Wind Damage to Dockside Cranes: Recent Failures and Recommendations

by Patrick McCarthy
Presented by Patrick McCarthy at the TCLEE 2009 Conference in Oakland, California

Wind-related damage is a threat to most dockside cranes. Typically, damage is localized, but occasionally cranes collapse. Recent crane collapses have been caused by hurricane winds, usually when tie-downs fail, and by lesser winds under operating conditions.

We propose incorporating “ductile link” equalization into tie-down systems as a retrofit method for existing cranes in high-wind areas. We use an economy vs. risk approach to evaluate the need to retrofit existing cranes.

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