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TIL my old way of setting up on soft ground was asking for trouble
For years on sites around Houston, I'd just eyeball the ground and use the standard timber mats. Last spring, I had a near tip on a muddy job near the ship channel because the ground gave way more than I figured. Now I always bring a penetrometer to test the soil bearing pressure first, and I'll double up the mats or use a crane pad if the reading is under 15 tons per square foot. Anyone else have a go-to method for checking soft ground before you even start building the crane?
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lindagreen1mo ago
Ever use a probe rod to check for hidden water pockets before you even break out the penetrometer?
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piper4701mo ago
My old crew used to skip the probe rod and go straight for the penetrometer every time. LindaGreen's question here actually made me try it differently last month. We found a soft, wet spot the rod sank right into that the penetrometer would have just punched through without really showing how bad it was. It's a quick check that tells you where to focus your real testing, you know? Now I won't start without poking around a few key spots first.
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sethp261mo ago
Probe rod sounds smart for finding water, but doesn't that just tell you about one spot? How do you make sure you're getting a full picture of the ground conditions across the whole footprint area without doing a ton of separate tests?
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