raising I-beams onto columns on unlevel ground
Big deck build is finally making progress. My massive footings (36x36x5 foot deep–terrible fill until 4.5″ deep) are in place. Mason is going to be laying the block into seven foot high 16″ square columns.
I’ve got 4 steel galvinized I beams, W8/21, ranging between 20.5″ long to 14″ long that need to get themselves onto steel plates bolted to the tops of those block/grouted cmu columns. So beams will be 400-500#.
>The terrain and slopes do not allow boom lifts, loaders, or any heavy equipment. Likewise, no crane access.
I am thinking either two genie lifts or a couple of site made gantry-style cranes with electric hoists.
The genie lifts seem good, except the terrain is a little uneven and I worry about stability. I also can see getting the beams up to the top of the pier, but sliding them from the genie lift over to the top of the column seems dicey given the uneven terrain.
The gantry cranes and winch/hoists seems like the better way to go. I can center the hoist above the column, and slide the beam up slightly off center so it slides up along the column and when it gets to the top, eases over.
I’m not really thrilled with the suggestion of “get 8 strong backs” to lift something that heavy that high on uneven ground.
Any thoughts, wise suggestions, hair-brained ideas? Thanks.
Replies
hmmm...
You might look into qualcraft wall jacks. They are used for lifting beams up off stable floors [as well as walls obviously] but might still work for your situation.
Pump Jack
That company (and others) also make something called a pump jack. We used to use them to raise and lower working platforms on the sides of a house. Seems like they'd be perfect for listing a beam if they are rated high enough for its weight, which i think they are.
http://www.qualcraft.com/construction-safety-products/scaffolding-systems/product/3267-pump-jack
yeah...
Pump jacks crossed my mind also, I've got both wall jack and pump jacks. I think you could go either way if you are experienced with this kind of work.
But I liked the idea of pumping the wall jacks from a seperate area more than riding up with the beam like you would do with the pumps. Still some hazard either way but If you could brace/secure the tops of the poles it seems very doable. Of course if you were lax it could get ugly quick....
I put 20 ft long about 3000# logs (24" dia, green DFir) on top of 10 ft columns with just 2 4x4 A-frames and 2 chain hoists all by myself when I was younger.
Heck, for something just 500#, when I wuz younger, could have just lifted on end of 'little' 400# beams into place by myself without even using a ladder for just 7 ft height.
Even when I was 60, the next door neighbor (6'-2", 250#) helped me put up 6ea 16 foot DFir beams for a shed of about 300# each, -- we just each grapped an end and climbed sturdy step ladders and sett'em on the posts.
DO you have any friends, just llift them into place, 4 or five guys at just 7 ft up shoud be easy,
Drink the beer afterwards though <G>
lifting beam
It might be better to have the beer before trying to the lift beam.
Junk hound you ought to qualify that
Art, when you post some of your methods of work you should also list the number of stitches, broken bones, and other sorts of trauma that such methods have inflicted on you. ;-)
Ed
How can you say that ? !!
I've only had 37 skull fractures (all at one time, but survived)
Left hand only has had about 204 stitches over the years (maye a record?), but none on RH (but that is only because I crazy glued one glass cut and a few other minor cuts together <G> I have ALL my fingers and toes, and both eyes..
NEVER any broken bones other than head, but one rotator cuff surgery.
57 years since I cut myself with a table saw, and 45 since I got in the way of a chain saw.
No stitches for about 6 years, DW says: "you are finally learning"
DW also say - "good thing you got hit in the head, or it might have done some real damage"
Log cabins were frequently raised simply using ropes. They would secure the rope to the inside of the wall run it over the top and down under the next log to go up and then back up and over. Pulling on the ropes then rolls the log up the outside of the wall..Even a square beam could be "rolled" into place in a similar fashion.
One option would be to raise the beams on cribbing offset from columns. Once the beam is to height of bearing (or slightly above) then transfer the steel to the column on a short wood beam that bears on cribbing and a temporary beam braced right beside the column. If you're concerned about pushing the weight of this beam along this beam, then set a piece of black iron pipe in a dado cut in top of transfer beam.
thanks
Thanks everyone, very helpful. I think I've decided on two gantry style cranes made from 6x6 and header made from multiple 2x10 (I have some sitting here from concrete forms). I'll use two chain hoists attached to those to do the lifting. I have a couple of cribbing platforms I'll secure under it as I go up. Abundance of caution, I know. But I'm not going to have 500# of cold dead steel crash down on me.
I think I've settled on...
Two electric game hoists from Cabelas, with two arms for mounting them onto 2" pipe. I'll have about $325 total into these, and can use them for other things later on (or sell them on Ebay or craigslist). I'll strap the 2" pipe in numerous places onto the columns (they're cmu's, rebarred, grouted, so not going anywhere). Very quick to set up and move to the next column. They have a 440# capacity each, 35' of cable, and a long-corded control switch. I figure I'd have that much in on labor for 6 guys, and have a lot more risk of failure. Might even pick up two beam clamps just so I have no chance of strapping that slips off the ends. I'll still be about $2500 ahead of the steel/welding guys around here who wanted big bucks to get them up there.
Thanks for the ideas.