30.08.2018
Crane blocks road
An All Terrain crane overturned this morning, on a road near Liverpool, UK, completely blocking the A-5080 road close to junction 5 of the M-62 motorway.
It looks as though the three axle crane was coming from the M-62 and may have been looking to take a left hand turn down a side road towards Huyton, when it flipped. Quite how it managed to do so is hard to say, but the rear wheels look as though they are in crab steer configuration which may have caused a stability issue at road speeds.
The road is closed and as yet we do not have information on the crane operator, hopefully he is unhurt. We will update if and when we learn more.
UPDATE
Due to the crane's livery assumptions have been made that this is a crane from the Baldwins Crane Hire fleet - While we are unable as yet to confirm beyond doubt who owns and operates the crane, We can categorically state and confirm that is is NOT a Baldwins unit.
Please register to see all images
The overturned crane leaked oil and diesel onto the road
1. First and foremost I'd like to ask is there any news on the health of the driver ?
2. As far as I am aware the rear steer in the instance of having no mechanical lock should have a 'double failsafe' which should not allow it to unlock over approx 12mph under any circumstances.
However,I've heard of it happening previously and so I hope its investigated thoroughly by the manufacturer.Active steering unlocking when it shouldn't be is a frightening prospect .
Regarding the recent crane overturn in Liverpool.
There has been some derogatory remarks being made, and I would like to clear
the air a little.
The Crane was not owned or operated by Baldwins, I know this as I am an operator and have previously worked for the actual company that does own it, I am also aware that on Thursday after the incident occurred, another crane was called in to cover the job that the specific crane was supposed to be on but could not due to it overturning.
Now as for comments about both drivers and the machine - made primarily due to the misunderstanding involved of it being a Baldwins crane...
Modern cranes of this day, from three axles and up, often automatically utilise rear steer profiles at low speed, and this is in road travel, to keep steering radii at the boom/fly jib short. I am unaware of the Liebherr
LTM 1050's road travel steering mode at low and high speed, but what I am aware of is how there can be multiple issues that could have caused this.
1. Driver error, perhaps. given in the photograph and from comments made to myself, the rear steer may be involved in causing the overturn, then there are two ways of it involving driver error for this. Either the driver engaged the wrong steer mode (wouldn't happen on a public road that gives sufficient space for regular steer mode), or the driver physically steered the crane excessively. perhaps the driver tried to avoid something, like someone running out in front? (The crane overturned right where a bus stop
is located in the oncoming lane, with a housing estate on the left side of the road, perspective of cranes' direction of travel toward Liverpool).
If not driver error, then two alternatives I can think of:
2. Software - Computer decided to put it in rear steer mode at the wrong speed. Possible, but only if the crane does feature automatic low-speed rear steering, which the Liebherr website indicates it does have.
3. Hardware. This is mechanical failure, which I myself have witnessed,
although admittedly on an older crane that did not have such steering mode, but was a failure of the steer and suspension linkage between the wheel hub and the upper suspension ram on the rear axle of the crane. In other words, as you travel forward, the friction involved pulls the wheel backward, and with the steering pivot being inward of the wheel towards the chassis, the
wheel turned around that pivot, causing the crane to try turning. in that case, it was the left rear wheel, so it turned as if for a crab left/sharp right, but the opposing wheel didn't. The telling aspect, is that the rear wheel on the side in the air is turned in the same direction as the front wheel, with the middle wheel fixed.
So perhaps software, or perhaps hardware, but failure of hardware to me is evident in those two axles being turned while on its side, thought that could be an effect of the crash, rather than cause.
Simply put, it is too early to tell either way, and age of the vehicle is no barrier to mechanical failure of some kind.
And the comment by 'crane expert' to me reads as the crane being constantly busy, rather than an aspect of mechanically stopping the vehicle on the road, so other readers are jumping to conclusions.
I do not wish to state the name of the company that owns the vehicle at this time, but I would appreciate a comment added to the article on these three possible causes - and there may be other causes, but only these are what I
can think of, as these have been problems I have had or been witness to in the past. The driver error being the one when you need manual rear steer and needing to manage crab and sharp steer in multiple directions back and forth - don?t go too fast!
Safe driving.
Crane lads
Is the driver ok
John
Ps
Try spell check crane expert
John
Yes so called expert make sure you get your
facts correct instead of making derogatory comments such as these pathetic jibes
You are small minded individual with obviously nothing else to think about grow a pair
Cicsy
Don't know about crane expert you are certainly no spelling expert. Maybe time to put the BRAKES on your sarcasm!
Crane expert
Mmmmm blue and white crane, maybe it never had any breaks.