Saw a 300 ton Liebherr doing a pick next to a river in Nashville, made me rethink my whole setup
Was driving through Nashville last week and pulled over to watch a crew set a pedestrian bridge section over the Cumberland. Their outrigger pads were sitting on these giant timber mats that were way beefier than what I use, and the operator told me they always double up near water because the soil gets soft. Anyone else change their mat setup depending on ground conditions?
How often do you actually run into soft ground like that? I had a similar wake up call last spring doing a pick in a low spot near a creek bed after a week of rain. The turf looked fine on top but my pads started sinking the second I took tension on the load, scared the daylights out of me. Now I keep a stack of thick oak mats in the truck and double them up any time I'm within 50 feet of water or on fill dirt. It costs me an extra hour of setup but I'd rather spend that time than watch my rig lean. Ground conditions change everything and most guys learn that the hard way like I almost did.