STDWPI-69

Standard Work Place Instruction

Boom Inspection and Repair

Date Description Owner Author Document Number Revision

2/25/19 Work Instruction Service Fred Klein STDWPI-69 2
Contents
1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................. 3
2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3
3 Typical 40’ Boom Section ...................................................................................................................... 4
4 General Instructions.............................................................................................................................. 4
5 Straightening of Lattice and Diagonals ................................................................................................. 5
6 Complete Replacement of Lattice or Diagonal Lacing .......................................................................... 5
6.1 Replacement Procedure ............................................................................................................... 5
7 Welding Instructions ............................................................................................................................. 6
8 Post Weld Inspection ............................................................................................................................ 7
9 Weld Repair Procedure ......................................................................................................................... 7
10 Boom Chord Repair ........................................................................................................................... 7
10.1 Example Boom Chord Repairs ....................................................................................................... 9
10.2 Repair Plate Dimensions ............................................................................................................. 10

Date Description Owner Author Document No. Revision Page

2/25/19 Work Instruction Service Fred Klein STDWPI-69 2 2
1 Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to provide information pertaining to the inspection and repair of
damaged lacing and chords on boom sections manufactured by Seatrax, Inc. This procedure is for
information purposes only.

2 Introduction

It is important to keep the supporting lattice and diagonals on a boom section in good condition.
The lattice works supports the chords of a boom section. The chords are the main load bearing
member and allowing deflection of the chords while under load jeopardizes their structural
integrity.

All maintenance, inspection and repair work are to be performed by qualified personnel. All
welding and structural members is to be continuous and of professional quality.

Lattice or diagonals with uniform curvature not exceeding 1” deflection in 3’ of length may be
straightened. Lattices or diagonals with curvature greater than this will require replacement.

If two adjacent sections of lattice or diagonals are damaged in one boom section, the crane should
be taken out of service and should be repaired immediately before the crane is returned to
service. If more than any two independent lacings or diagonals are damaged or missing, then
Seatrax, Inc. should be contacted for recommendations.

Chords with a uniform curvature not exceeding 1” deflection in 4’ of length may be straightened.
Chords with a non-uniform curvature or any other damage require the crane be taken out of
service and repaired immediately before the crane is returned to service.

Corrosion should be addressed when found to mitigate further damage.

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3 Typical 40’ Boom Section

4 General Instructions

Before work begins, personnel should record the following information pertaining to the damaged
boom section as part of the crane records:

• The serial or section number

• The nature of the work to be performed
• The date of the repair
• The names and certification number of the welders and inspector making the repair

The environmental condition while making the repair shall be satisfactory. The conditions should
not hinder performance of the work by creating unfavorable working conditions such as rain or
extreme cold. Proper tooling, welding, inspection and safety equipment in good working order
shall be used while making any repairs.

Boom chord materials include structural angle ASTM A 572 Gr. 50 and structural tubing ASTM
A500 Gr. C. Boom Lacing material is steel pipe ASTM A53 Gr. B. Proper size and thickness for each
individual crane model can be verified by contacting the Seatrax, Inc. Service Department.

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 At a minimum, the same pipe with a wall thickness equal to or greater than, but in no case less
than, the existing wall thickness shall be used. Welding of boom lacing to the boom chord shall be
performed using E7018 low-hydrogen electrodes with reverse polarity, direct current.

Please consult with Seatrax, Inc. Service Department for additional information concerning repair
of chords, frames or any additions to the chords.

5 Straightening of Lattice and Diagonals

The straightness of the chords must be checked before the lattice or diagonal can be straightened.
If the chords have a slight bend in them, proper distance between the inside of the chords must be
obtained and maintained before any repair can be made.

• Clamping a 4X4 timber against the bent lattice or diagonal pipes draws out bends. It may
be necessary to block away from the pipe to allow for over bend and spring back.
• Lattice or diagonal pipe should be at 32°F (0°C) or warmer when attempting to straighten
a member.
• Do not use a hammer or other tool to strike the pipe. This can result in localized structural
damage to the pipe.
• Do not use heat while straightening. Heat may affect the physical properties on the steel
in the areas it is directly applied.
• Applying a jacking or pulling mechanism is acceptable as long as heat is not used.
• After repair inspect the lattice to chord weld for any cracking or distortion. If the welds
have been damaged in any way, the lacings will need to be removed and replaced.

6 Complete Replacement of Lattice or Diagonal Lacing

If a lattice or diagonal pipe is damaged beyond the point of straightening, the pipe will have to be
removed and replaced.

Check the chords for any damage. If the chords have experienced a slight bending, the proper
distance between the inside of the chords must be obtained and maintained before any repair can
be made.

6.1 Replacement Procedure

1. Remove the lattice or diagonal pipe by cutting the pipe just above the welds, which attach the
pipe to the tubing chords. A hack saw, band saw, or torch work well for this procedure. Care
should be exercised to not damage the boom chords.

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 2. Carefully, grind the remaining pipe and weld down to within approximately 1/16” of the
chord surface.

3. Using a fine (80-100 grit) disc, remove the remaining pipe material and polish the area to be
welded to a bright clean metal surface leaving most of the polish marks running parallel with
the chord’s length.

4. Check the chord area for any divots or impressions. Minor divots or impressions can be fixed
by covering the divot with filler weld before replacing the lacing or diagonal. Chords with
heavier damage than discussed above may have to be replaced.

5. Mark where the lattice will be placed and cut a piece of the recommended size pipe to fit in
the opening.

6. Check to ensure the replacement lattice or diagonal will fit snugly between the two chords,
paying close attention to the proper position and alignment. If necessary, contour or shape
the replacement pipe for a proper fit-up. A good fit will aid in heat and weld size control,
resulting in a better repair job.

7. Clamp the replacement pipe into place. Do not tack weld. Again, check the fit and insure that
all grease, paint, and oil are removed from the area to be welded.

8. Apply proper weld.

7 Welding Instructions

Welding should be performed by a welder who is certified, according to AWS, to make fillet welds
in all positions using the base material and electrodes specified. The welding procedure
specification, procedure qualification record and welder qualifications should be included in the
crane repair record.

1. Preheat the chord in the area to be welded to 100°F (min) to 250°F (max). Temperature
sticks should be used to determine the temperature of the material. It is important not to
overheat or under heat the material.
2. Use 3/32" or 1/8" electrodes of AWS E7018 class for welding. Use the manufacturer’s
recommended amperage, voltage and travel speed to obtain a one-pass fillet weld of 3/16"
thickness.
3. Following the above instructions, weld in the replacement pipe making all welds continuous.
4. Complete the welding without letting the temperature of the steel drop below 100°F.
5. After welding is complete, clean the welded area and inspect the weld. After inspection, the
welded area and pipe should be primed and painted.

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8 Post Weld Inspection

It is recommended by Seatrax, Inc. that one of the following inspection procedures be performed
to verify the integrity of the weld:

1. Magnetic Particle – wet or dry

2. Dye penetrant – visible or fluorescent

Each weld should be individually inspected for any cracks or inclusions.

9 Weld Repair Procedure

All cracks, porosity, lack of fusion, slag and any other defects found in a weld after completion shall
be repaired using the following procedure:

1. Using a grinder or gouging tool, remove any defective portion of the weld.
2. Inspect the weld with some type of NDE examination to determine that the defective
portion has been removed and that sound metal has been reached.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all defects have been removed from the weld.
4. Repair the weld using the weld procedure previously discussed in this document.

10 Boom Chord Repair

The following procedure is for repairing damage to boom chords. This procedure is not for boom
chords that are bent, have holes in them, have major corrosion (localized corrosion is acceptable)
or if the damaged area is longer than twice the chord tube size. In this case, contact Seatrax, Inc.
with detailed information about the size and location of the damage. Boom chords are made of
ASTM A500 Grade C. Repair plate material is to be API 2H Grade 50 or equivalent with 50 ksi
minimum yield and minimum average Charpy of 25 ft-lbs @ -40°F with a minimum single value of
20 ft-lbs @ -40°F. Material certificates and this repair procedure must be kept together for each
repair. The plate to be used must be marked to match the material certificates.

1. Measure the basic length of the damaged area to the boom chord. It must be no greater
than twice the boom chord size. Contact Seatrax, Inc. if the damage is greater than twice
the boom chord size.
2. Identify if the damage is limited to 1, 2 or 3 faces of the boom chord. If damage extends
into the radius of the chord, then a plate on the adjacent chord face must be used.
3. Measure the size of the boom chord.
4. Identify plate thickness and weld size using the table below.
5. Burn the plate referencing the following drawings.

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 6. If damage is adjacent to lacing, trim the corresponding lacing member so the repair plate
will fit between the chord and lacing. For areas where no damage exists in the chord, the
repair plates may be trimmed to fit around the lacing members. Repair plates must be
trimmed to be no closer than 4" from a bolt pad. See the following drawings.
7. Use a hydraulic jack to flatten the boom chord face. Grind down any remaining part of the
chord faces that bulge out and would prevent the repair plates from sitting flush.
8. Weld the plates to the chord.
9. Grind both ends of the plate to provide a smooth transition to the boom chord.
10. Have a qualified inspector inspect the weld using magnetic particle – wet or dry – or dye
penetrant – visible or fluorescent. Keep a copy of the inspection report with the material
certificates and repair procedure.
11. Prime and paint the repaired area.

ALL BOOM SECTIONS

Chord Size 5x5 6x6 7x7 8x8 10x10

Plate Thickness 1/2 1/2 5/8 5/8 5/8
Weld Size 5/16 5/16 7/16 7/16 7/16

Date Description Owner Author Document No. Revision Page

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10.1 Example Boom Chord Repairs

Trim back repair plate 4” from bolt

pad. Weld the plate to the chord.
Grind the end of the plate down for a
smooth transition.

Trim lacing members back to allow for

placement of the repair plate over the
damaged area.

Repair plate may be trimmed to go

around lacing or other members if
there is no damage in the area.

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10.2 Repair Plate Dimensions

Date Description Owner Author Document No. Revision Page

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Revision History
Rev. Date Description

0 6/22/2010 Creation

1 2/15/2011 Added text about corrosion in boom chord repair section

2 2/25/2019 Reformatted, section numbers added

Title: Boom Inspection and Repair Date: 2/25/2019

Document Number: STDWPI-69 Owner: Service

Document type: Work Place Instruction Author: Fred Klein

Distribution: Service

Date Description Owner Author Document No. Revision Page

2/25/19 Work Instruction Service Fred Klein STDWPI-69 2 11