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General Question about installing a trolley beam to an existing structure

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APIpipeWholesaler

Materials
Jul 26, 2012
24
Have a metal building erected with 3 x 3 x 14ga a500 tubing don't know if it's grade A or B.

The roof pitch is 3:12

Rather than installing a gantry crane I'm considering installing a beam off the trusses.

The building is 36' x 20' and the trusses are spaced appox 5 feet apart in the 20' direction

I want to mount a 10 foot beam the 36' long way to the trusses. either by hanging it or welding it in.

I'm hoping to support a load of 1000 or preference 2000#.

will this be possible without collapses the structure?

Thanx in advance

-=Fred=-

Vass Pipe API Line Pipe Industry Leader

People do what you inspect, not expect!
 
 https://files.engineering.com/getfile.aspx?folder=30b920c1-efa1-4178-9567-fb60c9bc8fd2&file=f00a651carolina_carports.jpg
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I wouldn't generally allow this. However, a simple calculation by combining crane load with wind load case will give the capacity ratios of the elements. We need cross sectional data as well as steel grade to do the trick.
 
The building owner will need to hire a local engineer to determine this. A bunch of internet strangers will get you a whole bunch of answers ranging from "no problem" to "never".

Is it possible, sure, but what reinforcement the roof would need to accommodate it may not be economically feasible.
 
I would not call those trusses in the picture.

Based on a rough calc to check span, a 1/8" thick tube is about 3x over stressed for the load. I would say you would be 5-6x over stressed. Deflection would control in my mind too.

 
Im getting at if lower the load to a workable amount, deflection would limit the load before buckling with that section.
 
So a general consensus is don't do it...

This is my personal shop at home and rather than a gantry(portable crane) I thought about just installing a beam...

Heaviest load probably a 500# car or boat motor... but was really interested in max load not a general load.

Thanx everyone

-=Fred=-

Vass Pipe API Line Pipe Industry Leader

People do what you inspect, not expect!
 
I have been working in pre engineered structures for the last 28 years and there is absolutely no way that I would predict that building shown in the first picture would survive a 500 lb. load, much less a 1,000 lb. or 2,000 load hung from the pipes (NOT trusses).

You might look into a free standing transverse rolling crane with your required capacity. You would need appropriate foundations under each column of the crane. Any reputable crane mfg. would be able to supply such a system. However it might cost as much or more than the original building.

Jim

 
I'm surprised it is even capable of surviving a gentle dusting of snow. I have seen the calcs for these at one point and they are sketchy AF.
 
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