Straightpoint Radiolink Plus load cells with handheld displays were used to monitor the weight of 35t capacity water bags as they were filled for load testing a variety of offshore cranes.

The project was overseen by Straightpoint distributor General Lifting Engineering (GLE) SKIPLifting, which is based in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, China.

The marine industry customer needed to load test a number of cranes that are used for a variety of offshore engineering projects. To present up-to-date documentation about lifting capacities, water weights were used as a safe and convenient method of gradually increasing the load.

Remote control enabled the operator to determine how much water was poured into the water bags to reach the required level of weight for testing purposes. Windspeed and height of tide had to be measured throughout in a safety critical environment.

Water bags, provided in this case by Heu-technology, have become an increasingly common load testing tool and, on some job sites, they represent the only practical method of carrying out safe and efficient load testing.  Using load cells, which connect the crane hook to the water bags, further enhances the safety and efficiency of the job.

Eric Yang, assistant manager at GLE, said: “The application required us to proof load the cranes in a variety of mode of operations, such as hoisting, lowering, luffing and revolution. Water bags are necessary when off-board operations are needed. It is easy and safe to inflate and deflate the bags with water.”

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