Lifting Plan for Office Units with a Six-Wheel Truck-Mounted Crane

Delivering and installing a mobile office unit, container office unit, office unit or knock-down house with a six-wheel truck-mounted crane is an important step that demands the greatest care. A thorough Lifting Plan that follows international safety principles is the key to making sure the project succeeds.

CONTAINERTOBUILD always puts the safety of its staff and customers first. Here is our core guide to preparing a Lifting Plan for lifting your mobile office unit, container office unit, office unit or knock-down house.

1. Establishing the basic information (Load & Site Assessment)

Before work starts, you must know the details of what is being lifted and of the work area:

A. Mobile office unit, container office unit, office unit or knock-down house data (The Load)

• Net unit weight: The actual weight of the mobile office unit, container office unit, office unit or knock-down house must be known precisely (including permanently installed furniture) in order to choose a crane with a suitable Rated Capacity.

• Center of Gravity (CoG): The approximate CoG must be known or estimated. If the unit has special modifications (for example, a large air-conditioner installed on one side), the sling attachment points must be adjusted to the new CoG to stop the mobile office unit, container office unit, office unit or knock-down house tilting during the lift.

• Lifting Points: Confirm that the unit will be lifted only by strong, standard Corner Castings.

B. Installation site data (The Site)

• Working Radius: Determine the horizontal distance from the crane's centre of rotation to the farthest point where the unit is to be placed. Keeping the radius as short as possible lets the crane lift the most weight and is the safest.

• Ground conditions: Assess the ground's load-bearing capacity. Soft ground is the main cause of cranes overturning.

• If the ground is soft or newly filled, plan to use extra-large outrigger pads (Heavy-Duty Cribbing) to spread the load evenly.

2. Choosing the crane and lifting gear (Crane & Rigging Selection)

A. Choosing the crane size

• Use a six-wheel truck-mounted crane whose Rated Capacity is at least 20% greater than the actual weight of the unit, to give a sufficient Safety Margin for other factors (such as wind).

• Use the crane's Load Chart to confirm that it can lift the required weight at the maximum working radius assessed.

B. Rigging Gear

• Slings: Use a standard 4-Legged Sling, and each leg of the sling must have sufficient rated capacity (normally, the rating must exceed the total load weight).

• Shackles: Must have a Pin Lock and a clearly marked rated load.

• Tag Line: Prepare at least 2 tag lines of suitable length to control the swing and direction of the unit while it is suspended overhead.

3. Safe working procedures (Execution & Safety Protocols)

The Lifting Plan must set out the working procedure to reduce risk at every stage of the operation:

3.1 Setting up the truck and stabilising (Setup & Stabilization)

• Cordon off the danger area: Set an Exclusion Zone around the work area and the crane boom radius. No unauthorised persons may enter.

• Outriggers: Extend the outriggers fully, as specified in the crane manual, and use suitable outrigger pads under every point so that the crane truck has maximum stability (Stabilization).

• Leveling: The crane must be set 100% level before lifting begins.

3.2 Lifting the office unit (Lifting Sequence)

• Banksman / Rigger: There must be only 1 person competent in rigging and crane signalling, giving standard hand signals and wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE).

• Test Lift: Lift the unit just slightly off the truck bed (10–20 cm) to check the unit's balance and the stability of the outriggers. If the mobile office unit, container office unit, office unit or knock-down house tilts or the truck rocks, correct this before the actual lift.

• Moving the unit: Move the unit at low speed (Slow and Steady), without swinging it more than necessary, and the operator must control its direction with the tag lines at all times.

• Placing the unit: Lower the unit onto the prepared foundation as slowly as possible, and no one may go under the unit until it has been set down securely.

Important note:

CONTAINERTOBUILD confirms that every Lifting Plan and every lift is carried out by licensed crane operators and skilled riggers, to make sure your office unit is installed safely and to the highest engineering standards.

Conclusion: Choosing transport from the specialist who builds your mobile office unit, container office unit, office unit or knock-down house is not just a matter of convenience — it is an investment in the long-term safety and quality of your building. Do not let the value of your construction end with unprofessional transport.

Let the CONTAINERTOBUILD team be the partner who looks after you from construction through to handover on site, so you can be sure your mobile office unit, container office unit, office unit or knock-down house arrives at its destination in perfect condition.

Start planning a safe, standards-compliant office unit installation with CONTAINERTOBUILDtoday

About SBT Worldwide Product
SBT Worldwide Product — one of Thailand's major manufacturers and distributors of container units, knock-down houses and prefabricated office units for more than 25 years

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Container units remain an endlessly creative trend. When many people decide to build an office unit or a container house, their first priority is the design and the construction process, but there is another step that is just as important: "transport". If you have questions about original designs, or would like to share your experience of using a container unit or container office unit, feel free to comment below, and don't miss our next article, which will take an in-depth look at container units and container office units and answer your questions, so you can keep finding inspiration.