Abstract: Following the growing demand for foundation safety requirements of heavy-duty equipment in large-scale engineering construction, the precise prediction of the ground pressure is crucial for the foundation stability during crawler crane operations. Based on the Winkler elastic foundation theory, this study constructs an elastoplastic foundation reaction coefficient through piecewise fitting of p-y curves and establishes a nonlinear ground pressure prediction model for track beams. Predictions and engineering measurements demonstrate the following: As lifting loads of a crawler crane increase, the load eccentricity significantly elevates the ground pressure on the eccentric side, inducing the plastic deformation and the subsequent dramatic settlement, while the non-eccentric side may experience detachment due to the stiffness differences between the track beam and the soil. During the slewing angle adjustment, the settlement at the left end of the left track continuously decreases, while the right end first increases then decreases; conversely, the left end of the right track initially decreases then increases, with the right end exhibiting sustained uplift. Settlement distributions strictly follow a symmetrical pattern around the track midpoint, systematically revealing foundation displacement characteristics under the eccentric loading. This model provides a reliable theoretical basis for the crawler crane foundation design.

Key words: Crawler Beams, Nonlinear Contact Pressure, Winkler Elastic Foundation, Force Transmission Mechanism