If you have searched for spreader pads and ended up looking at outrigger pads, you are not the only one. The two terms describe the same product. A spreader pad sits under an outrigger foot and spreads the load across a wider area of ground. An outrigger pad does exactly the same job. The name just depends on who you ask.
IPAF uses the term spreader pad in its official guidance and its spreader pad calculator. Crane operators and plant hire companies tend to say outrigger pad. Lift planners sometimes call them spreader plates. They all mean the same thing: a pad placed under the outrigger leg of a crane, MEWP or piece of plant to distribute the load and protect the ground surface.
Why Two Names Exist
The split comes from different parts of the industry using different language. IPAF adopted "spreader pad" because it describes the function of the product. The pad spreads load. Crane and plant operators stuck with "outrigger pad" because the pad goes under the outrigger. Both are correct. Neither is wrong.
You will also see "spreader plate" used, particularly in lift planning documents and older specifications. In modern UK practice all three terms (spreader pad, outrigger pad and spreader plate) refer to the same product. Steel plates were historically used for the same job under crawler cranes, but UHMW-PE polymer has replaced them for outrigger applications on every type of machine. If you came in looking for spreader plates specifically, the full UHMW-PE range sits on our Spreader Plates page.
What Makes a Good Spreader Pad
The material matters more than the name. UHMW-PE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) is the industry standard for modern outrigger pads. It replaced timber because it does not splinter, crack, rot or absorb water. A UHMW-PE pad is lighter than timber, chemically resistant and can be reused on every lift.
When choosing a spreader pad, the key factors are:
Load capacity. Every pad has a manufacturer rated load in tonnes. The pad must be rated at or above the maximum outrigger load for your machine. Check your crane data sheet or ask your lift planner.
Size. The pad needs to spread the outrigger load across enough ground area to keep ground pressure within safe limits. Undersized pads concentrate load and risk ground failure. Use a pad size calculator to work out the minimum area you need for your load and ground type.
Thickness. Thicker pads handle heavier loads and perform better on softer ground. IPAF recommends a minimum of 25mm for pads up to 600mm, and 50mm for pads up to 900mm.
Shape. Square pads give maximum bearing area. Round pads suit round outrigger feet and allow rotation. Recessed pads have a machined recess that holds the outrigger foot in place, preventing the pad from sliding.
When to Use a Spreader Pad
Every time outriggers or stabilisers go down. That means cranes, MEWPs, scissor lifts, cherry pickers, HIABs and lorry loaders, and spider cranes. If the machine has outrigger legs, it needs pads underneath them.
This is not optional. LOLER 1998 requires that lifting equipment is set up on suitable ground conditions. BS 7121 covers safe use of cranes including ground conditions and load spread. IPAF guidance makes it clear that spreader pads should be used with all boom type MEWPs. Our load distribution guidance page covers the practical side of meeting these standards on site.
Working without pads, or using inadequate pads like offcuts of timber or plywood, puts the machine at risk of overturning. Ground failure under an outrigger is one of the most common causes of crane and MEWP incidents in the UK.
How to Size a Spreader Pad
The calculation is straightforward. Divide the outrigger load (in kN) by the ground bearing capacity (in kN per square metre). The result is the minimum pad area needed.
Ground bearing capacity depends on the surface. Concrete and tarmac support around 400 kN per square metre. Compact gravel is similar. Soft clay, silt or topsoil can be as low as 50 to 75 kN per square metre. If you are not sure about the ground, use a conservative figure.
CPS has two calculators that do this for you. The Pad Size Calculator tells you which pad you need based on your load and ground type. The Ground Bearing Calculator checks whether a specific pad will keep ground pressure within safe limits for your conditions.
What CPS Sells
Crane Pad Solutions UK stocks UHMW-PE outrigger pads in sizes from 300mm to 2000mm, with load ratings from 5 tonnes to 315 tonnes. Square, round, recessed, modular and heavy lift configurations are all available, all UK stocked, all available for next day delivery.
For lighter duty applications such as MEWPs, scissor lifts and small HIABs, the CPS Essential Range covers loads up to 25 tonnes at value pricing. For mobile cranes, lorry loaders and concrete pumps, the premium crane pad range covers loads up to 200 tonnes. For tandem lifts, crawler cranes and heavy plant, the heavy lift range covers loads up to 315 tonnes per pad on enquiry.
Whether you call them spreader pads, outrigger pads or crane pads, we stock the right one for your machine.
Need sizing advice? Browse the full range at cranepadsolutionsuk.co.uk or call 07752 806706. We respond within 24 hours on enquiries.
