Russell griffiths Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 Just a silly topic if anybody is having to do this sort of thing themselves i had 16 tonnes of concrete floor beams to put in place at a distance of 15m from where we could get the closest lifting equipment, answer don’t build the front wall of the house and drive the forklift inside the house working your way out until all beams in place, once all in place finish off the last bit of wall. Pic one the forklift sitting in the back bedroom, pic 2 halfway, pic 3 just exiting the garage. All done. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 Russel, this topic isn't silly. It would have taken me ages to work out the logistics of how to solve your problem. And everyone who reads your post will use it as a starting point for their own thinking. In other words, stand on your shoulders. Keep them coming. You can never know what readers will make of your posts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 I have been discussing the same challenge with a local farmer who can lend me a telehandler to swing my beams in place. He smiled when I expressed my concerns about weight and reach limits. My largest beams are 4.6m i.e. less than 200kg which is way below the weight reach limits of a chunky machine. My static caravan has been positioned to allow a telehandler to access the foundations from 3 sides of the house which keeps the max reach distance small hopefully under 3 meters. On my site the trenches are still open to help the brickies as the walls are built up to damp which precludes driving a machine onto the oversite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 (edited) 3 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said: [...] On my site the trenches are still open to help the brickies as the walls are built up to damp which precludes driving a machine onto the oversite. So...... is there any way eejits like me can find out how much a telehandler can lift at the maximum extent of its reach? Or do we just wait until the rear wheels lift off the ground? Edited October 1, 2018 by recoveringacademic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 The new machines have alarms that start to sound before the back wheels start to lift. Some of the more fancy machines won't actually let you lower it anymore when the alarm sounds. You have to bring the load back towards you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 (edited) 13 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said: So...... is there any way eejits like me can find out how much a telehandler can lift at the maximum extent of its reach? Or do we just wait until the rear wheels lift off the ground? I think each model comes with a highly prescriptive manufacturers operating reach chart, the examples I have looked at mention +1 ton at 3 meters. So a self builder's floor beams are feathers to such a beast, however some of Russel's beams seem to be in the 5m to 6m region. For comparison a modern round hay-bale would be 300kg to 350kg and those are often moved around at height, so your typical farmers telehandler should cope with a 130kg 4m floor beam. Google for telehandler reach chart. Edited October 1, 2018 by epsilonGreedy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 same charts are supplied for diggers too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 There is always charts stuck to the windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 (edited) I was planning to sling my beams under the forks in the belief this would be safer and also help with setting down precision. Has anyone else adopted this approach? Edited October 1, 2018 by epsilonGreedy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 1 hour ago, epsilonGreedy said: I was planning to sling my beams under the forks in the belief this would be safer and also help with setting down precision. Has anyone else adopted this approach? Sounds awkward but I am no expert. The beams are quite sharp so chains would be best but you will need to see how to attach the chains to the telehandler. We have slung beams with chains for crane lifts. You would need to have the forks quite high to account for the chains and you don't want to be driving round with the forks extended and a load on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triassic Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 If all else fails, use muscle power, 6 strong people will easily shift them into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 32 minutes ago, Mr Punter said: Sounds awkward but I am no expert. The beams are quite sharp so chains would be best but you will need to see how to attach the chains to the telehandler. We have slung beams with chains for crane lifts. You would need to have the forks quite high to account for the chains and you don't want to be driving round with the forks extended and a load on them. Ideally you want forks as low to the ground as possible and tipped back to stop the beams sliding. @epsilonGreedy Strops would be a faff as you would need to loop them round the beam and then hook over the tine - not something that is quick or easy and it means working around the tines too which isn’t ideal from a safety perspective. I would measure the beams, find the mid point and put a spot of marker paint on it. Then measure your forks, find the middle and then marker lines left and right. Driver then has a target to hit, easy to see from the cab and will keep it balanced. @recoveringacademic the heavier the unit, the longer the full load reach. Regularly see 12m and 14m reach units that can put 600kg at that lift. The bigger challenge is the arc is measured from the back of the unit so a bigger/longer unit can’t get as close to get as high - it can cause problems when you want a heavy load close up (tiles onto scaffold etc) so it’s worth hiring a unit to lift 2m more than the maximum you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 22 minutes ago, PeterW said: Strops would be a faff as you would need to loop them round the beam and then hook over the tine - not something that is quick or easy and it means working around the tines too which isn’t ideal from a safety perspective. A bit of further reading indicates there is an approved method for slinging beams under the forks and my initial hunch was wrong. The key is a lifting strop that "chokes" the beam and this is hung off an eye in a fork cradle. Diagram and H&S court case here... http://www.ppconstructionsafety.com/newsdesk/2015/02/03/telehandler-dangerously-used-as-crane/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 52 minutes ago, PeterW said: [...] so it’s worth hiring a unit to lift 2m more than the maximum you need. Thats worth knowing..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted October 1, 2018 Author Share Posted October 1, 2018 MORE THOUGHT. I don’t borrow equipment ever pay the farmer to come and do it, it’s his if it gets damaged it’s down to him, blowing up a diff or breaking a gearbox will hurt you in the wallet dept big time. Slinging under the forks. Why. It’s a forklift use it as it was designed look at the pic and you can see the beams are not in the final position. Why. Placing them exactly takes time, I paid our farmer for an hour of his time, he was crazy busy as it was harvest time, so he said he could help but only quickly. plonk the beams down to within 100mm of their final destination, send farmer Fred on his way clutching a pile of readies, move beams to final resting place by a gentle lever with a bit of 4x2 TOP TIP. Don’t put your damp course under them until the end, sliding them about will only scuff it and tear it one bloke can easily lift a beam end with a bit of timber as a lever, the other bloke fits dpc all nice and flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 28 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: Slinging under the forks. Why. It’s a forklift use it as it was designed Well since you ask. Those long beams resting on the relatively narrow width of the forks look a bit precarious. If say the farmer came down the slope to your footings at a slight angle and then bounced a touch going over your footings it is possible one beam could pivot and rotate/slide off. Anyhow that is my perception, did that worry figure in how you approached the job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 40 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: MORE THOUGHT. I don’t borrow equipment ever pay the farmer to come and do it When my local farmer "loans" something, the loan also includes the operator. I just spectate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted October 1, 2018 Author Share Posted October 1, 2018 @epsilonGreedy not really the beams where 4.7 long the forks are spaced the furthest apart you can get them, let’s guess a metre, so they are sitting there very firmly, forklift bounces over a rut in the ground, er nope, all ruts levelled and filled with hardcore, as the saying goes smooth as a babies bum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 Beam manufacturers don't like them being lifted from centre. If you crack them in the middle do they still perform as intended with the rebar in? Probably but would need a boffin to confirm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 Double sling if you do go that route with the end through the loop and the 2nd loop on the forks. Keeps the slings a metre apart and a looped sling will tighten on the beam but it will roll as it tightens so you will have to right them. I’d do what @Russell griffiths did and run them in from one end - or get a 15m Manitou..!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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