For a heavy or project lift, pad selection starts with the maximum outrigger load per leg and the assessed ground capacity, not the crane's gross lifting capacity. This guide explains the separate pad-capacity and bearing-area checks and covers the CPS Heavy Lift range, with manufacturer-listed pad capacities from 126 to 315 tonnes.
What Counts as a Heavy Lift
There is no single industry definition. For pad selection, a job moves into the Heavy Lift range when the verified per-leg load, required bearing area or project controls exceed what the regular pad range can provide. Typical applications include:
Large mobile-crane and contract lifts. Use the maximum outrigger reaction for the exact crane configuration and duty; gross crane capacity is not a substitute for this value.
Crawler cranes. Track-mounted cranes spread load along the tracks rather than through outriggers, but laydown mats and shorting pads still need to handle the full machine weight plus load plus dynamic effects.
Tandem lifts. Two or more cranes sharing a load require independently verified reactions and pad checks for each crane and each stage of the lift.
Specialist plant. Concrete pumps, drilling rigs and piling equipment can impose high point loads or require bearing areas beyond the regular pad range.
Why Gross Crane Capacity Does Not Select the Pad
The instinct is to scale pad size directly from the crane's headline tonnage. That is unreliable: pad structural capacity and ground-bearing area are separate limits, and outrigger reactions vary with configuration, radius, load and operating condition.
The CPS 1200 × 1200 × 60mm Premium pad has a manufacturer-listed pad capacity of 115 tonnes. That figure does not by itself confirm suitability: the verified leg load must remain within the pad capacity and the 1.44m² bearing area must keep pressure within the assessed ground limit.
Heavy lift pads solve this with three changes:
Larger footprint. 1500mm up to 3000mm in plan. Spreads the load across more ground.
Heavy-duty construction. The CPS Heavy Lift pads are 100mm thick and must still be used within their individual manufacturer-listed capacity and handling instructions.
Reinforced construction. Steel handling points and chain-through holes for forklift or crane handling. A 100mm × 2000mm × 1000mm pad weighs around 180kg, so two-person manual handling is off the table.
Tonne Ratings Explained
Every CPS UHMW-PE pad has a manufacturer-listed pad capacity. For the Heavy Lift range, these run from 126 to 315 tonnes per pad. Use the value for the exact pad and follow the manufacturer's loading and positioning conditions.
What it does not factor in:
Dynamic and factored loading. Use the design reaction specified by the crane manufacturer, lift plan or appointed person; do not add a generic percentage in place of project data.
Eccentric loading. If the outrigger foot is not centred on the pad, effective capacity drops. Centre the foot, or use a larger pad to give margin.
Ground conditions. A 315 tonne pad on soft ground is still bound by the ground bearing capacity beneath it. The pad spreads the load, the ground has to receive it.
Ground Bearing Pressure at Heavy Loads
A 200 tonne outrigger load on a 2000mm × 1000mm pad gives 100 tonnes per square metre, approximately 981 kN/m², before any project-specific factor is applied. That pressure must be compared with a verified allowable value for the actual ground or supporting structure; the surface description alone is not enough.
If you are working on made ground, soft clay or silt, the ground bearing capacity might be 50 to 75 kN per square metre. Your 200 tonne load needs at least 26 square metres of pad area, which is well outside what a single pad can deliver. The answer is either ground improvement, additional steel mats laid under the pads, or pulling the lift radius in.
The Ground Bearing Calculator works this out for you in seconds. Feed in your load and ground type, get a pass or fail result with the safe pressure limit. For a deeper read on the calculation itself, see our guide to ground bearing pressure.
Heavy Lift Pad Sizes Available
The CPS Heavy Lift range covers the standard sizes used across UK contract lifting:
1500mm × 1500mm × 100mm. 2.25m² bearing area and 126-tonne manufacturer-listed pad capacity.
1800mm × 1800mm × 100mm. 3.24m² bearing area and 252-tonne manufacturer-listed pad capacity.
2000mm × 1000mm × 100mm and 2000mm × 1200mm × 100mm. Rectangular formats with 2.0m² and 2.4m² bearing areas and manufacturer-listed pad capacities of 230 and 241 tonnes respectively.
2000mm × 2000mm × 100mm. 4.0m² bearing area and 262-tonne manufacturer-listed pad capacity.
3000mm × 2000mm × 100mm. 6.0m² bearing area and 315-tonne manufacturer-listed pad capacity.
All six SKUs are listed on the Heavy Lift range page, with full specs, tonne ratings and dimensions. Custom sizes outside this list are available on enquiry.
Tandem Lifts and Shared Load
Tandem lifts add complexity because crane reactions change as the load is transferred and the cranes move through the planned sequence. The appointed person must provide the design reactions for each crane and stage.
Size and verify the pads for each crane using its individual maximum design reaction, together with the assessed ground capacity at each outrigger position.
Standards on tandem lifts: BS 7121 Part 1 covers safe use of cranes including multi-crane lifts. The lift plan needs to specify pad spec for each crane independently, with the appointed person signing off the spec before the lift.
Lead Times and Supply
The CPS Heavy Lift range is supplied on an enquiry-led basis. Each pad spec is checked against your lift conditions before quote, you get a dedicated account contact for the duration of the project, and we respond to enquiries within 24 hours during working days.
Standard sizes ship from UK stock when available. Custom sizes are built to order, typically 2 to 4 weeks from confirmed spec. For high-value or repeat projects, we hold pads on reserve for nominated jobs.
For comparison with the regular product line, see the Premium Crane Pads range, which includes manufacturer-listed pad capacities up to 140 tonnes, or the Spreader Plates overview. For lift planning, our load distribution guidance page covers the regulatory framework and on-site checks.
Quick Sizing Steps
If you have a heavy lift coming up and need a pad spec, the fastest route is:
1. Get the maximum outrigger load per leg from the crane datasheet, including dynamic factor.
2. Identify the worst-case ground condition at the lift point.
3. Run the numbers through the Pad Size Calculator or read how to calculate outrigger pad size.
4. If the answer puts you in the heavy lift range, call us or send the lift details. We will spec the pad and confirm UK stock or build time.
Planning a heavy lift? Call 07752 806706 or email through the contact page with your crane, outrigger load and site conditions. We respond inside 24 hours.
