07.08.2008

Crane goes over in Charlotte

A boom truck delivering materials to a high rise building under construction near the new Wachovia building in Charlotte North Carolina, tipped over backwards and dropped its boom across a busy street today, landing on the tyre service building opposite which kept the boom above car height.
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The fallen boom truck

No one was hurt in the accident and damage appears to be minimal, but the street – Stonewall Street - will be closed for some time. Police are waiting for another crane to arrive to lift the equipment off of the building.

The crane is owned by Sunbelt rentals, part of the Ashtead group, it was lifting a bundle of pipes to the upper levels of the building and working at maximum boom elevation. It appears that the outriggers were not set on the street side of the crane, in order not to protrude into another traffic lane.
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It looks as though the outriggers were not set on the street side

With the boom at full elevation though it clearly became back heavy and went over.