Preparing to lift the roof beam without a crane

[ToughButterCup]

Our ridge beam is a glulam, about 7 meters long and weighing 160 kilos: not that much as far as beams go, I would think.  The sensible answer to problem of getting it up to the ridge is to hire a crane and a guy who knows his stuff. Cost £500. In the current context, that's a bit of a problem.

 

This thread will simply document what we did, the problems we came across and how we sorted it out.  We would not have considered doing this had we been richer, not had a digger, and not had some form of scaffolding under our direct control: in this case Kwikstage - other types are available.

Our aim is to do this exercise in a completely safe way , lifting it, one small bit at and time such that one person can lift it on their own, and lower it to a position where the beam is completely safe.  

 

Your comments and criticism is more than welcome. In fact, it's part of the process.

 

The 7m beam hasn't been delivered yet: I want to trial the whole process with a smaller 5 meter beam first. The 7m beam will stretch from the ridge peak at the top right, to the peak you can see on the left - the steels peak.

 

This is a general view :  first we need to lift the beam from the ground up to the  level of the guttering

This first photo shows the first of three bays of Kwikstage being lined up carefully outside the house.

 

I found that setting the feet level across the entire 'installation' with a batten and a level helps greatly if you do that before putting in the standards.

 

The construction process is greatly helped by putting in the diagonals before tightening up the pegs. (It also helps greatly to do this when you aren't tired)   (  ) 

 

 

Doing a quick check just before coming in for lunch -luckily- I noticed these......

 

Notice the pegs (at an angle at the back of the staging) not hammered home. It's so easy to forget one or two: I always forget at least one. Now I touch each peg before finishing any section of the build.

 

More to follow later this afternoon, and subsequent bits of the experiment.

PS I would have used the digger to hold the standards while building the staging, but Debbie popped out to help.

 

 

[vfrdave]

Kwikstage is great stuff easy to get on to the way of it, not so easy on your own but where there is a will there is a way.

I never used it before but bought a load and put it up with father in-laws help, both of us novices, when hseni insisted on it for roof construction. Thankfully I passed their inspection when we had it all up.

[ProDave]

Don't go any higher with your kwikstage yet. Get the beam up onto what you have (lift with the digger) then raise it an end at a time one lift (500mm) and insert the next transom and build the tower up.

 

When you get it to the gutter level you need 2 winches and raise it "Alaskan" fashion by pulling it up the slope from both ends. Put a temporary plank up each ridge to give it something to slide up.   A safety rope at each end to catch it if the winches fail and stop frequently to take up the slack on the safety ropes.

 

When you get it to the ridge you will have to drop the 2 internal towers a little to get the beam over them, then rebuild them. And working from those towers lift it into final place an end at a time.

[ToughButterCup]

30 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Don't go any higher with your kwikstage yet. Get the beam up onto what you have (lift with the digger) then raise it an end at a time one lift (500mm) and insert the next transom and build the tower up.

[...]

 

We intend to raise the beam up the outside of the tower with the digger and put it on the top working level. Yes, the tower will be tied into the house with separate bracing scaffold and or two-tonne strapping.

 

32 minutes ago, ProDave said:

[...]

When you get it to the gutter level you need 2 winches and raise it "Alaskan" fashion by pulling it up the slope from both ends. Put a temporary plank up each ridge to give it something to slide up.   A safety rope at each end to catch it if the winches fail and stop frequently to take up the slack on the safety ropes.

[...]

 

We intend to make a series of  vertical holes in the concrete , each the diameter of a piece of rebar. As we raise the beam (as you say) Alaskan style, we'll drop in a piece of rebar so that it's held fast by it's own weight.

As to needing a winch from gutter level, ..... we have an internal scaffolding tower (on casters) so we can lift the beam by hand and meter or so each time, dropping a piece of rebar behind it in a series of pre-drilled  holes.  Planks are at the ready as a skid.

[ProDave]

Have plenty of strong mates, and the beer ready for the topping out ceremony when it's in place.

[ToughButterCup]

Of course, it helps greatly when, during a delivery this morning, the driver of the 20 tonner with a HIAB, from the local timber firm (PM for details - a large well known national company) mentions casually ............

 

"When we deliver yer wall plates on Wednesday, I'll pop that beam on the ridge for ya, mate"

If there were an emoji for the Hallelujah Chorus I'd use it.

[HerbJ]

Luck over skill every time .........

 

You deserve  some luck and I  hope it all goes well on Wednesday

[vfrdave]

When I had our roof trusses delivered they lifted a couple of steels into place for me.  Most of these guys are willing, you do get the odd jobs worth now and again.

[ToughButterCup]

Swallows arrived today: it's all going too well, innit?

[Jeremy Harris]

Just now, recoveringacademic said:

Swallows arrived today: it's all going too well, innit?

 

 

What's the plan then? 

 

Fit them all with little harnesses and get them to help lift the beam in place?

[ToughButterCup]

Give the driver some well-used notes

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, recoveringacademic said:

Of course, it helps greatly when, during a delivery this morning, the driver of the 20 tonner with a HIAB, from the local timber firm (PM for details - a large well known national company) mentions casually ............

 

"When we deliver yer wall plates on Wednesday, I'll pop that beam on the ridge for ya, mate"

If there were an emoji for the Hallelujah Chorus I'd use it.

It's funny how delivery driver vary. When building our last house I had 2 concrete lintels delivered to go above the garage doors.  Before I said a word to him and before his feet had touched the ground he said "!'m not lifting them up there"

[Construction Channel]

6 hours ago, recoveringacademic said:

"When we deliver yer wall plates on Wednesday, I'll pop that beam on the ridge for ya, mate"

 

he beat me to it.

it's not what you know heh  

and similarly if you don't ask.......