Got an add a level coming up and the only spot to get the forklift into is the front of the house right where the building drains(that’s right there’s 2 of them) come out of the basement. Best I can tell they are around 3 feet down from the surface.
The question is this. Will I smash them? I plan on renting the smallest fork I can but even then they run better than 8000#.
Jim
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Replies
interesting question. Whatever it's worth, here's my WAG:
To be conservative, assume the load will be entirely on the fork's two front tires = 4000# per tire. To be conservative (and to make it easier) assume a point contact of each tire. 3' deep pipe distribute the entire load over at least 9' sq (3'x3') at pipe depth (it's actually 6'x6' but then the numbers get ridiculously small, plus the load won't be carried uniformly through soil). 4,000# on 9' sq = 445 psf. 445 psf / 144 = 3 psi.
Yes, the pipe will hold that.
Major assumption: undisturbed soil with reasonable weight bearing characteristics.
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
Edited 3/17/2006 3:24 pm ET by philarenewal
You might ask around to see how deep the drains are and what they're made of.
I'm currently working on a property that has an old old old drain just 18" or so below grade. There's no doubt that we'd kill it if we ran over it enough with the 15,000-20,000 lb. forklift we've rented for this project.
When you say a rough terrain forklift, are you thinking of a Lull, or one that looks more like a farm tractor turned around backwards?
If the drains are 3' down and are solid pipe, I would be surprised if you broke them.
Even if you did, I doubt the expense of fixing them would be all that great.
I talking about shooting boom forklift. I have to get a small one cause of some other constraints around the house. The smallest ones weigh more than 8000# plus whatever I'm hauling. I'm thinking about laying some plywood sheets over the area of the pipe to distribute the weight of the machine a little better.
You will turn those plywood sheets into toothpicks, even if the ground is dry.
What kind of soil conditions? If the ground is wet, it's not unthinkable to create 18" deep ruts!
A lighter machine is better for floating over the terrain.
blue
Speaking of forklifts...where's Frenchy?
blue
Yeah I agree blue. The forklift will shred the plywood in a heartbeat. If the soils alone can't handle the machine, I'd look into renting an excavator's steel road plates or something like that.
But you can bet I'd find a way to get that machine on the job, one way or another.View Image
I've used 3/4" plywood under a 28,000 lb boom lift to keep from leaving tire tracks in the landscaping. Pain in the butt, but gave better results than you'd imagine. Used the same plywood on more than one job. It did crack the plywood if it was spanning much, but it spread the weight fairly well.Birth, school, work, death.....................
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Why not lay some trench plate on the ground and drive the machine onto it? If you can rent a machine you can rent trench plate, probably from the same place.
Rather than using plywood, how about using 2" x 12" x 5'. Lay them up edge to edge and hold them together with a 2x4 along the sides.
The trench plate is a good idea but is very heavy to move if needed. It will dig up the surrounding area too.
F
There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Well... he's going to have a machine there that could move it. Otherwise I wouldn't touch the stuff.
Frankie, we turn 2x12 into broomsticks in one pass.
Microlams look like chopping blocks when the machine rolls over them.
It's possible to build supports for machines. I've done them for getting cranes over wet spots. I used a lot of 2x12 x 16's, 2x12' runners and plywood decking over. If you put enough of everything, it will work.
I'd go with the steel plate idea. The trak will not even know it is lifting them when it grabs them.
blue
A. Yes, you should always have the forklift around to move the plate. I guess you have to accept terrain damage/ abuse.B. If the forklift will turn 2x's into toothpicks in a single pass - fugeddahbout plywood.C. Heeding this new knowledge, I think the trench plate is good insurance. The repair of the pipes below may not be $$ but the time required for the repair will be ill-timed and the effort will not reflect well on the tradespeople, as part of the job is to protect the assets/ property of the HO.FrankieThere he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas