Pipelayers (sideboom tractors) · Crawler tractors with a side-mounted boom, hook and boom winches and an extendible counterweight that lower pipe into trenches — for example 40.8 t lift capacity at tipping per ISO 8813 with 6.1 or 7.3 m booms
A pipe layer, or pipelayer, is a crawler tractor carrying a boom on one side and a counterweight on the other, used to lift and lower pipe into trenches in pipeline construction. Ask three things first: what pipe weight, diameter and lowering-in configuration the spread needs, which lift capacity and boom length that implies at the working overhang, and what ground, slope and safety rules the site imposes.
Crawler and wheel-mounted sideboom pipelayers for pipeline construction, including their booms, winches, blocks and counterweights. Crawler cranes (see crawler crane), excavators fitted with pipe handling attachments, pipe jacking machines and horizontal directional drilling rigs (see horizontal directional drilling rig) are outside this page except where compared.
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01
Caterpillar's PL72 specification lists a lift capacity of 40,823 kg (90,000 lb), with lift capacity at tipping point, rated load capacity and working range defined per ISO 8813:1992; two boom lengths of 6.1 m (20 ft) and 7.3 m (24 ft) weighing 898.1 kg and 1,181.0 kg; boom heights of 6.78 m and 8.01 m at a 1.22 m (4 ft) overhang; and an extendible counterweight whose retraction is limited by an electronic kick-out switch. The tractor's width is 3.05 m with standard shoes, 3.67 m with the counterweight retracted and 5.38 m extended. [1]
The PL72 uses a Cat C9.3 engine with 158 kW (212 hp) rated net power, weighs 31,278 kg in operating condition, has a 2.29 m track gauge, 760 mm shoes and 3.27 m of track on the ground for 5.42 m² contact area and 56.6 kPa ground pressure, and a differential steering system that keeps power on both tracks while turning with a loaded boom. [1]
Editorial calculation: the rated lift capacity is about 1.3 times the machine's own operating weight (40,823 / 31,278); extending the counterweight widens the machine from 3.67 m to 5.38 m, a 1.71 m increase. [1]
Give the supplier the pipe diameter, wall and joint weight, the lowering-in method and number of machines, the working overhang and ground conditions, slopes, required boom length and counterweight, operator cab and controls, emissions stage, and the standard to which load ratings must be stated.
02
Liebherr's application page pairs each crawler pipe layer with a range of pipe diameters, a first sizing step before lift charts are compared. It describes stepless hydrostatic drive for manoeuvring with heavy loads over rough terrain, and its own boom system and lifting cylinder. [5]
Editorial calculation: the RL 46's 46,700 kg maximum lift capacity is about 1.33 to 1.34 times its own operating weight (46,700 / 35,100 and 46,700 / 34,800), close to the 1.3 ratio of the Caterpillar PL72 above, and about 14% above the PL72's 40,823 kg. Its 175 kW engine is about 11% more than the PL72's 158 kW rated net power, though the two figures are stated to different rules (ISO 9249 and SAE J1349 against Cat's net rating). [4] [1]
A maximum lift capacity is a single point on the load chart; the pipe's weight has to be carried at the working overhang. Ask each maker for the load chart to ISO 8813 at your overhang and boom length, and check that the pipe diameter range of the offered class covers your line pipe. [4] [3]
| Liebherr model | Pipe diameters Liebherr lists for the model | Published technical data |
|---|---|---|
| RL 46 | 300–700 mm [5] | Operating weight 34,800–35,100 kg; engine 175 kW (238 hp ISO 9249, 235 HP SAE J1349); max. lift capacity 46,700 kg; travel speed 10.50 km/h [4] |
| RL 56 | 500–1,000 mm [5] | Ask for the lift chart. |
| RL 66 | 800–1,500 mm [5] | Ask for the lift chart. |
03
The PL72 drives its hook and boom winches with independent hydraulic motors and oil-disc brakes; the hook winch runs at 15.9 m/min (low) or 44 m/min (high) on a 4-part line with 19 mm wire rope; a single joystick positions the load line, boom and counterweight together; and a quick-drop control lets the hook load fall freely to the ground in an emergency. [1]
OSHA's crane standard applies to sideboom cranes under 29 CFR 1926.1440, with exceptions for ground conditions, safety devices, operational aids and operator certification sections; sideboom cranes with free-fall (live) booms are permitted only if made before 8 November 2010; and tractor-mounted sideboom cranes must meet named sections of ASME B30.14-2004, including load ratings, travel, ropes and reeving, booms, wheel-type stabilizers, welded construction, clutch and brake protection and, for altered or modified equipment, the rated load test. [2]
04
Ask any supplier for the lift capacity at tipping and rated load per ISO 8813 with the load chart, boom lengths and heights, counterweight sections and extension, winch line speeds and rope size, engine power and emissions stage, operating weight, track gauge, shoe width and ground pressure, controls and safety functions, and compliance with ASME B30.14 or other standards required on site.
05
The Swedish Institute for Standards' page for SS-ISO 8813:2019 reproduces the scope of ISO 8813: a uniform method of calculating, and a test method for validating, rated lift capacity as presented in commercial literature for pipelayers and for wheeled tractors or loaders equipped with a vertical-only pivoted, hydraulic or mechanically operated side boom. The rated lift capacity considers hoist mechanism limits, tipping loads and rope factor; after the lift capacity has been calculated and validated, a reduction factor is applied to establish the rated lift capacity for the specific machine configuration. The standard applies to machines with a lift capacity greater than 10 000 N when used in lifting applications, including pipelayers as defined in ISO 6165 and ISO 7136. [3]
Editorial calculation: 10 000 N corresponds to a mass of about 10 000 / 9.81 ≈ 1,019 kg. Because the rated figure is set for a specific configuration, ask the supplier which boom length, counterweight position and hook reeving the published rating applies to, and for the record of the validation test. [3]
06
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Boom | Lifts and positions the pipe. [1] | Length. |
| Hook and boom winches | Raise the load and the boom. [1] | Speed; rope. |
| Blocks and hook | Carry the load line. [1] | Parts of line. |
| Extendible counterweight | Balances the load. [1] | Extension; segments. |
| Crawler tractor | Carries and moves the machine. [1] | Shoes; gauge. |
| Controls | Joystick and quick drop. [1] | Functions. |
07
Lift capacity only means something with the boom length and overhang it was rated at, so the load chart row matters more than any single maximum.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Lifting Capacity (tonnes) | e.g. 40.8 t (ISO 8813 basis) on the Cat PL72; 46,700 kg on the Liebherr RL 46. [1] [4] | Load chart. |
| Boom Length (meters) | e.g. 6.1 or 7.3 m. [1] | Options. |
| Maximum Reach (meters) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Working range. |
| Engine Power (kW) | e.g. 158 kW rated net. [1] | Power; emissions. |
| Operating Weight (tonnes) | e.g. 31.3 t. [1] | Weight. |
| Pipe Diameter Range (mm) | Liebherr pairs the RL 46 with 300–700 mm and the RL 66 with 800–1,500 mm pipe. [5] | Pipe range. |
| Maximum Lifting Torque (kN·m) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Load moment. |
| Hook line speed (m/min) | 15.9 (low) and 44 (high) on a 4-part line. [1] | Line speeds. |
| Max Travel Speed (km/h) | e.g. 10.50 km/h (Liebherr RL 46). [4] | Travel speeds. |
| Ground Pressure (kPa) | e.g. 56.6 kPa. [1] | Ground pressure. |
| Operating Temperature Range (°C) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Range. |
| Hydraulic System Pressure (MPa) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Pressure. |
| Noise Level (dB(A)) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Noise. |
08
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Pipe: [diameter; wall; joint weight] Spread: [number of machines; lowering-in method] Lift: [capacity; overhang; ISO 8813 chart] Boom: [length] Counterweight: [extendible; segments] Site: [ground; slopes; climate] Standards: [ASME B30.14; local rules] Quantity: [units]
Shantui Construction Machinery Co.,Ltd. has a pipelayer product page on its own website.
Its website has a product page for pipe layer.
Product scope checked 2026-10-12
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Caterpillar quotes lift capacity at tipping, rated load capacity and working range per ISO 8813:1992. [1]
OSHA 1926.1440 applies its crane standard with exceptions and requires named sections of ASME B30.14-2004. [2]
It balances the load; Caterpillar's PL72 widens from 3.67 m to 5.38 m when it is extended. [1]
Yes. SIS's scope page for SS-ISO 8813:2019 includes wheeled tractors or loaders with a vertical-only pivoted side boom, for machines with a lift capacity greater than 10 000 N. [3]
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Caterpillar makes pipelayers; OSHA sets US rules for sideboom cranes. Liebherr's product and application pages add a second maker's pipelayer classes and data.
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