New Product Alert: DICA® Outrigger Pads Now Available
US Cargo Control has become an official supplier of DICA® outrigger pads as part of its lifting and rigging product line. Outrigger pads are must-use safety tools that help stabilize cranes and other heavy equipment when lifting, pumping, or digging. DICA® provides safety tech, engineered outrigger pads made with a stiffer and proprietary material that maintains strength and stability under loading pressures.
What Are Outrigger Pads?
Outrigger pads are flat safety tools used with equipment that have outriggers, down jacks, or stabilizers. These pads sit between the outrigger foot of the lifting vehicle and the ground to displace the loading weight and reduce the ground-bearing pressure in order to stabilize the equipment. Because the point of contact between the outrigger and the ground is small, too much pressure may cause the ground underneath it to shift or collapse causing the equipment to topple over.
Outrigger pads work well for equipment set up on soft ground – the kind of place where utilities often must work. These products provide a flat and stable surface for the lifting vehicle and preventing it from sinking into the ground. Make sure the outrigger pad is placed on a level part of the ground and not set up in a way that may bridge the pad.
How Do I Choose the Right Outrigger Pad?
You’ll want to know a few things when choosing the right outrigger pad for your needs:
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Size of the Outrigger Foot
Your outrigger pad should be larger than the actual outrigger float to ensure distribution of weight and establishing balance of the lifting machine’s center of mass. The size of the outrigger pad should roughly be at least three times the square surface area of the outrigger float. You also want to make sure the calculations are correct depending on the design of the pad – mainly, whether it is round or square.
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Maximum Load of the Equipment
You must know how much both the lifting equipment and maximum condition load weighs before purchasing the right outrigger pad. Too much weight on the outrigger pad may cause damage to it and may even break it.
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Ground Type
This is probably the most critical factor you should know when purchasing an outrigger pad. What will the ground beneath your lifting equipment be like? Different soil types will have different load bearing capacities that may cause the ground to shift or collapse when lifting too much weight. Once you’ve determined the outrigger pad size and the maximum load of equipment, you can calculate the ground pressure (PSI) of the type of ground you’ll be working on.
See Soil Classification and Bearing Table for more information.
DICA® Outrigger Pads
Unlike other outrigger pads available on the market, DICA® outrigger pads are uniquely engineered and designed to be easy-to-use and reliable in any lifting situation. These products use material that’s both flexible and unbreakable to sustain loading pressure, as well as lightweight so you can easily grab it by the handles and pick it up or move it around.
Other non-engineered outrigger pads – especially wood outrigger pads – don't perform well for easy lifting and moving around. Wood deteriorates, weakens, and breaks under equipment pressure, moisture, temperature change, and insects and other pests. In rainy weather or wet working conditions, wood outrigger pads become waterlogged more easily.
US Cargo Control, in partner with DICA®, offers both Safety Tech Outrigger Pads and Fiber Tech Outrigger Pads to customers:
SafetyTech® Heavy Duty 18" x 18" Outrigger Pad | 2" Thick
1. Safety Tech Outrigger Pads
DICA®’s Safety Tech Outrigger Pads come in small and medium sizes that you can carry around with ease. Guaranteed unbreakable, these lightweight pads withstand reaction forces up to 100,000 pounds to handle your strongest lifting jobs. You can also customize your outrigger pads to showcase your company’s name, logo, or message on the surface.
US Cargo Control carries three Safety Tech Outrigger Pad options for our customers:
FiberTech Heavy Duty Round Outrigger Pad | 1" Thick
2. Fiber Tech Outrigger Pads
With Fiber Tech Outrigger Pads, you can expect to handle much more weight with maximum rating capacities reaching up to 240,000 pounds and crush ratings up to 750 psi. Get maximum rigidity, strength, and stability all while remaining lightweight, easy to handle, and impervious to fluids like water or chemicals.
US Cargo Control carries Fiber Tech Heavy Duty Outrigger Pads for our customers with heavier equipment like concrete pump trucks, digger derricks, boom trucks, and self-erecting tower cranes.
Why Buy DICA® Outrigger Pads?
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Durability & Dependability
DICA® outrigger pads can hold more pressure and loading force than other competitors. They also perform well in different environmental extremes, withstanding temperatures from -40-140 degrees Fahrenheit. The fiberglass polymer material makes these products more resistant to water, oil, and other chemicals compared to wood outrigger pads.
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Safe and Easy Usage
These outrigger pads are ergonomically designed with safety and mobility in mind.
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Guaranteed for Life
DICA® allows 30-day money back guarantee on all outrigger pad orders that customers are not satisfied with. They also honor a lifetime warranty for purchased outrigger pads and pad handles that break while in proper use.
About DICA®
DICA is a family-owned and operated company based out of Urbandale, Iowa. For over 40 years, they have specializes in building high performance engineered safety equipment for lifting jobs. Such products include outrigger pads, crane pads, cribbing blocks and magnetic sling protectors that are lightweight, easy to use, and long-lasting. DICA products are ASME B30.5 compliant and used by operators on all seven continents and 50+ countries around the world. Proudly made in the USA.
More Reads for Lifting and Rigging Applications
4 Tips for Buying the Right Rigging & Lifting Equipment
Working Load Limit, Breaking Strength & Safety Factor: What Do They Mean?
How To Tell When It’s Time for New Rigging Gear
What is Wire Rope, and How is it Different from Cable Rope?
What is D/d Ratio & Why is this Critical for Lifting Slings?
