Slew bearing with load monitoring

A slew bearing for rotatably supporting an object on a base about a slew axis, wherein the slew bearing comprises:

• a stationary ring part connected or connectable to the base;
• and
• a rotary ring part connected or connectable to the object, which is rotatable around the slew axis,
• wherein the stationary ring part is provided with a stationary raceway member forming a stationary raceway surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the slew axis,
• wherein the rotary ring part is provided with a rotary raceway member forming a rotary raceway surface,
• wherein rolling elements are provided between the stationary raceway surface and the rotary raceway surface,
• wherein the slew bearing further comprises an elastically compressible resilient insert which is sandwiched either between the rotary raceway member and the rotary ring part, so that the rotary ring part is resiliently supported on the rolling elements via the rotary raceway member and the resilient insert, or between the stationary ring part and the stationary raceway member, so that the rotary ring part is resiliently supported on the rolling elements via the resilient insert and the stationary raceway member,
• and wherein the slew bearing further comprises an axial load sensor for monitoring an axial load on the slew bearing by either measuring a distance between the rotary ring part and the first rotary raceway member over the resilient insert or by measuring a distance between the stationary ring part and the first stationary raceway member over the resilient insert.