If you are the construction manager for a commercial building site, then you may be responsible for renting certain types of equipment for use on the site. If you need to rent a telescopic or truck-mounted crane for material lifting purposes, then it is wise to arrange for the crane as well as a licensed operator. You also will need to choose the types of attachments that will connect to the main hook of the crane. Several attachments that you may need are outlined below.
Beam Clamps
If steel beams make up the structure of the building you are building, then you will need to use your crane to lift some beams to create the upper part of the framework. While lifting slings and hooks can be used to carry loads of secondary steel beams, load-bearing structural beams may be too long and bulky for this type of lifting. If some of these beams are long junior or type I beams, then the flange width will typically be between about two and eight inches wide. For this type of beam, a general use beam clamp or beam grab can be rented and used. This type of device features a hydraulic claw that opens wide. The teeth of the clamp are rounded on the edge and fit tightly underneath the beam flange. The rounded edges sit against the webbing to hold and lift the beam.
If your construction involves the placement of wide flange beams with flanges that far exceed the eight inches of an I beam, then a general use beam clamp may not be suitable. You will need to rent a girder clamp. This type of clamp will spread much wider than a typical clamp to handle wider flanges. The clamp can also be used to handle the movement of plate girders if you need to create a bridge on the property.
Beam clamps can typically be used to move beams into place in a controlled manner. However, if there is an incredibly tight area where a beam needs to be moved into place, the clamp may be too wide. In this case, you will need to secure the beam with smaller and thinner beam tongs. Since the tongs will not be able to hold the beam as stable as a full-sized clamp, two of the clamps should be used and attached to a lifting bar before the steel structural beam is lifted off the ground.
Adjustable Spreader Bar
You likely will need to lift heavy loads of material so that workers can adhere beams together and move along with construction of the building. Load sizes and weights can vary substantially. You may need to transport a stack of drywall or a heavy container of rivets or bolts to secure beams together. Cover plates are also likely needed at high elevations to secure beam joints together. To make sure that loads can be lifted safely and accurately, you should invest in a spreader bar. A spreader bar is a long steel bar attached to the main hook of the crane. Two hooks dangle from each end of the beam, and these hooks separately attach to the load. This helps to transfer weight evenly across the bar. This means that extremely heavy loads can be gripped and lifted with good stability.
Some spread bars will have fixed hooks. This may be ideal if you use the same types of slings to lift objects. However, if your lifting needs will vary throughout the construction project, then an adjustable spreader bar is a better idea. The hooks on the bar can be moved closer and farther apart depending on the sling you intend on using. For more information, contact a company like A C Jones Trucking Inc.
Share20 May 2016
My name is Autumn, and I'm glad you are here. I am one of very few women who work in construction. Yes, I operate heavy machinery. I also use power tools and climb up on planks high in the air. I am a construction worker, and I am just as good at it as my male co-workers. In fact, I often consider myself even better. I hope this blog will help people understand that women can choose to do anything that interests them, and that it is okay for a women to pursue careers that are traditionally reserved for men.
