A pedestal crane is a slewing crane bolted to a fixed column, the pedestal, instead of a truck chassis or a crawler. Choosing one is a two-step process: first select the crane by the load it must lift at your working reach. Then build the pedestal and the structure under it from the crane’s base drawing: the flange size, the bolt pattern and the foundation loads. Most installation problems start when the second step is treated as an afterthought.
This guide is for owners, shipyards and plant engineers planning a hydraulic pedestal crane on a vessel, a quay, an offshore or nearshore platform, or a workshop floor. Achord Chan, Product Operations Director at BOB-LIFT, wrote it from the technical drawings of our 27 current marine crane models, 0.8 t to 25 t. Every base size, bolt count, weight and moment below is copied from those drawings. The installation examples come from photos and videos our customers sent us.
Key takeaways
- A pedestal crane is chosen by load at reach, like any crane, and then installed from its base drawing.
- Our drawings show square base plates from 328 mm to 1,300 mm and round flanges from 280 mm to 1,440 mm. Bolt holes run from 12 × Ø14 mm on the 0.8 t crane to 36 × Ø32 mm on the 20 t telescopic.
- The pedestal carries the crane’s full overturning moment, up to 53 t·m rated on our 25 t knuckle boom crane, plus the boom’s own weight and dynamic effects.
- A taller pedestal clears rails and deck cargo, but it lengthens the lever for side loads such as wind, ship motion and slewing.
- The pedestal and the structure under it are designed by your naval architect or structural engineer, from the loads we give with the drawing.
What is a pedestal crane?
A pedestal crane is a crane whose slewing column stands on a fixed pedestal and is bolted to it through a flange or base plate. Because the crane cannot relocate, it serves only the area inside its slewing circle; in return, it requires no outriggers, no carrier vehicle and no rails. The name covers very different machines, and search results mix them up:
| Type | What it is | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic pedestal crane | A knuckle boom or telescopic boom crane on a steel pedestal, on a vessel, quay, platform or floor | Under 1 t to about 25 t rated |
| Offshore pedestal crane | A large lattice or box-boom crane on an oil and gas platform or a supply vessel, built to offshore rules | Tens to hundreds of tonnes |
| Truck bed pedestal crane | A small crane set in a socket on a pickup or flatbed | A few hundred kilograms |
| Davit | A fixed or swinging arm for a lifeboat, tender or light stores | Light loads |
We build the first type: hydraulic knuckle boom and telescopic boom marine cranes from 0.8 t to 25 t rated capacity. The T at the end of our model codes marks this marine, pedestal-mounted version. We do not build offshore-rated platform cranes, and our marine cranes are not certified by a classification society.
Where pedestal cranes are installed
The pedestal is what lets the same crane work in places a truck crane cannot reach. Four installations documented by our customers illustrate the range of applications.
- A steel platform by the sea, Malaysia. A customer’s photos show two red 20 t knuckle boom cranes on round pedestals bolted into a grated steel platform deck, with railings around the edge and a small cabin behind them.
- The aft deck of a vessel at sea, Taiwan, China. A white SQ12ZA4T knuckle boom crane stands on a pedestal at the stern, with its control box beside it, while the crew handle a load hanging from the hook.
- A stone workshop, Germany. A red SQ12ZA4T stands on a round pedestal on the workshop floor and lifts stone blocks, slabs and a saw blade, powered by a separate electric hydraulic unit. The German stone workshop case study has the full story.
- A paved yard, the Philippines. A customer video shows an SQ1ZA3T knuckle boom crane on a fixed pedestal beside a paved yard, with the operator seated on the crane while it swings a cylinder on the hook.
On a vessel or barge, the pedestal also carries the crane’s weight high above the deck, which affects stability. Our deck crane guide covers outreach over the side and stowage at sea, and our barge crane guide works through the heel a lift puts on a barge.
Size the crane first: load at your working reach
A pedestal does not change what the crane can lift, so size the crane exactly as you would size any other hydraulic crane. Mark the pedestal’s centre on the layout, measure to the furthest pick-up and landing points, and read the load chart at that distance. Our 10 t knuckle boom marine crane, the SQ10ZA6TJ, lifts 10,000 kg at 2.0 m but 1,150 kg at its full 14.68 m reach. If the furthest point is the far end of a saw table, the edge of a quay or a boat lying alongside, that is the figure that matters.
The fixed position works both ways: you can place the pedestal exactly where it serves the most lifts, but the crane can never move closer to a heavy load. Draw the slewing circle on the plan and check every point you need to reach before you fix the position. If you are new to load charts, start with the reach column and read across to the rated load, then deduct the weight of hooks, slings and clamps.
Pedestal crane base: flange, bolts and weight by model
A base flange is the machined plate or ring at the foot of the crane column that bolts the crane to its pedestal. It is the first thing your structural engineer will ask for. Our drawings show three configurations, and the smallest cranes sit on a square base plate. Mid-size cranes, from about 5 t to 6.3 t, use a 680 × 680 mm plate. From 8 t upwards most models use a large round flange; the 0.8 t crane also has a small round flange. The table lists the base as drawn for 18 of our current models, with crane weight and rated lifting moment.
| Model | Boom | Base on drawing | Bolt holes | Crane weight | Max lifting moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQ08ZA3TJ+1 (0.8 t) | Knuckle | Round flange Ø280 mm | 12 × Ø14 mm | 220 kg | 1.3 t·m |
| SQ1ZA3TJ+1 (1.6 t) | Knuckle | Plate 328 × 328 mm | 12 × Ø18 mm | 380 kg | 2.2 t·m |
| SQ2ZA2TJ (2 t) | Knuckle | Plate 780 × 500 mm | 20 × Ø21 mm | 590 kg | 4.2 t·m |
| SQ3.2ZA3TJ (3.2 t) | Knuckle | Plate 550 × 550 mm | 16 × Ø21 mm | 1,236 kg | 6.8 t·m |
| SQ4ZA3TJ (4 t) | Knuckle | Plate 550 × 550 mm | 16 × Ø21 mm | 1,256 kg | 8.4 t·m |
| SQ5ZA3TJ (5 t) | Knuckle | Plate 680 × 680 mm | 24 × Ø22 mm | 2,120 kg | 10.5 t·m |
| SQ6.3ZA4TJ (6.3 t) | Knuckle | Plate 680 × 680 mm | 24 × Ø22 mm | 1,740 kg | 13.2 t·m |
| SQ8ZA6TJ (8 t) | Knuckle | Round flange Ø1,000 mm | 28 × Ø26 mm | 2,730 kg | 16.7 t·m |
| SQ10ZA6TJ (10 t) | Knuckle | Round flange Ø1,000 mm | 28 × Ø26 mm | 2,920 kg | 21 t·m |
| SQ12ZA6T (12 t) | Knuckle | Round flange Ø1,127 mm | 28 × Ø26 mm | 4,350 kg | 27 t·m |
| SQZ330T (16 t) | Knuckle | Round flange Ø1,400 mm | 30 × Ø26 mm | 4,500 kg | 34.8 t·m |
| SQZ430T (20 t) | Knuckle | Round flange Ø1,400 mm | 30 × Ø33 mm | 4,900 kg | 42.3 t·m |
| SQZ500T (25 t) | Knuckle | Round flange Ø1,400 mm | 30 × Ø33 mm | 6,474 kg | 53 t·m |
| SQ2SA3T (2 t) | Telescopic | Plate 500 × 500 mm | 16 × Ø22 mm | 830 kg | 4.2 t·m |
| SQ5SA4T (5 t) | Telescopic | Plate 680 × 680 mm | 24 × Ø22 mm | 2,100 kg | 12.5 t·m |
| SQ10SA4T (10 t) | Telescopic | Round flange Ø1,000 mm | 28 × Ø25 mm | 3,250 kg | 25 t·m |
| SQ16SA5T (16 t) | Telescopic | Plate 1,300 × 1,300 mm | 24 × Ø30 mm | 5,800 kg | 40 t·m |
| SQ20SA5T (20 t) | Telescopic | Round flange Ø1,440 mm | 36 × Ø32 mm | 6,950 kg | 50 t·m |
Two patterns stand out, and the first is that bolt diameter increases with the rated moment: holes go from 14 mm on the 0.8 t crane to 33 mm on the 20 t and 25 t knuckle boom cranes. The second is that cranes of different capacity frequently share an identical base. The 8 t and 10 t knuckle boom models use the same Ø1,000 mm flange with 28 holes. Our 16 t, 20 t and 25 t knuckle boom models share a Ø1,400 mm flange, although the 16 t uses smaller bolts. If you might upgrade later, ask whether the larger crane fits the same pedestal.
Foundation loads: what the pedestal must carry
When the crane lifts a load away from its column, it tries to tip over its base. That overturning moment is the load times its reach, plus the moment of the boom’s own weight, which is large on a long boom. Acceleration, braking and slewing add dynamic forces on top of these static loads. The pedestal, its welds or anchor bolts and the deck or slab underneath must carry all of it, together with the crane’s dead weight.
The rated lifting moment on the drawing is a useful first figure, but it is not a foundation design load. Consider our 10 t knuckle boom crane again: it lifts 10,000 kg at 2.0 m, about 20 t·m from the load alone. At full reach it lifts 1,150 kg at 14.68 m, about 16.9 t·m from the load, but there the boom itself is stretched out to 14.68 m and adds its own moment. The structural engineer needs the foundation loads, which include the boom weight and dynamic factors, not just the rated moment. Request them together with the quotation drawing.
- On a vessel or barge: the pedestal is welded to deck structure that has been reinforced below, usually over a bulkhead or a web frame. A plain deck plate will not take the moment by itself.
- On a quay or workshop floor: the pedestal is anchored to a reinforced concrete foundation with cast-in bolts or an anchor cage, sized from the same loads and the soil or slab beneath it.
- On a steel platform: the pedestal is tied into the platform’s main steel structure. In the Malaysian photos, each crane’s pedestal rises through the deck grating.
Whatever the structure, use the bolt grade and tightening values given in the crane’s installation instructions, and check the bolts after the first loaded lifts and at every inspection. In the UK, lifting equipment at work must be thoroughly examined after installation and before first use, and periodically after that, under the HSE’s LOLER guidance [1]. On ships, MGN 332 sets out the same duty under merchant shipping rules [2]. Other countries have similar rules, so check the ones where your crane will work.
How tall should the pedestal be?
Pedestal height is a trade-off between clearance and leverage. A taller pedestal lifts the boom clear of rails, hatch coamings and deck cargo, and it gives the operator a better view of the hook. But wind, ship motion and slewing push sideways on the crane, and a taller pedestal gives those forces a longer lever on the deck. It also raises the crane’s centre of gravity, which matters on a small vessel.
Start from the crane’s own height and the obstacles it must clear. On our drawings, the overall height ranges from about 1.7 m for the 0.8 t crane to 2.8 m for the 16 t telescopic, so the pedestal only has to make up the difference. In our Egypt workboat case, SQ5ZA3T cranes stand on raised pedestals with a seated control station, so the operator sits above the deck and sees over the rail. In the German workshop, the pedestal is low, because the crane only needs to clear a saw table.
Power and controls for a fixed crane
A pedestal crane has no truck engine to drive its pump, so it needs its own hydraulic supply. On a vessel, that can be a power take-off from the main or auxiliary engine. On a quay, a platform or in a workshop, it is usually an electric hydraulic power unit next to the pedestal, as in the German workshop photos. Across the 18 models in the table, hydraulic requirements start at 8 L/min at 18 MPa (3.5 kW) for the 0.8 t crane. They rise to 80 L/min at 35 MPa (55 kW) for the 25 t knuckle boom. The 20 t telescopic runs two circuits, 80 and 63 L/min.
Control options include levers mounted on the crane column, an operator seat on the crane, or a separate control stand. The Taiwan video shows a control box on deck beside the pedestal; the Philippines video shows an operator seated on the crane itself. Choose the operating position that gives the operator an unobstructed view of the hook at the furthest landing point.
Knuckle boom or telescopic on a pedestal?
Both boom types mount on a pedestal in the same way. A knuckle boom folds into a compact package beside the column, so it suits a crowded deck, a workshop with a low roof or any lift that has to reach down into a hold. A telescopic boom reaches further for its weight: our 20 t telescopic reaches 22.0 m and lifts 1,500 kg there. It needs room to lay the boom down, or a boom rest, when stowed. Our marine crane buying guide compares the two across the full range.
Corrosion and upkeep at the base
The interface between crane and pedestal traps water and salt deposits, so seal the flange face, keep drainage openings clear, and repair the coating around the bolts after every inspection. Rinse the crane with fresh water after work in spray, and grease the slewing ring on the schedule in the manual. If your project requires class approval for the crane, confirm it with us before you order, because our marine cranes are not class certified.
A six-step pedestal crane checklist
- Loads. List the heaviest load and the most frequent one, including the weight of clamps, slings or a lifting frame.
- Position and reach. Fix the pedestal centre on the plan and measure to every pick-up and landing point.
- Crane size. Pick a model whose load chart covers the load at that reach, with margin.
- Base and foundation. Get the base drawing and foundation loads, and have the pedestal and the structure under it designed by an engineer.
- Height, power and controls. Set the pedestal height, the hydraulic supply and the operator position.
- Inspection. Arrange the thorough examination before first use, and plan bolt checks and slewing-ring greasing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a pedestal crane and a deck crane?
The term pedestal crane describes the mounting method, a fixed column, whereas deck crane describes the operating location, a vessel’s deck. Most hydraulic deck cranes are pedestal cranes, but a pedestal crane can also stand on a quay, a platform or a workshop floor.
Can a pedestal crane be installed on land?
Yes, a pedestal crane works on land as well as at sea. Our customers run marine pedestal cranes in a paved yard, in a stone workshop and on a steel platform by the sea. On land the pedestal is anchored to a reinforced concrete foundation designed from the crane’s foundation loads, and the crane runs from an electric hydraulic power unit.
How big a concrete foundation does a pedestal crane need?
There is no standard foundation size, because it depends on the crane’s foundation loads, the pedestal height and the ground or slab underneath. A structural engineer sizes it from the loads on our drawing. Larger cranes need much more: our 25 t knuckle boom crane is rated at 53 t·m, against 1.3 t·m for the 0.8 t model.
Can I make the pedestal myself?
Many shipyards and steel fabricators build their own pedestals. Build it to an engineer’s design that uses the base dimensions, bolt pattern and foundation loads on our drawing, and check the flange face is flat before the crane is bolted down. Tell us if you would rather we quote a pedestal with the crane.
Do I need a winch on a pedestal crane?
You need one when loads must go below the crane’s base, for example into a hold, down to a boat at low tide or into the water. Our knuckle boom models with J in the code, such as the SQ10ZA6TJ, are drawn with a winch drum.
For small fishing boats and workboats, our boat crane guide covers cranes from 0.8 t to 5 t.
Send us your layout
Send us a plan or photo of the place where the crane will stand, the heaviest load and where you lift it, the reach you need and the power available. We will propose a model from our knuckle boom marine cranes or telescopic boom marine cranes, with its load chart, base drawing and foundation loads. Contact us to start.
