TIL the hard way about two different ways to set up on soft ground

Had a job last Tuesday on a site near the river where the ground was pure muck. We tried the old method of just laying down some 6x6 timbers under the outrigger pads. The crane settled almost two inches in ten minutes. Switched to a proper crane mat system we had on the other truck, a 4x8 foot laminated mat, and it was solid as a rock for the whole eight hour lift. The mat spread the load way better. Anyone else run into this kind of ground and have a go-to solution?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.cole2mo ago

Thought timber was fine until a similar mess.

umabailey1mo ago

Allen's "thought timber was fine" hits different when you realize "fine" just means you haven't poked at it with a screwdriver yet. My deck looked solid until I gave it a light tap and my foot went through the wood. Timber's great until it's not, and by then you're just staring at splinters wondering what other surprises your house has in store.

taraw162mo ago

Yeah, that "similar mess" feeling hits hard. Like when you trust something to be solid and then the whole thing just falls apart on you. Makes you second guess everything you thought was okay before. Been there with a deck that looked great until the boards started rotting out from underneath.