About
Lift Planning Services, LLC is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing comprehensive high-quality lift plans and rigging design. Our goal is to assist our customers with lift planning, and through that process to achieve our mission – to elevate crane and rigging safety through planning, guidance, and engineering.
Lift planning services started in 2015 as a sole proprietorship by Brandon Horne to improve upon lift planning practices and to assist crane companies with their lift plans. These simple ideas have now grown into a full-service consulting firm that specializes in lift planning, with a focus on assisting small to medium sized crane companies. Lift Planning Services, LLC was officially started by Brandon Horne & John O’Connor in 2021 to provide our services to a broader range of customers and industries. Lift Planning Services is also proud to have Kelly Gebhardt included as a partner with the firm.
Lift Planning Services has developed a standard lift plan outline for the Washington DC / Baltimore Metro markets to meet the requirements of the Federal Government, the US Military, and industry leading general contractors. Our typical lift plan is based on a custom AutoCAD crane layout over a scaled aerial picture and/or scaled site plans for the project and is scalable to your local market. We also prepare and submit 3D Lift Plan drawings and details upon request. Lift Planning Services uses the crane and equipment manufacturers tools for selection, scaling and outrigger loading as applicable.
Among the most important parts of the lift plan are outrigger mat calculations and the corresponding ground bearing pressures. OSHA 1926.1402 places the responsibility on the controlling entity for ensuring that ground preparations meet the requirements of the section. Lift Planning Services believes every lift plan should provide the controlling entity with accurate ground bearing pressures exerted by the crane for each lift.
is a Virginia Tech Civil Engineering Graduate and has more than 23 years of experience in the construction industry with more than a decade of that time specifically focused on the crane and rigging business. Brandon holds multiple National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) certifications for Mobile and Tower Crane Lift Director as well as Rigger I & II. His experience ranges from road & bridge construction to mechanical and electrical construction project management.
is a Professional Structural Engineer with a specialty in temporary construction structures and shoring, structural analysis, and contractor-based construction engineering services. John is the founder and owner of Patuxent Engineering Group with multiple offices in the Mid-Atlantic region. John brings 29 years of experience to the company including 17 years of consulting firm ownership and management.
is a Penn State Graduate in Structural Design and Construction Engineering. She has 20 years of experience in structural design, technical writing, and project management. Kelly holds National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) certification for Mobile Crane Lift Director.
