Crane Outrigger Pad (Square)

What crane outrigger pads do

A crane concentrates its whole working weight onto four small outrigger floats. Put that float straight on the ground and the pressure often exceeds what the soil can hold, and the leg sinks — the leading cause of mobile-crane tip-overs. Crane outrigger pads — also called crane pads or crane foot pads — spread that point load over a larger area so the machine stays level and stable through the lift.

Sizing by ground bearing pressure

The rule is simple: pad area = maximum outrigger load ÷ the ground’s safe bearing pressure. Weaker ground needs a bigger pad, not a thicker one. Square pads run 18×18 in up to 48×48 in (450–1200 mm) with a vertical working load limit from about 12 t to over 100 t by size, so you can match the pad to the leg load and the soil instead of guessing — the full method is in the crane outrigger pads sizing guide.

Why a square pad

The square form puts the most area under the float for a given dimension and gives a stable seat for spreader-beam feet and large float plates. Moulded in HDPE or UHMW at 1–4 in thick, these pads replace the aluminium outrigger pads and timber packing crews used to stack, and size from backhoe outrigger pads up to large mobile cranes; the pad spreads pressure without flexing apart, and a cut-in grip keeps it a one-person carry around the setup.

On site

Mobile crane setup, concrete pump stabilisers, and piling rig feet — anywhere outriggers land on anything softer than engineered hardstanding. The polymer is non-conductive and will not rot or soak up water, so the pads live on the truck between jobs. For cylindrical MEWP and boom-lift feet, the round outrigger pad seats more neatly.