Lifting plan
Plan a crane/rigging lift: enter the load, sling angle and accessories to get the gross load, per-leg sling tension, crane utilisation and WLL pass/fail checks, with a live lift sketch. Metric/imperial, export PDF, PNG or SVG, or print. Fully offline — indicative planning aid only.
Open Lifting plan →What is the lifting plan tool?
A rigging lift-planning aid for crane and hoisting operations. Enter the load weight, the number of sling legs and the sling angle, list your rigging accessories with their Working Load Limits, and it works out the gross lifted load, the per-leg sling tension, the crane-capacity utilisation and a pass/fail check on every item — alongside a live sketch of the lift. It runs entirely in your browser, works offline in metric or imperial, and lets you export the sketch or print the whole plan sheet. It is an indicative planning aid only: every figure must be verified by a competent person against manufacturer charts and LOLER 1998 / BS 7121 / ASME B30.
How to use Lifting plan
- Enter the load and rigging — Type the load weight, choose the number of sling legs (1–4) and set the sling angle from horizontal. Pick metric or imperial units and, optionally, the crane's rated capacity at the working radius.
- List the accessories — Add each item of rigging — slings, shackles, master link, spreader beam, hooks — with its quantity, Working Load Limit and self-weight. The accessory weights add up into the gross lifted load automatically.
- Read the checks and sketch — The gross load, per-leg tension, load-angle factor, crane utilisation and each item's safety factor update live, colour-banded green, amber or red, next to a sketch of the lift.
- Export or print — Download the sketch as PNG or SVG, or export the full plan sheet — project details, sketch, accessory table and results — as a PDF, or print it.
Frequently asked questions
How is the sling tension worked out?
It uses the load-angle relationship: tension per leg = (gross load ÷ credited legs) ÷ sin θ, where θ is the sling angle from horizontal. As the angle gets shallower the load-angle factor (1 ÷ sin θ) rises sharply — 1.00 at 90°, 1.15 at 60°, 1.41 at 45° and 2.00 at 30° — so a flatter sling carries much more tension.
Why does a 4-leg sling only credit 3 legs?
On a rigid load it is rarely possible to guarantee that all four legs share the load equally, so common rigging practice credits only three. Set the load type to 'flexible' if the load can level itself so that all legs genuinely share.
How is the pass or fail decided?
Each accessory's utilisation is its applied load divided by its Working Load Limit. Because the WLL already includes the design factor, an item passes when its WLL is at or above the load it sees. Slings, shackles and hooks are checked against the leg tension; the master link and spreader beam against the whole gross load.
Can I rely on this for an actual lift?
No. It is an indicative planning aid and is not a lift plan. It does not assess load integrity, lifting-point strength, dynamic or shock loads, side or wind loading, ground bearing, the centre of gravity, or equipment certification. A competent or appointed person must verify every value against manufacturer data and the applicable regulations.
Is anything I enter sent anywhere?
No. Everything is worked out live in your browser and nothing is uploaded; your plan is saved only on your own device.
Tips
- Keep the sling angle as steep as practical — below 45° from horizontal the tension climbs quickly, and below 30° is outside normal practice.
- Add the weight of the slings, shackles and beam themselves; on a heavy rig they add meaningfully to what the crane must lift.
- Enter Working Load Limits, not breaking loads — the WLL already carries the design factor, so the pass/fail check stays honest.
- Cross-check the crane utilisation against the manufacturer's load chart for the actual radius and configuration before the lift.