Name the main load path components from hook to the crane base in a typical mobile crane.

• A. Hook block and wire rope only.
• B. Hook block, wire rope, sheaves, boom sections, jib (if present), upper structure/turntable, counterweights, outriggers, crane base/foundation.
• C. Outriggers and base only.
• D. Boom and base with counterweights.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is tracing how the lifting force travels from the load up through every part of the crane until it reaches the ground. In a typical mobile crane, the full load path includes all of these elements: the hook block and wire rope that actually connect to and lift the load; the sheaves that guide and change the rope’s direction as it moves through the boom; the boom sections (and a jib if present) that form the physical path the rope runs through and help carry the load; the upper structure or turntable that holds the winch and provides rotation for positioning the load; counterweights that balance the crane so it doesn’t tip when lifting; outriggers that widen the base and transfer forces to the ground; and the crane base/foundation that anchors everything and receives the forces from the outriggers and counterweights. Together these components carry the load from the hook back down into the ground.

Other options leave out essential pieces of this path, like the rope and sheaves, or the stability and foundation parts, which are all necessary for a complete, safe lift.