Material Handling/Moving on Rough Concrete Surface

[Ussuri]

I am looking at moving a 10 tonne steel frame over a fairly rough concrete surface. The item is on a small quay which is loaded with other equipment. The frame is narrow (about 1m) and long (about 16m). The frame needs to be moved about 100m.

We are restricted in terms of space so cannot get a forklift in (plus the access is adjacent to the edge of the quay so H&S concerns also preclude this), and also the use of a crane is not possible due to distance from the crane.

We were planning to use machinery skates and have spoken to some manufacturers who have confirmed it is possible depending on roughness but I wonder if there are some other handling devices which might be better suited? I saw rough terrain pallet trucks but they only go up to 1.5 tonne capacity.

Fabricating something specific would be an option unfortunately the schedule wont allow for this.

Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas?

Thanks.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Call a rigger.

They'll probably just put it on rollers or skid it over dunnage and pull it with a come-along, but they have the benefit of long experience.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[MiketheEngineer]

MikeH probably has it right. Call in the pros.

Or you might be able to use air-pads or multiple rollers where you pull the load so many feet and then leap frog the rollers. Pull using a winch or come-a-along.

 

[MintJulep]

Yep, call a rigger.

The will have access to the right equipment to do the job.

They are less likely to screw up, and will be properly insured on the off-chance that they do.

 

[Ussuri]

Thanks folks. We have our own riggers who will be doing this, but we need to propose something to them first. Thats the way its done here, Engineers come up with a proposal and then the Riggers/Deck Crew review it and change it accordingly.

I'm in the process of putting a few options together and we will see what they say. Currently have a pallet truck and loose bogey, machinery skates, bespoke designed bogey on casters, skidding along plywood. There are plenty of bollards to rig tirfors off. I looked at air film pads but the quay has a camber and didnt want the thing to shoot off into the sea.

I guess I'll see what they come back with.

 

[btrueblood]

Like Mike said. Or look here -

http://www.rigging.com/shop/index.php?target=categories&category_id=1

You might want to lay down a couple of I-beam rails and use an inverted I-beam dolly?

 

[MintJulep]

What does "fairly rough" really mean?

Potholes? Joints that aren't flat and even? By millimeters, or centimeters? Big steel plates bolted over gaping holes in the concrete deck?

Skates running in a C channel track are a possibility.

 

[Ussuri]

We are still waiting for confirmation of the surface roughness but it is tamped concrete so probably 5-10mm. Most of the skates have wheels around 80mm diameter so there is some concern that with small wheels they wont be able to move the load.

Am I being concerned unduly?

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Hillman Rollers???

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Better yet -

We have used Hillman Rollers in steel C-Channels - works great and takes the "roughness" out of the equation.

 

[FACS]

If the issue is surface roughness, then MintJulip mentioned steel plates... take the roughness out of the equation. Put down a temporary smooth surface or get someone to grind the concrete smooth.

Think about wheels or rollers on the outside of the frame and not under the frame; If possible, then you have the option of larger wheels.

We had to move a lathe down a flight of wooden stairs. We installed little rail road tracks and used a winch to lower it

Charlie

http://www.facsco.com

 

[Ussuri]

Thanks Mike.

I like the idea of running them in a steel channel, however it is likely we will need to steer as well. At the moment I think I am favouring the Tri-point system as this allows me to do that.

 

[chicopee]

To keep it simple and dirty, wet and muddy (clay) floor will lower the coefficient of friction to pull the load with a Lug-all winch hoist. Or be as smart as the ancient egyptians and use tree trunks to roll the load.

 

[dvd]

What is the frame constructed of?

If it were fabricated structural steel, then bolt some casters onto the frame, or bolt the casters onto plate and clamp to the frame. The length of the frame makes it seem that the frame will deflect enough that the load could be borne by more than three casters. I have brought heavier equipment into plants than your frame by bolting casters on. It depends on how much money the other options will cost.

Here is one source of casters:

http://www.mhscaster.com/images/46-47.pdf

 

[dhengr]

On a base frame which is 3.5' wide x 52.5' long, one might ask how heavy this machine is, and where its C.G. is w.r.t. the above base frame, and how high the C.G. is off the floor. Also consider the torsional stiffness of the frame and machine above, and where the machine loads the base frame. If the move is a straight shot, the channels with legs up make a very good track for rollers. If the riggers must make turns in the move, there are means to make the front two rollers steerable/turnable and then wide plates make a better rolling surface, to make short turns and moves, and the back rollers will usually follow. With small pieces of plate made to fit where two square plate edges do not match.

I don’t know that a three roller arrangement would be as stable as four rollers. And you might jack your load up enough to get front and back cross frames under it, with the rollers under that, all to give you a wider roller track base w.r.t. a high C.G. While it may be your process for the engineers to propose a scheme to the riggers, they have the real knowledge, and I would want the benefit of this in putting my scheme together. What equipment do they have, etc.? Work with them instead of against each other, and save about three trips back and forth before you get it right. Your first proposal to the riggers should be, we want this over there. What equipment do you have to do that, what’s the best route in the building, how would you go about doing this? I will check the scheme for structural adequacy w.r.t. the base frame, machine and building structure. It’s called team work within the company. It might be slightly different if you were going outside for the rigging.

 

[Ussuri]

We are in dialogue with the site facility, and they have been asked for their preferred method.

Casters are an option, as is the more agicultural approach.

dhengr, the frame is a 2D plane frame (a steel grillage) which is dismantelled and moved in sections, so COG is within the plane of the frame. There are no loads other than the self weight when it is being moved. Once moved and reassembled a 350 tonne reel will end up sitting on it (The design of the frame and the capacity checks on the quay are completed by others and will be checked). And while you are correct about getting them to propose something first it just doesnt work that way in practice, not here anyway. Mainly because they are employed on other projects or vessels offshore, working shifts, and getting meaningful input for a job that is a few months away isnt a priority and can be difficult.

 

[IRstuff]

Since you considered cranes, there must be a way to lift it. There was recently a 340-ton rock moved about 100 miles to an LA museum:

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/340-ton-rock-begins-journey-to-la-museum-1330531370-slideshow/

Some variation of that might be workable.

TTFN
faq731-376

 

[MiketheEngineer]

20,000 lbs is not that much - a tractor trailer can easily handle that OR something with LARGE rubber wheel castes!!

 

[Grindy]

I have often seen machinery movers use steel plates (as others have suggested) and this method has been very successful.

As you are at a quay can the frame not be loaded onto a barge and then offloaded when it is near to its new position?

I have witnessed a machine being moved over a tamped surface on skates and it was a very slow process. The skates kept on sliding under the machine and once the you stop, starting moving again can be very difficult and jerky.

 

[Ussuri]

Thanks for the input folks