Crane Hardstands for Wind Turbines – STOWA Handbook
Heavy-lift crane operations during wind turbine installations exert enormous loads on the ground. Cranes for You includes the Stowa Crane Hardstands handbook in its Knowledge Centre because strict design and soil support of crane pads is fundamental to achieving Goal Zero for safety and stability in turbine construction and maintenance.
Core Principles in the STOWA Handbook
- Design as a handbook, not a fixed guideline — STOWA emphasizes that the hardstand framework should be tailored to the site, expected crane type, and local soil conditions.
- Load-bearing design — Guidance on bearing capacity, managing point loads, and calculating outrigger / crawler pressures.
- Space & layout requirements — Recommendations for the size of the hardstand area, crane swing circles, and crane-assembly space.
- Groundwater & drainage — Critical advice on dewatering depth, keeping a “dry zone”, and ensuring sufficient drainage to maintain hardstand performance.
- Monitoring & settlement — Concepts for verifying ground deformation and settlement during construction and lift activities to maintain stability.
How This Applies in Practice
Using the STOWA handbook allows you to:
- design hardstands that are robust enough for the heaviest cranes, without over-engineering
- mitigate geotechnical risk by validating local soil strength before setting up the crane
- plan construction lift operations with confidence that the supporting ground will bear the loads
- reduce the likelihood of excessive settlement or structural failure during or after installation
Official Guidance Document
You can download the full STOWA Crane Hardstands for Wind Turbines handbook here:
Download STOWA Hardstands Handbook (PDF)
Related Knowledge Articles
- Crane Stability & Ground Pressure – CICA & CANZ — Key stability factor for crane hardstands.
- Ground Conditions for Construction Plant — Soil investigations and geotechnical design.
- Deformation of Crane Hardstands – TU Delft research — Academic study on differential settlement.
Ready to Design Better Crane Pads?
Download the complete STOWA hardstands handbook here, or get in touch with Cranes for You for expert consulting, geotechnical design, or ground-verification support tailored to your wind-turbine projects.
