Structural Design Considerations of an Aerial Device

This paper is presented as an introduction to the considerations made by the structural engineer in the design of an aerial device. Among the topics discussed are the design philosophy, design specifications, critical positions and loadings, selection and meanings of safety factors, and evaluation of the finished product. To corroborate the design assumptions and to confirm the calculated safety factors, a discussion of testing is included. Together with this are presented the data and conclusions from a series of static and dynamic strain measurements made on a typical aerial device.