Foundation-less Jib Cranes
While classic jib cranes often require costly and often immovable foundations, we offer solutions with expansive base-plates, aiming to minimize foundation needs. Exploring the safe limits of floor torque with jib cranes remains a topic of ongoing discussion in the industry.
Traditional jib cranes exert significant torque on the floor they’re anchored to, potentially leading to concrete stress or crane overturning. At Givens, we prioritize safe installation methods vetted by Professional Engineers.
Let’s delve into this critical issue together.
Concrete Floors & Jib Crane Anchors
Typical Concrete Floors
A typical industrial concrete floor in North America is around 6 inches thick and contains wire mesh in the lower portion. While these floors can handle a lot of weight without cracks or seams, reality often brings cracks or saw cuts, making precise calculations tricky. When choosing a spot for a jib crane, engineers face this challenge and must make judgment calls in such situations.
Anchors
Floor anchors for jib cranes use strong chemical anchors in concrete. These anchors, like threaded rods, are secured using chemicals and leveling screws. To test their effectiveness, we tighten nuts on these anchors. If it tightens correctly, it’s strong enough. But if it doesn’t, it won’t bear any weight safely. Even if each anchor is strong, we also check if the concrete floor can resist the crane’s force.
Base-plate Sizes
We offer four base-plate sizes, suitable for ‘straight’ jibs, articulated jibs, and manipulators:
- BP750: 750mm x 750mm (30” x 30”) with 8 ½” or M12 anchors
- BP1000: 1000mm x 1000mm (39” x 39”) with 8 ½” or M12 anchors
- BP1200: 1200mm x 1200mm (48” x 48”) with 8 5/8” or M16 anchors
- BP1500: 1500mm x 1500mm (59” x 59”) with 12 ¾” or M20 anchors
Each base-plate has an engineered moment capacity in in-lb. However, the actual capacity might vary due to floor age, condition, cracks, saw-cuts, nearby structures, and more.
Foundation-less Jib Crane Past Projects
J250 jib crane mounted on a BP750 (30” x 30” base-plate) with a moment load of 40,000 in-lb
J250 jib crane mounted on a BP1000 (39” x 39” base-plate) with a moment load of 120,000 in-lb.
J1000 jib crane mounted on a BP1500 (59” x 59” base-plate) with a moment load of 400,000 in-lb.
Foundation-less Applications
The versatility of our base-plate sizes extends seamlessly to manipulators and articulated jib cranes.
In this image, witness an M35 manipulator secured to the floor using a BP750 base-plate (30” x 30”), supporting a moment load of 30,000 in-lb.
The Last Word
The final word on ensuring a safe, trouble-free, foundation-less jib crane installation: always have the floor mounting details approved by a licensed Professional Engineer!
Have any questions about our foundation-less systems?
