Cranes In The Rain: Your Guide To Rental Options During Stormy Weather

18 September 2015
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Crane rentals offer an invaluable service on construction sites, allowing you to haul and move heavy objects with ease. The use of a crane is often an important part of a tight construction schedule, but there are often natural elements that you cannot help during the course of the project. When rain is on the horizon, you need to make a proper decision as to whether to use the crane rental or postpone it until another day. Use the following to guide to determine if you should move forward or consider the rental a temporary wash-out.

Construction Site Conditions

Along with factoring in the rain, it's also important to consider the actual site that your crane rental will be on. For example, a dirt area can become muddy when a lot of rain is falling. If you're using heavy crane rentals, they can easily sink down and get stuck in the mud. This can affect the stability of the crane as it is not on solid ground.  Not only will this impact the performance of a crane, but it can cause delays in the construction process as you try to move the crane from the wet and muddy situation. A construction site with a paved area will hold more stability and can likely be used during a light rain drizzle.

It's also a good idea to consider any possible flooding conditions. This includes construction sites near rivers, ponds, or places where drainage sewers have not been installed. You do not want rising water to cause possible damage to your crane rental. Survey the site during other rainstorms to see how this water can affect different areas.

Thunder & Lightning Storms

Even though a light rain may be fine for a crane to operate in, the storm clouds that come with it can create additional dangers. In most cases your construction site will shut down during a lightning storm, but if it doesn't, the crane should not be operated on. A crane lifted high in the air can act as a conductor and attract lightning strikes. If the crane rental is already on your construction site, it should be lowered into the most closed-off position possible. This will help deter any problems until the storm has passed.

Overnight Forecast

Even if the day calls for sun, the weather on the night before could have an impact on the crane you decide to rent. Overnight downpours on your construction site could create messy situations where it's hard to even get the crane into position. During these scenarios, you should avoid the crane rental during the morning hours and wait until the afternoon when things dry up and you can get more use from the equipment.

Keep an eye on weather reports for the days leading up to the crane use. Online radar services can help you track moving cloud systems passing over your construction site. This will help you plan for the crane use. For example, you may have the ability to lay a large tarp down across the area where the crane is needed. This can help keep the area dry and give you more use with the crane. It will help prevent mud and large puddles around the crane area.

Reserved Rentals

The weather can often change or be wrongly predicted. When this occurs, you may lose out on possible rental days because you feared the arrival of rain. In any of these scenarios, your best option is to reserve the rental beforehand. It's easier to postpone a crane rental instead of trying to get one when the weather is sunny instead of rainy. This will ensure that you make the most of your crane rental and get the job done efficiently.

Many rental services have policies when it comes to bad weather and possible cancellations. Contact them with any additional questions you may have.