Big Blue (crane)

The Big Blue was a Lampson Transi heavylift crane.

Profile

• Started at Miller Park: October 2, 1998
• Height: 467 feet
• Weight: 3,100 tons
• Lifting Capacity: 1,500 tons
• Counterweights: 2,150 tons
• Cables: 40,000 feet
• Operators: Four
• Cost to Build: $10 million
• Assembly Time: Six weeks
• Average weight of each roof section: 450 tons

Accident

On July 14, 1999 one of the most serious accidents with a heavylift crane occurred. Big Blue collapsed during the construction of the baseball stadium Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, with a load of 450 tons on the hook. Three people were killed. An investigation revealed that although the effects of side winds on the crane itself had been calculated, it had not been considered for the load the crane was lifting.^[1]

References

External links

• Video of the accident
• http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/success_stories/compliance_assistance/abbott/stadium_construction.html
• Lampson International

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=764&p_table=NEWS_RELEASES