Lifting plan
Plan a crane/rigging lift: sling tensions and WLL checks plus the crane side — transcribe the load chart (read at radius, step-down), boom length, pick/set radii, net capacity, an outrigger/crawler ground-bearing estimate and a basic/intermediate/complex indication, with live rigging and crane elevation sketches. Metric/imperial, export PDF, PNG or SVG, or print. Fully offline — indicative planning aid only.
Open Lifting plan →What is the lifting plan tool?
A crane and rigging lift-planning aid. On the rigging side, enter the load weight, sling legs and sling angle, list your accessories with their Working Load Limits, and it works out the gross lifted load, per-leg sling tension and a pass/fail check on every item. On the crane side, pick the crane type, enter the boom length and the working radii at pick and set, and transcribe the manufacturer's load chart — the tool reads the rated capacity conservatively at the next larger tabulated radius (step-down, never interpolated), deducts the hook block and rigging, and shows the net capacity and utilisation. It also estimates the ground bearing pressure under outrigger mats or crawler tracks against typical allowable values, draws a live rigging sketch and a crane elevation, and grades the lift basic, intermediate or complex in the spirit of BS 7121. It runs entirely in your browser, works offline in metric or imperial, and exports the sketch or the whole plan sheet. It is an indicative planning aid only — not a lift plan, and nothing here may be relied upon for a lifting operation. Every figure must be verified by a competent or appointed person against the manufacturer's charts and certificates and in accordance with LOLER 1998, BS 7121 / ASME B30 and your local regulations.
How to use Lifting plan
- Enter the load and rigging — Type the load weight, choose the number of sling legs (1–4) and set the sling angle from horizontal. Pick metric or imperial units.
- Configure the crane and transcribe the load chart — Choose the crane type, enter the boom length, the hook block weight and the working radius at both pick and set — the larger one governs. Then copy rows (radius → rated capacity) from the manufacturer's chart for that exact boom and counterweight configuration; the tool reads down to the next larger tabulated radius and never interpolates. With no chart, a single rated-capacity figure is used instead.
- Check ground bearing — Enter the crane weight and counterweight, then the outrigger mat size (with the max-pad share factor K) or the crawler track dimensions. Pick a ground type — presets fill a typical allowable bearing pressure — and the estimated pressure under the support is compared against it.
- List the accessories — Add each item of rigging — slings, shackles, master link, spreader beam, hooks — with its quantity, Working Load Limit and self-weight. The accessory weights add up into the gross lifted load and are deducted from the chart capacity automatically.
- Read the checks and sketches — The gross load, per-leg tension, chart capacity at radius, net capacity, crane utilisation, ground bearing and lift category update live, colour-banded green, amber or red, next to the rigging sketch and the crane elevation.
- Export or print — Download the sketch as PNG or SVG, or export the full plan sheet — project details, crane configuration, sketches, load chart, ground bearing check, accessory table and results — as a PDF, or print it.
Frequently asked questions
How is the sling tension worked out?
It uses the load-angle relationship: tension per leg = (gross load ÷ credited legs) ÷ sin θ, where θ is the sling angle from horizontal. As the angle gets shallower the load-angle factor (1 ÷ sin θ) rises sharply — 1.00 at 90°, 1.15 at 60°, 1.41 at 45° and 2.00 at 30° — so a flatter sling carries much more tension.
How is the chart capacity read?
The governing radius is the larger of the pick and set radii. The tool finds the first transcribed chart row whose radius is at or beyond that governing radius and takes its capacity — the standard conservative step-down reading. It never interpolates between rows, because load charts must not be interpolated. If the governing radius is beyond the largest row you entered, the tool reports 'beyond chart' as a hard fail rather than guessing.
Why does a 4-leg sling only credit 3 legs?
On a rigid load it is rarely possible to guarantee that all four legs share the load equally, so common rigging practice credits only three. Set the load type to 'flexible' if the load can level itself so that all legs genuinely share.
How is ground bearing estimated?
For outrigger cranes it uses the common site approximation: maximum pad load ≈ K × (crane weight + counterweight + gross load), with K defaulting to 0.65 for the worst-loaded corner, divided by the mat area you enter. For crawlers it spreads the total weight over both tracks' contact area and applies a pressure-peaking factor for slewing eccentricity. The result is compared with the allowable bearing pressure — presets offer typical values per ground type. It is an estimate only: confirm actual outrigger or track loads from the crane's outrigger-load chart or software, and the allowable pressure from geotechnical data.
What does basic / intermediate / complex mean?
It is an indicative grading in the spirit of BS 7121 lift categories. High utilisation, a radius beyond the chart, tandem lifting, powerlines, lifting over live plant, or several proximity factors push a lift to complex; moderate utilisation, spreader arrangements, a single proximity factor or a non-passing ground bearing check make it intermediate. It is advisory only and does not replace an appointed person's categorisation.
How is the pass or fail decided?
Each accessory's utilisation is its applied load divided by its Working Load Limit. Because the WLL already includes the design factor, an item passes when its WLL is at or above the load it sees. Slings, shackles and hooks are checked against the leg tension; the master link and spreader beam against the whole gross load. Crane utilisation compares the gross load plus hook block against the chart capacity at the governing radius (or the rated capacity if no chart is entered), and ground bearing passes at a factor of 1.25 or better.
Can I rely on this for an actual lift?
No — it is an indicative planning aid, not a lift plan, and nothing here may be relied upon for a lifting operation. It works out sling tensions, chart utilisation, net capacity and a ground bearing estimate from the figures you enter, and it assumes equal, symmetrically loaded legs and a chart transcribed correctly for the exact configuration. It does not assess load integrity, lifting-point strength, dynamic or shock loads, side or wind loading, the centre of gravity, or the condition and certification of equipment, and its ground bearing figure is an estimate, not an assessment. Every value must be verified against the manufacturer's charts and certificates, and the lift assessed by a competent or appointed person in accordance with LOLER 1998, BS 7121 / ASME B30 and your local regulations.
Is anything I enter sent anywhere?
No. Everything is worked out live in your browser and nothing is uploaded; your plan is saved only on your own device.
Tips
- Transcribe the load chart for the exact boom length, counterweight and outrigger configuration you will use — a different configuration is a different chart.
- Enter both the pick and the set radius; the larger of the two governs the capacity check.
- Check the chart's notes on the hook block: if the manufacturer's figures already deduct it, set the hook block weight to zero here to avoid double-counting.
- Keep the sling angle as steep as practical — below 45° from horizontal the tension climbs quickly, and below 30° is outside normal practice.
- Enter Working Load Limits, not breaking loads — the WLL already carries the design factor, so the pass/fail check stays honest.
- Ground preset values are only typical figures — get the allowable bearing pressure confirmed geotechnically, and take outrigger loads from the crane's own outrigger-load chart or software.
- Treat every result as indicative only — a complex-graded lift needs an appointed person, an engineered lift plan and dedicated supervision before it goes ahead.