Pro tip: The old way to set up on soft ground versus using a proper crane mat system

I used to just eyeball it and throw down some old timber cribbing on muddy sites, thinking it was fine. Last year on a job in Tacoma, we had a week of rain and my 80-tonner started to sink a good six inches on one side during a pick. My foreman came over, red in the face, and said, 'You're gonna flip that thing and kill someone.' We shut down for half a day to get proper 8x16 foot timber mats brought in. The difference was night and day. The mats spread the load out so much better, we had zero settlement for the rest of the two-week job. It cost us time upfront but saved a huge headache and a real safety risk. I won't cheap out on ground prep again. What's your go-to method for sketchy ground conditions?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony_lane551mo ago

Your story about the crane sinking is exactly why my old boss called timber cribbing a "hope and a prayer" system.

umasullivan1mo ago

Oh man, that's so true. I read a report once about a rig that went down because the cribbing just... gave out. The wood was old and had gotten wet and soft over time, but nobody checked it. They just kept stacking more on top. It's wild how something that seems so solid can just fail if you're not watching it like a hawk. Makes you wonder how many sites are cutting corners right now.