete the necessary rigging steps that must fit
together for the heavy lifts to be completed.

There are less than 100 RE's in this area in the world.
RIGGING ENGINEERS (Cont.)
2. RE's in the second area of expertise work for Heavy Lift
Contractors (HLC) and their responsibilities start when
EPC contracts are issued with a scope of work that
says something like "Assume care, custody and
control of the vessel at the dock, move it to the site and
set it on the foundation. Provide all equipment,
supervision, rigging drawings, etc, that are required".

All of the HLC rigging drawings are reviewed and

approved by the EPC Rigging Engineers.

There are more than 5,000 RE's in this area of expertise

in the world.
 PURPOSE OF RIGGING
ENGINEERING

Support Project, Engineering and

the field Construction staff in the
safe and economical transportation
from the fabrication shop and
installation of all heavy plant
equipment with the smallest amount
of RISK possible.
SERVICES PROVIDED TO
PROJECT
• Heavy transport and lifting studies

• Preliminary plot plan review

(Constructability)

• Preliminary cost estimate for heavy

transportation and lifts
 SERVICES PROVIDED TO
PROJECT: Continued
• Rigging input for the Request For Quotes
(RFQ's) for heavy lift & transportation equipment

• Technical evaluation of RFQ's

• Transport and lifting equipment

recommendations to construction
management

• Note: The above happens up to 1.5 years

before field construction starts on a project
 Minimum head
room required =
21'
Preliminary
Crane Study
(Typical)

TALKING POINTS
• Boom Clr. = 2'
• Vertical Clr. = 5'
• Two-Block = 16'
• Radius is the
name of the
game
• 80% Chart
Minimum two-
block distance =
16'

Based on a
max. fleet
angle Of 2.9
degrees

This is a
Minimum reeving
head room diagram, not
required = 16' a lacing
+ 5' down to diagram
bearing on
the hook = 21'
 CONSTRUCTABILITY
A soon as the Process Engineers and Piping Engineers have
developed a plot plan and the Vessels Engineers have preliminary
vessel outline drawings, the Rigging Engineers start doing Crane
Studies. Following is a typical constructability example.
The Rigging Engineer's crane studies showed that to set the heavy
vessels for this project, an 800 Te crane would be required. The
crane would have to be set up three times and there would be many
HOLDS, ie, equipment and structures that couldn't be set until after
the heavy vessels were erected.
The Rigging Engineer's then made crane studies to see what would
be required to eliminate the "holds" as this project was on a fast
track.
Their studies showed that a 1,200 Te crane could be used to set all of
the heavy vessels from one set up if the following changes to the plot
plan were made:
Constructability Continued:
1. Move the 400 ton vessel to the location of the 200 ton vessel
2. Move the 200 ton vessel to the location of the 150 ton vessel
3. Move the 150 ton to the original location of the 400 ton vessel
4. Construct a lift pad for the 1,200 Te crane by driving piles and
pouring a concrete cap over them. The pump foundations in the
lift pad area could be poured as soon as the heavy vessels were
set
The Process Engineers looked at the requested changes, found that
they didn't effect the process, so they approved the changes
The Cost and Scheduling Engineers said that by eliminating all of
the HOLDS except the pump foundations, it would save almost
two months off the schedule and about $4,500,000
 Example of
Constructability

200
Te Centerline Of
1200 Te Crane

400
Te
150 Te

800 Te Crane set up, typical three places

SERVICES PROVIDED TO
ENGINEERING
• Lift attachment design

• Local stress analysis due to forces from lugs

• Squad check reviews

a. Lift attachment review of Vendor's design
b. Review of Vendor's method of erection

• Provide dimensions and ground bearing

pressures for the heavy lift cranes & trailers
SERVICES PROVIDED TO
CONSTRUCTION
• Rigging studies
• Interference drawings (showing all holds)
• Rigging drawings
• Field support
- Route or transportation surveys
- Lifting surveys
- Lift supervision
 LIFT ATTACHMENT DESIGN

1. Lifting lugs (pad eye, top head, cone)

2. Side lugs
3. Trunnions
4. Flange lugs
5. Equalizer beams
6. One Point Pick Device (OPPD)
7. Side hitch plates
8. Tail lugs and base ring reinforcement
9. Spreader bars
10.Tie downs
Some examples of each follow.
Pressure Skirt
Vessel

Base
ring

VERTICAL VESSEL
In the Initial Pick Position (IPP)
 PAD EYE LIFTING LUGS
1. Used extensively by the field in fabrication work. Also used as
tail lugs, lifting lugs, etc.
2. Attached to a vessel or structure by two parallel butt welds
3. End area and bearing stress is based on the full force applied on
the centerline of the lug (at 90 degrees per the following sketch)
4. The combined bending stress of the lug plate and the lug weld is
based on the horizontal and vertical components of the force
DISADVANTAGES:
a. The welding and QC for the butt welds is very critical
b. Has little resistance to side loading, ie, the compression weld acts
as a hinge and the tension weld has to carry all of the load
Typical Pad Eye Lifting Lug
 Pad eye lug
used as a tail
lug.
Note steel
spacers to
keep the
shackle
centered on
the lug

Base ring
770 ton (700 Te) Reactor With Two Pad
Eye Lugs For Lifting
 Top Head & Cone Lug Design
1. Most economical of all lifting lugs to design, fabricate and
install
2. End area, bearing and combined stress of the lug plate and
weld calculated the same as for pad eye lugs
3. Attached to the shell with a three sided weld
4. Easy to analyze the local shell stresses. If the weld size is less
than the thickness of the shell, the shell is not overstressed at
the tangent line
5. Safer to use than trunnions as the slings can't jump off
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Bending in the shell can be a problem for long vessels
2. Harder to unhook the rigging than with trunnions
TYPICAL
TOP HEAD
LUG
DRAWING

Note the ¾" pad

used between the lug Kicker
and the shell to plate
accommodate the
¾" lug weld
Vendor designed lug. Not a good design.
Stiffener ring should have been split so the
lug could have been welded direct to the
shell. Also, the I.D. of the pads should
have been the same as the I.D. of the lug
hole for increased bearing
 400 ton Reactor with
top head lugs

The pads welded to the lug were

not needed for strength or
bearing. They were added to
make the hook up safer and
faster as the shackle pin weighed
100 lbs.
On the average, one Engineering
Manhour in home office spent on
safety and efficiency will save one
Crew Manhour in the field =
$1,000 to $2,000, depending on
crew size and equipment involved
Vertical Vessel With Top Head Lugs

Three
sided weld
Vertical Vessel w/
Cone Lugs
6' dia. x 12' dia. x
150' x 200 tons

Kicker plate
Over shot
line

Davit
Slings need to be
long enough so that
the spreader bar
will clear the over
shot line during up
ending
 SIDE LUGS
1. Side lugs are used in cases where the use of top head lugs would
cause over stressing of the shell due to buckling or bending
2. The transverse plates or straps carry the IPP load. See "d" in
the left hand sketch
3. The Longitudinal plates or straps carry the full weight of the
vessel when it is in the vertical position. See "X" in the right
hand sketch
4. A compression & tension pipe are used inside the vessel to reduce
bending
5. End area, bearing and combined stress of the lug plate and weld
calculated the same as for pad eye lugs
DISADVANTAGES:
a. Costly to design, fabricate, cut out and remove after erection
 X
d
 450 ton
Vertical Doubled 4.5" dia.
450 ton Vertical
Vessel With sling
Vessel With Side
Side Lugs
Lugs

Roller
with a Roller with a 24"
24" tread dia., two
tread links & two 6"
dia. dia. pins
 450 ton
vertical 450 ton tail
vessel with crane
side lugs

24"
Roller
 SWL OF A 4.5" DIA. SLING
Tension in the inclined portion of the slings = 485 kips
Breaking strength of a 4.5" dia. EIPS wire rope = 1,775 kips
SWL of a 4.5" dia sling with 100% efficiency
= 1775/safety factor of 5 = 355 kips
Efficiency of the swaged fitting at the eye = 90%
Efficiency of the slings bent over the ends of
the spreader bar = 85%
Efficiency of the slings bent around the 24" rollers = 78%
NOTE: Use the lowest efficiency as they do not all occur in the
same place.
SWL of the sling is 355*0.78*2 parts = 554 kips
554 > 485, therefore a doubled 4.5" dia. sling is okay
450 ton Tail
Crane
 1,200 ton
crane
with 600 10"dia. x
ton cwt. 16' XXS
pipe
spreader
bar

Crane
on
mats
 Lampson LTL-1200 Transilift
1. Monthly rental: (1987 Rental) 7 mo.* $275,000 $1,925,000
2. Mob and demob costs:
Move in and out $300,000
Assembly-disassembly. $350,000 $650,000
TOTAL $2,575,000
1. Assemble time, 5,000 straight time hours:six weeks
2. Dis-assemble time: four weeks.
3. Assembly cranes required: Two 230 ton crawlers
4. Transportation of crane components: 130 truck loads each way
 TRUNNIONS
1. Trunnions are used in cases where the use of top head lugs would
cause over stressing of the shell in long vessels due to buckling or
bending
2. They are used almost exclusively in Europe in place of top head
lugs. Their use is gaining popularity in the USA
3. They are easy to hook up to and unhook from
DISADVANTAGES:
a. The design, fabrication and installation is quite complex, sort of
like trying to install lugs on the sides of an empty Pepsi can
without deforming it
b. Not as safe as lugs with pin holes as the slings can jump off
 TYPICAL
TRUNNION
DRAWING
Vertical vessel with
trunnions and tail
lug.

Dimensions:
6 m x 94 m x 360 Te Tail
20' x 308' x 396 tons lug

Trunnion
This slide is to show why a 1,300
Te Floating Crane was used. The
1,300 Te rating is for a radius of
25 m. It is 10 m from the boom
foot pins to the barge, 30 m barge
width and 10 m on to the center
of the trailers = 50 m. The crane
rating at 50 m = 600 Te
 FLANGE LUG DESIGN
Made From A Weldment:
A base plate is fabricated that matches the bolt pattern on the
reactor's top nozzle. A lug plate is welded to the base plate and
gussets are installed to provide side stability, and weld length.

Made From A Forging:

A molten piece of metal that is larger than the specified size of
the lug is mechanically pounded or compressed to a specific
density to eliminate all voids. The forging is then machined to
the final design dimensions. As there are no welds, this type of
lug is superior and safer than one made from a weldment. The
only down side is that the cost is approximately 2 times more, ie,
if a weldment costs $3.00/lbs then a forging would cost about
$6.00/lb. The flange lug shown on the drawing weighed 6,900
lbs. & cost about $42,000.00 to fabricate.
FLANGE LUG
MADE OUT OF
A FORGING
 Flange lug
with a
temporary
work Two 230 ton
platform tail cranes
built
around it

Reactor, 12" wall x

15' dia. x 120' x 830
ton, made from 10'
long forging rings
Making a 12"
wall x 15' dia.
x 10' ring from
a forging
12" wall x 15' dia. x 10'
long ring made out of a
forging
Forging a head Welding 10'
rings together

Welding on a
head
600 ton Equalizer
beam & tail beam
Flange lug
Flange lug design
Dimensions:
includes checking the
5' high x 5' local stresses where
dia. x 6,900 the top nozzle is
lb. connected to the
head of the reactor.
If the head is over
stress, then the
thickness of the head
must be increased or
a doubler pad must
be installed on the
head.
 February in
Regina, Canada
900 ton Crane

Three set,
two to go

Rear crawlers 600 tons of

turned in order to counterweight
swing for final
setting of reactor
 EQUALIZER BEAM
The main purpose of an equalizer beam is to ensure that the
percentage of the load shared by each crane will not change during
the erection of the piece of equipment.
This is accomplished by designing the beam so that the pin holes are
all on the centerline of the beam. This way, when the beam gets out
of level, the distances between the holes are still proportionately the
same. If all the pin holes are not on the centerline of the beam, then
the beam is not a true equalizer beam. To quote a fellow RE, "this
means that some equalizer beams are more equal than others".
Usually, there are two pin holes at each end and two at the center of
the beam. This enables the Rigging Engineer to rig up the beam so
that the cranes will share the load in a 50-50, 40-60 or a 30-70
percent ratio.
 1,200 Te
Equalizer
beam

1,000 Te
Reactor,
12" wall Flange
lug
Lifting A Vertical
Vessel Using A
One Point Pick
Device

Vessel in the
Initial Pick
Position (IPP)
 REASONS FOR USING A
ONE POINT PICK DEVICE
1. A tall vertical vessel can be erected using a crane with a short
b m ha d e ha e each e he e el.
2. A lifting lug doesn't have to be welded to the vessel
3. The rigging is fairly easy to install.
a. Place a wooden block on the shell to position the OPPD so
the load block won't interfere with the shell during upending
b. Wrap the wire rope lashing thru the OPPD and around
the shell with sufficient wraps to handle the initial pick load
c. Weld stirrups on the skirt of the vessel
d. Connect the boot straps to the OPPD and the stirrups
e. Use six tirfors to plumb the vessel after upending
As soon as the
One of
hoist lines are
two guy
snugged up, the
wires
blue wooden
block is removed
 Up ending the
vessel

Good example
of a tailing
hookup using a
sling in a choker
Hitch
135 Degrees
(Typical)

Skirt and base

ring stresses do Note that for a
not have to be 14' dia. skirt,
analyzed if a tail four 14" wooden
sling in a choker blocks must be
hitch is used used, etc
Tucking the base
ring of the vessel
under the boom so
the crane can swing
left until the vessel
is over the center
line of the
foundation. Then it
will be plumbed
using six tirfors
 Rigging is all about
controlling the load at
all times

6 Tifors are used to

plumb a vessel, 2 front, 2
rear and 1 each side
 Vessel set on
The two guy
foundation
wires are used to
keep the hook
centered under
the boom tip
sheaves during
plumbing of the
vessel
Lifting a vertical
vessel using
double choker
hitches

This type of
hitch is used
when there are
no lugs on the
vessel. It is
labor intensive
to hook up
 SIDE HITCH PLATE
1. The side hitch plate was designed to replace the Double Choke
Method for lifting vessels that do not have lifting lugs on them
2. It is usually used to lift off the top sections of tall vessels that
have become too corroded to be in service. This means that it is
not safe to weld on lugs either
3. The boot straps can be hooked to existing nozzles, new lugs, etc
4. Easy to install. Assemble everything on the hook, swing it into
place around the vessel and hook up the holding sling. Sort of
like a woman putting on her bra.
Then hook up the boot straps to the nozzles or lugs at the base of
the section and the vessel is ready to lift. The belly sling handles
the IPP load and the boot straps handle the set load.
Side Hitch Plate
Using side hitch
plates to remove the
top section of a
vertical vessel
because of excessive
corrosion
Getting ready
to hook the
tailing crane to
the bottom of
the top section
Down
ending the
top section
 Down ending
complete
Side hitch plate
 BASE RING REINFORCEMENT
1. When a tail lug is to be used to tail a vertical vessel, the base ring
stresses must be analyzed
2. Lifting the bottom of a vertical vessel with just a tail lug is called
a one point support. The resulting tailing force causes the base
ring to deflect in an egg shaped fashion. If the base ring deflects
to much, it will be overstressed in bending
3. If the base ring is overstressed in a one point support, then an
internal or external beam must be used to reduce the stresses.
This is called a two point support. The resulting tailing force
causes the base ring to deflect in an up side down pear shaped
fashion. If the base ring deflects to much, it will be over stressed
in bending
4. If the base ring is overstressed in a two point support, then
diamond shaped reinforcement must be used to reduce the
stresses. This is called a four point support.
BASE RING REINFORCEMENT Continued:
5. Using a four point support always works and will eliminate the
over stressing of the base ring
6. Deciding whether to use an internal or external beam depends on
it usage, i.e., if there are similar vessels to be tailed up, then an
external tail beam would be used that bolts to the base plate of
each of the vessels. If there is only one vessel to tail up, an
internal beam would be welded inside the base plate.
COMMENT:
a. It should be pointed out that for each type of support, the
Rigging Engineer would try to make it work by increasing the
thickness or by decreasing the I.D. of the base plate. If that
didn't work, then the RE would go to the next higher type
support, i.e., from a one point to a two point support.
Vertical vessel with tail lug
and internal base ring
reinforcement, 4 point
support
Vertical vessel with external tailing beam in
a 4 point support
Vertical vessel with twin
tailing beams
 SPREADER BARS
Unlike equalizer beams where the object is to keep the same
percentage of load on each crane through out the lift, spreader bars
are used to keep the lifting slings from side loading the lifting lugs,
tail beams, crushing equipment, etc.
Spreader bars should be designed so that there is zero bending due
to the influence of the lifting slings.
Lifting the
tail end of
a vertical
vessel with
a spreader
bar
 790 ton Reactor being
offloaded using two 14"
dia. std wall x 28'
longitudinal pipe
spreader bars

900 ton Crane Note crane

mats over the
whole area
Lifting horizontal
heater section
using multi-
spreader bars
Lifting horizontal
heater section
using one
longitudinal and
two transverse
spreader bars

This type of pipe spreader bar

is simple to design, fabricate
& use. Efficient use of
materials as the pipe is in
compression and the slings are
in tension. Very economical
and safe compared to other
types of spreader bars
Lifting a stack section
with a pin connected
spreader bar because of
limited head room
Actual spreader bar used
for the stack lift
This bar was
designed for zero
moment due to the
influence of the
slings because the
lines of force
intersect at the
centerline of the
beam
Alternate
Design
The connection between the top and bottom
section of stack was located just above the 360
degree platform so it could be used to weld
the joint
The 45'x90'x355,000
lb. tank was lifted
using a six sided
spreader bar

JET FUEL

450 ton Crane

 This is the most common
200 Te HRSG type of spreader bar used
in construction. Most
Modules Engineers don't know how
to properly design it and
the field is even worse in
using it
This type of spreader
bar has lugs top &
bottom
A very complicated &
expensive spreader bar to
design, fabricate & use
A two point
support for the
base ring
A very nice but
expensive spreader bar.
Note that the pin holes
for the top shackles are
on the centerline of the
spreader bar
 TIE DOWNS
Equipment being transported must be tied down or lashed to the
trailer, railcar or ship deck so that it can not move in transit. The
tie downs must be designed for the transportation forces
involved. The types of tie downs range from:
1. Simple chains and boomers for a load being transported on a
float or lowboy
2. Pipe bracings to keep a vessel centered on the saddles and
bolsters during shipment on a rail car
3. Pad eye lugs and slings for lashing a vessel to the deck of a barge
4. Sea fasteners welded to the deck of a ship to keep a module from
moving horizontally or vertically
Tie down brace
for rail shipment
Lashing a vessel to a
barge deck
Typical sea fastener
welded to the deck
of a ship to hold a
module in place
during ocean
shipment
Not a good tie
down design
 QUIZZES

AND

MODELS
Models are great. They don't have to look exactly like the
item being lifted. They just have to have the same
relationship between the weight, the CG and the pick
points as the item being lifted or moved.
 QUIZ 1
If the chock is removed, will the spool roll down the ramp?
YES _______ NO_________
 ANSWER TO RIGGING QUIZ No. 1

No, the spool will not roll as shown, because the radius from it's centerline to the outer layer of
cable is less than the outside radius of the flanges. Imagine the spool rolling through 90 degrees from its
present position. If 90 degree arcs for the cable and flanges are laid out parallel to the ramp, it can be
seen that the resulting centerline positions of the spool at the end of each arc are not in the same place
along the ramp.

If the spool was full of cable, then the radii would be the same and the spool would start to roll
when the chock was removed. As the radius of the cable decreased due to cable being payed out, the
spool would come to a stop on the ramp. This is assuming that the safe working load of the cable and
the back stop where strong enough to resist the resulting momentum of the spool.

Note that the weight of the spool and cable nor the angle of the ramp have nothing to do with
whether the spool will roll or not.

To prove to your self that the spool will not roll, place a reel of cable, a spool of electrical wire, or
a yo-yo on a flat surface and start to slowly unwind it. Note that as the spool is unwinding, the end of
the cable/string is slowly following along behind the spool. If someone stands on the end of the cable,
the flanges on the spool have to be slipped in order to continue unwinding the cable.
Model of a spool similar to quiz 1
 QUIZ 2
Is this lift
Beta = 36 Deg.
stable?
Alpha = 33 Deg.
Beta=24 Deg.
Alpha=45 Deg.
 ANSWER TO RIGGING QUIZ No. 6
The answer is no, this is not a safe lift. It is unstable against tipping in the transverse direction and
borderline stable against tipping in the longitudinal direction.
This is because the angle Alpha below the center of gravity (CG) in the transverse direction is 45
degrees, and the angle Beta at the spreader bar is approximately 24 degrees. In order to be stable, Beta
must be greater than Alpha.
For the longitudinal direction, angle Alpha is 32.75 degrees and angle Beta at the spreader bar is
approximately 35 degrees. As Beta is greater than Alpha, theoretically, it is stable.
To better understand why the angle Beta at the spreader bar (or slings if they are being used above
the spreader bar) must be larger than the corresponding angle Alpha at the CG in both the transverse
and longitudinal direction, consider the following. Assume that the pick point "B1" in the transverse
direction is actually located at "C" and centered between the shackle points. If the CG was located
directly under the hook and could be kept there, then the load would be stable. But the location of the
CG for a load is hard to calculate and is usually off by at least several inches to a foot. During lifting,
dynamics of the lift, wind, different lengths of rigging, etc., tend to also shift the location of the CG.
Therefore, if the CG is not under the hook as the load is lifted, the offset CG will cause the load to
rotate away from the hook, and in so doing, the spreader bar and the skid platform will form a
parallelogram as they rotate from the horizontal. As there is no resisting force against overturning or
tipping, the spreader bar and skid platform will continue rotating into a more acute parallelogram
until the slings bear up against the sides of the turbine. If the trunnions were located outside of the
turbine frame, then the skid would turn up side down.
 ANSWER TO RIGGING QUIZ No. 6, Continued
Consider one more situation where the skid is being lifted in the transverse direction without
spreader bars, but with slings attached at the trunnions on the "D" line and connected to the pick
points or hooks at a point below the CG. Also assume that there is no interference between the inclined
slings and the turbine housing. As in the example above, there is no resisting force against overturning
as the CG is located above the pick points or hooks & the skid is therefore unstable. Now, if the slings
are lengthened until the pick points are above the CG, they provide a resisting force against
overturning and the load will be stable.
So whether the slings are connected to the tunnnions and run directly to the hook, or they start at
the spreader bar and go to the pick points or hooks, they must form an angle Beta that is greater than
the angle Alpha at the CG. If the CG is not centered between the skid pick points, then both Alpha
angles in the transverse and both Alpha angles in the longitudinal must be computed and compared
with the corresponding Beta angles.
Now the most often asked question is how much greater must angle Beta be than angle Alpha.
Theoretically and on paper, if Beta is as great as say one degree larger than Alpha, the lift should be
stable. But due to the dynamics of lifting, the CG location not always being know accurately, the slings
not always matched for length, etc, it is recommended that Beta be at least 20 degrees larger than
Alpha. In most cases this will be conservative but safe.
AN EXAMPLE
SIMILAR TO
QUIZ 2 All it took to
construct this
model was a piece
of board, string,
one inch dia. PVC,
screw eyes and S
hooks.
The angle "Beta"
between the slings and
the transverse spreader
bars is approx. 60 deg.

Beta

Note that the load

The angle "Alpha" is of four bricks is
approx. 49 degrees stable
for four bricks

Alpha
 Angle
"Beta" is
approx. 60
degrees

Note that the board and

Beta the spreader bars are
starting to form a
parallelogram and that the
The angle "Alpha" load of bricks is unstable
for five bricks is and is about to roll over.
approx. 60 degrees, A load of six bricks will
the same as "Beta" roll over either way,
Alpha depending on how the
bricks are stacked
The angle "Beta"
between the slings
and the
longitudinal
spreader bar is Beta
approx. 65 deg.

The angle Note that the

"Alpha" for five load of five
bricks is approx. bricks is stable
47 degrees in the
longitudinal
Alpha direction
 SETTING A Tail crane
Lift crane
hook 48" Dia. hook
OVERSHOT
LINE
2 Dia. Sli g

1 Dia. Sli g
 STEPS FOR DESIGNING THE RIGGING HOOKUP
FOR A 48" DIA. PIPE SPOOL
1. Calculate the weight and the location of the CG in both the
vertical and horizontal directions
2. Lay the pipe spool out to scale in the vertical with the bottom run
level. Run a sling from the right end up at a 60 degree angle
until it crosses the vertical reference line of the CG. This
intersection point is bearing on the lift crane hook. Run a sling
down from the hook to the 90 degree elbow. Calculate the
vertical reactions at the base of each sling. Size the slings, 2" dia.
EIPS for the left and 1" dia. IPS for the right
3. With the pipe spool laying in the horizontal, calculate the vertical
reactions around the vertical reference line of the CG. These
reactions can be used to size the tailing slings and to determine
the location of their pick points so the pipe spool can be floated in
the horizontal without falling off the pipe stands
Model of a Location of the CG
48" dia. pipe in both the vertical
spool in the and the horizontal
vertical with direction
the bottom
run level

Horizontal
reference line
Model of a 48" dia. pipe spool in
the horizontal with:
Tail crane hooked to the left side
Lift crane hooked to the right side
FINÉ