Generally overloading can cause which types of failures?

• A. Structural, Winch, or Cable Tipping
• B. Electrical, Hydraulic, or Pneumatic
• C. Thermal, Chemical, or Mechanical
• D. Visual, Audible, or Latent

Answer: (A)

Overloading a crane puts more force through every part of the load path than it was designed to handle. That extra stress can cause structural components such as the boom, jib, or frame to bend, deform, or break. The winch system can be strained beyond its limit, leading to slipping, gear damage, or motor/ drum failure. The hoist cable or wire rope can reach its breaking strength, fraying or snapping. When any of these fail, control of the load is compromised and tipping can occur, either of the load or the crane itself, which is the most dangerous consequence of overloading.

Electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic failures describe problems in separate systems that aren’t the direct result of simply exceeding capacity, and thermal, chemical, or mechanical categories aren’t the immediate failure modes tied to overloading in typical crane operation. Signs like visual or audible cues aren’t failures themselves but indicators that something is wrong, whereas the direct outcomes of overloading are structural, winch, or cable failures leading to tipping.