Naue Platform 2.0
Safe working platform design for tracked plant
Naue Platform 2.0 is a free online calculator in the Naue Portal DesignSuite for designing temporary working platforms and foundation pads that carry tracked construction plant - crawler cranes, piling and drilling rigs and similar equipment. Following the established BR 470 method, it determines the required platform thickness and verifies safety against several limit states: the ultimate limit state (ULS / GZ1) - punching and bearing (slope) failure - and, optionally, the serviceability limit state (SLS / GZ2) - settlement and tilting. Using the track loading, the granular platform properties and a layered subsoil model, and building in the reinforcement effect of Secugrid® geogrids and Combigrid® geocomposites, it delivers a safe, efficient platform design even over weak ground.
At a glance
- What it is: a free online calculator in the Naue Portal DesignSuite (login required)
- What it does: designs temporary working platforms for tracked plant to ULS and, optionally, SLS, with geogrid reinforcement
- Best for: platforms and foundation pads for crawler cranes, piling and drilling rigs - especially on weak subsoils
- Key inputs: verification type (ULS, or ULS+SLS); track loading (width w, spacing s, edge distance r; load cases with track length L and contact pressure qk); platform material, friction angle and unit weight; layered subsoil (undrained shear strength, stiffness, depth, water table); Secugrid®/Combigrid® reinforcement
- Key outputs: a statement of whether a working platform is required for the loading; required platform thickness and verification against punching, bearing (slope) failure, settlement and tilting; downloadable report
- Limit states: GZ1 (ULS): punching and bearing (slope) failure; GZ2 (SLS): settlement and tilting
From plant loads to a verified platform: how Platform 2.0 delivers
Challenges
- Heavy tracked plant imposes high, concentrated loads on temporary ground
- Weak or layered subsoils risk punching, bearing failure, settlement and tilting
- Over-thick platforms waste aggregate; under-thick platforms are unsafe
Naue solution
- A working-platform calculator that checks ULS and SLS for tracked-plant loading and includes the reinforcement effect of Secugrid® and Combigrid®
Results
- A verified platform thickness for your plant and ground
- Safety demonstrated against punching, bearing failure, settlement and tilting
- A thinner, geogrid-reinforced platform where possible - with a downloadable report
Where Platform 2.0 helps: applications covered
Naue Platform 2.0 is used wherever tracked construction plant must operate safely on temporary ground - and where a geogrid-reinforced granular platform keeps the equipment stable over weak or variable subsoils.
- Crawler crane platforms: stable platforms for crawler cranes and heavy lifting operations
- Piling & drilling rig pads: working pads for piling, drilling and foundation rigs
- Platforms on soft ground: safe working areas where subgrade bearing capacity is low
- Foundation & access pads: temporary load-bearing pads and access for site plant
- Wind & energy sites: crane and rig platforms for renewable-energy construction
How Platform 2.0 works: input, verification and report
A guided form collects the plant loading, the platform and the ground, then verifies the platform against the selected limit states and returns the required thickness - with the option to save the calculation to a project.
Enter the tracked-plant loading, the granular platform properties and a layered subsoil model. Platform 2.0 then designs the platform for your chosen limit states.
Practical advantages:
- Choose the verification: ULS only (punching and bearing/slope failure), or ULS + SLS (adding settlement and tilting)
- Track loading: track width, track spacing and edge distance, with two load cases (track length and contact pressure)
- Platform properties: material, friction angle and unit weight
- Subsoil: up to five layers with undrained shear strength, stiffness and depth, plus the water table
- Reinforcement: Secugrid® and Combigrid® geogrids to strengthen the platform
Platform 2.0 checks the platform against the limit states that matter for tracked plant:
- GZ1 (ULS): safety against punching and bearing (slope) failure
- GZ2 (SLS): control of settlement and tilting for safe, stable operation
- Geogrid reinforcement improves load spreading and bearing capacity, so the required platform thickness can be reduced
- Layered subsoil, the water table and two load cases are taken into account for a realistic design
Platform 2.0 documents and connects the result:
- Download a report of the design and verifications; save the calculation to a project in the Naue Portal
- Part of the Naue Platform family - including Platform EN and Platform Pro EN, which add multiple platforms and subsoil conditions, effort compilation, cost evaluation and environmental impact
- Use it alongside other DesignSuite tools; convert plant and traffic loads where needed
- Direct links to the Naue Engineering & Design Department (EDD) for project-specific review
For planners and design engineers: a rigorous working-platform design to ULS and SLS with layered subsoil, multiple load cases and geogrid reinforcement, fully documented. The Naue Engineering and Design Deparmtne (EDD) provides project-specific review and support.
For contractors and site managers: a safe, verified platform thickness for crawler cranes and rigs - thinner where geogrids allow, meaning less aggregate and a clear basis for safe plant operation.
For project owners and clients: documented safety and serviceability for temporary works, with reduced material use and CO₂ - lower risk and a more sustainable site.
Platform 2.0: method, standards and engineering support
| Method / Check | Scope |
|---|---|
| Working-platform design to BR 470 (ULS & SLS) | Verification of tracked-plant loading on a granular platform over subsoil |
| Punching & bearing/slope failure (GZ1) | Ultimate limit state safety of the platform under the plant loads |
| Settlement & tilting (GZ2) | Serviceability limit state for stable, safe plant operation |
| Geosynthetic reinforcement | Secugrid® and Combigrid® increase bearing capacity and reduce platform thickness |
| Naue EDD | Project-specific review, verification and design support |
| Platform 2.0 applies the established BR 470 working-platform design method for tracked plant, combined with the measured performance of Naue geogrids. Where a project needs individual review, the Naue Engineering and Design Department (EDD) supports designers and contractors with project-specific design. |
The Platform 2.0 advantage: safe, efficient, documented
Naue Platform 2.0 gives engineers a fast, rigorous way to design safe working platforms for heavy tracked plant - verified against punching, bearing failure, settlement and tilting, over layered and weak subsoils. By adding the reinforcement effect of Secugrid® and Combigrid®, it reduces the required platform thickness, cutting aggregate, cost and CO₂ while keeping equipment stable and operations safe. Every design is documented in a downloadable report and backed by Naue's engineering support.
Naue Platform 2.0: frequently asked questions
Naue Platform 2.0 is a free online calculator in the Naue Portal DesignSuite that designs temporary working platforms and foundation pads for tracked construction plant, verifying them against ultimate and serviceability limit states and including the reinforcement effect of Secugrid® and Combigrid®.
It checks GZ1 (ULS) - safety against punching and bearing (slope) failure - and, optionally, GZ2 (SLS) - settlement and tilting - so the platform is both strong enough and stable enough for the plant.
For designing temporary working platforms and pads that carry tracked plant such as crawler cranes and piling or drilling rigs, particularly on weak or layered subsoils.
The verification type, the track loading (track width, spacing and edge distance, with two load cases of track length and contact pressure), the platform material, friction angle and unit weight, a layered subsoil model (undrained shear strength, stiffness, depth and water table), and the Secugrid®/Combigrid® reinforcement.
They reinforce the granular platform, spreading the concentrated track loads and increasing bearing capacity. This allows a thinner platform for the same safety, reducing aggregate use and cost.
Yes. You can define up to five subsoil layers with their strength, stiffness and depth and include the water table, and the design considers two track load cases.
You receive a statement of whether a platform is required, the required platform thickness with the limit-state verifications and a downloadable report, and you can save the calculation to a project in the Naue Portal.
Platform 2.0 is free within the Naue Portal and requires a portal login. It is aimed at design engineers, temporary-works designers, contractors and project owners; the Platform Pro variant adds multiple platforms, cost and environmental-impact evaluation.