Fluid–Structure Interaction Analysis of Payload Deflection and Overturning Stability in Wind-Loaded Mobile Cranes

Mobile cranes operating in dense urban areas and coastal environments face substantial wind-induced stability challenges, particularly when extended booms and suspended loads interact with turbulent, variable wind flows. Generally, stability assessments have relied on static drag formulations and rigid-body assumptions for the payload, overlooking the dynamic overturning moment amplification that arises when the payload deflects under wind loading. This work develops a combined CFD–FSI framework to characterize the aerodynamic loading and structural response of an all-terrain telescopic crane, aiming to identify operating conditions that minimize its tip-over vulnerability. A detailed geometric model of the crane, including the boom, superstructure, ropes, payload, and counterweights, is incorporated into a CFD-based simulation. Pressure and velocity fields from multi-directional wind inputs are transferred into the structural solver to quantify payload deflection, rope elongation, and resulting moment fluctuations about the crane’s tipping axes. The work extends the analysis to a wide range of boom lengths, boom angles, wind directions, and payload shapes (spherical and cubic). Multiple counterweight configurations are also examined to evaluate their stabilizing influence. Transient simulations are employed to estimate the critical tip-over wind velocity and to capture the unsteady aerodynamic impulses that drive moment amplification. The resulting dataset enables the comparison of operating configurations and the identification of boom–payload–counterweight combinations that yield the most stable resting position under wind loading. This methodology provides a physically grounded basis for dynamic stability assessment of mobile cranes and contributes to more robust operational planning in wind-exposed environments.