A very large mobile crane was used to lift a 3,150 kN steam generator through the roof of the containment building of a nuclear power plant. The maximum load on the crane was 19.8 MN, giving a track pressure of almost 600 kPa. Soil conditions were stiff clay underlain by softer clay. This paper describes the bearing capacity and settlement analysis performed to establish a suitable shallow foundation for the crane. The foundation load test confirmed that soil conditions had been adequately defined and that the foundation design was satisfactory
