Lifting, Rigging, Erection, and Jobsite Safety
Lift day is a checklist, not a guess
Before the crane arrives, confirm panel weight, center of gravity, insert capacity, rigging configuration, crane capacity at the actual working radius, and the brace layout. Match rigging to inserts, use a spreader beam where the geometry requires it, and remember that sling tension climbs steeply as the sling approaches horizontal. For a two-leg sling, load per leg equals panel weight divided by (2 × the sine of the angle from horizontal). At 60° each leg carries about 0.58 of the weight; at 30° each leg carries the full weight.
Tilt each panel in one smooth continuous motion, keep tension on the tag lines, and never allow anyone to stand or walk beneath a suspended panel. Set the panel on its bearing, install the specified knee braces - typically two per panel minimum, at the angles and anchor locations shown - and do not release the crane until the braces are pinned and the panel is plumb.
Traps
- Bracing to backfill, unproven slab, or a stake that will pull out.
- Removing temporary braces before permanent connections are complete and approved.
- Shock loading inserts by jerking a panel off the bed.
- Treating the exclusion zone as optional during the busiest hour of the day.
Rule of thumb
Keep slings at 60° or steeper from horizontal wherever geometry permits, and check the reaction at every brace anchor - a 10,000 lb panel can push several thousand pounds into a single brace.