Moving an RSJ 660kg

JPBlackie

JPBlackie

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I need to move a 6.6 meter RSJ @ 97Kg per meter.

For clarity - I cannot use a crane due to overhead wires, I know that I can list with genie lifts latter

My plan is to move it from my uneven drive using 3-inch fence posts using a hand winch (rated at 4 ton) to pull it onto the block and beam floor in my garage. I then plan on using moving trolleys (two rated at 400kg) on the plywood over the block and beam.

I am hoping the wife and I can manage this to get it in place for the lads who are going to fit it. I have two questions.

1) Am I mental?

2) what sort of strapping, chain or rope should I use on the beam to secure it?
 
I've no idea if you're mental, or, what you need to do it safely.
Although, the vikings / other pre industrial civilisations moved things on rollers.
I guess straps and rollers and muscle will do it.
No idea how to do it "safely"
Rollers.jpg


Post pics when you do.
And be careful.
 
By moving trolleys do you mean the type with 4 small casters.
If so you might struggle, I would carry on with the round fence posts.

Do you have a long crowbar or a fence digging bar. Once you've got the steel onto the fence posts you can use a crowbar to lever the steel sideways to change direction. Sometimes you can lever it from the back to push it forward too.

The thing is to get a round fence post right in the centre, then you can pivot round.
 
Forget it.
You and the wife are asking for trouble.
660kg needs 12 healthy people, your devices are not up to the job and if they fail you could be killed.
Why don't you leave this for the people who are installing it?
They've got to lift it anyway, so let them do it.
And if it costs you a couple of hundred, better than breaking your back or worse, that of your wife (who's gonna cook???)
 
If you can lift it on to the posts using a cantilever of sorts, then you should be OK. Just make sure you are careful of your hand and feet. Having it on the posts, you can't really drop it on anything else.
 
johnny2007 said:
Forget it.
You and the wife are asking for trouble.
660kg needs 12 healthy people, your devices are not up to the job and if they fail you could be killed.
Why don't you leave this for the people who are installing it?
They've got to lift it anyway, so let them do it.
And if it costs you a couple of hundred, better than breaking your back or worse, that of your wife (who's gonna cook???)
Click to expand...

Well, you've just made it seem a lot more exciting!

Our plan involves minimal lifting, the beam will be on a low centre of gravity, I would be putting it in myself if it wasn't going into the corner of my house. I am going to fit three other lighter beams myself. The wife and I are building the extension together, we've just finished dropping in the concrete floor beams. We've learnt to work smart with heavy objects but you are right.

I wonder what is the best way of lowering the coefficient of kinetic friction? I think using 5/6 fence post to roll the beam over the uneven site being pulled inch by inch on the winch would mean I don't come near to its full pulling capacity.

Once I get onto the block and beam floor I will use these https://www.safety-lifting.com/products/400kg-plywood-wooden-dolly-trolley-c-w-brake/swe-tt1006ca to shift the beam, being rolled on some 2 by 8 lengths of 18mm shuttering ply
 
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Get the lads who are going to fit it to move it.

Otherwise, more doing than thinking tends to work.
 
I've found scaff poles rolling on scaff boards works well, but I've never gone beyond 200kg. The lack of friction in that setup means you really need to have a plan for stopping it if there are any slopes on route.
 
In my working career, I many times had to deal with similar and much larger weights with just two of us available (think large armoured cables and big control panels) - out in the wilds, no cranes, usually no winch, just scaffold poles and scaffold boards and if lucky, a flat concrete surface. The trick was simply to use the poles as rollers and levers, but keep fingers and toes well out of the way. Scaffold boards can make a rough surface easier for rollers to pass over.

Don't use trolleys, it will be difficult to lift onto them and if it falls off them it will really hurt. Don't use fence posts as rollers, they will tend to dig in and make it harder than it needs to be. The winch might be needed to get it up the slope of the drive.
 
Did mine single handed 4.7m, 280kg. Rolling it round on scaff tubes was easy, although the initial attempt with soil pipe didn't go so well. Getting it up and in place was straight forward (winching up a scaffold with a block and tackle) but slow. To be honest I felt more comfortable doing it myself than using a bunch of unskilled, hungover, gung-ho mates from the pub - for who I have no liability insurance.
 
Avoid the dollies-they're a nuisance unless you have a very smooth flat surface. If you really want to use them then get some 2 ton ratchet straps (Aldi or Lidl) and lash the beam to the dollies. Scaff tube or metal electrical conduit will be much safer and easier (the thing is nearer the ground so won't make such a bang if it does fall off).
Re your winch, what are you fixing the other end to? What sort of gradient is your driveway?
If your winch hook is big enough to fit over the I of the rsj (and the cable long enough) then put the hook on the downhill end, use another of your 2 ton straps and a block of wood to fix the winch rope to the I at the uphill end.
If winch hook isn't big enough then either long wire rope (6mm or greater) or several lifting slings from winch hook down to downhill end and back up, again strapped in with wood packers/ratchet straps.
EDIT A bit of old carpet over the downhill I to protect the slings/steel wire as well
 
Oldbutnotdead

Thanks for the advice, I killed the trollies in the attempt. We used fence posts the winch and a 2x4 for levering.

It worked out very well, site is mostly level but had a 10 inch step to pull up

I time lapsed it if anyone wants to see



I didn't know if it would be possible but the amazing wife and I managed it.
 
Nice one, you did that very sensibly, little moves, kept checking. Bet you're glad you don't have to lift it into position :)
 
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