Steel unit beams.... (1 Viewer)

JonEng

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....does anyone still use them?

To me the 450mm deep alloy beams are favoured by most these days, I just wondered if anyone still uses to 610mm deep steel unit beams anymore, I can't think of the last design I was involved in where they were specified - is this connected to the lifting regs i.e. a 12' steel unit beam is now a two man operation?
 
Yes, i did a temporary roof with a unit beams 3 weeks ago with a 72 foot span. Using 450 Haki Beams just don't cut it on those sort of spans mate. You could use the 750 Apollo X beams, they do the same job but it's a pain in the arse trying to get your stringers underneath and the plan bracing through the middle. I do prefer the x beams though.
 
I managed to flog the last of my unit beams of to an unsuspecting customer. Never been so glad to see the back of them. Theres not many jobs the new beams can't handle, although the design engineer always asks for the diamond beams especially since the tg20 thing.
 
Yes, i did a temporary roof with a unit beams 3 weeks ago with a 72 foot span. Using 450 Haki Beams just don't cut it on those sort of spans mate. You could use the 750 Apollo X beams, they do the same job but it's a pain in the arse trying to get your stringers underneath and the plan bracing through the middle. I do prefer the x beams though.

Not a chance the 450's would cope with that span - unless a 'pool' mid span was specified :laugh:
I take on board your comments about stringers & plan bracing :cool:




I managed to flog the last of my unit beams of to an unsuspecting customer. Never been so glad to see the back of them. Theres not many jobs the new beams can't handle, although the design engineer always asks for the diamond beams especially since the tg20 thing.


I reckon a lot are getting scrapped in favour of the alloy (unless it's a regional thing?) - interested why TG20 would affect beam specification by your engineer though? - self weight of scaffold & beam structural properties haven't changed in that respect....
 
Alloy Beams are a God send and just in time to comply with the Manual Handling Regs---however, is there a case for a more rigorous inspection regime when ferrous and non-ferrous components are interfaced ???.

I have noticed ( Offshore Environment "Salt Damp Air" ) that electro-sis is accelerated and may have an adverse effect on the wall thickness of the Alloy Tube if in extended Periods of Srevice...nevertheless, I would not like to go back to 15 rounds with a Steel Beam :cry:
 
Not a chance the 450's would cope with that span - unless a 'pool' mid span was specified :laugh:
I take on board your comments about stringers & plan bracing :cool:







I reckon a lot are getting scrapped in favour of the alloy (unless it's a regional thing?) - interested why TG20 would affect beam specification by your engineer though? - self weight of scaffold & beam structural properties haven't changed in that respect....

We did a design job for tempory public walkway over a canal a couple of years back, the calcs had to show 4kn which was easily achievable with our existing alloy beams, I was asked to price a simillar walkway a couple of weeks ago and the engineer said to acheive the same figures it would be easier to use the diamond beams. I took it for granted it was tg20 but maybe he was looking for an easy life. Have a squint at the aom rant as we never got the job and the cost of producing new drawings and calcs blew us out the water, their eventuall answer was to join crane jibs together. Bet they haven't got 4kn calcs for that.
 
I have just completed my first week on Part 2 course and we did a beam job using the Lahyer 450 beams. First time I had ever used a unit beam.
 
Haven't used proper Unit Beams inMany a year. did a 19m span with 4 lifts on top of it on the Holiday Inn at Stockwell St. Glasgow off Cantilevered ladder beams each side about 10 years ago, an used them for ledgers on the Hanger for Glasgow's Central station glass roof around a year later.

Back then it was more build it then get the drawing ROFL
 
I remember when 21' steel ladder beams were in vogue :push:

if i come across one now I would cut it up and weigh the fecker in :idea:
 
Podger

Aye, Paddy Mcginty Steel Ladder Beams---we must have been crazy handling them feckers---hey but wait a minuet Scaffs are supposed to be feckin crazy eh :nuts:---erected a walk way between two vessels at Mobil St Fergus Deborah Grayson, with 2 x 21 ft Ladder beams spliced with an 8 ft tube...:eek:
 
From what i remember unit beams could span further but ladder beams can project further while still carrying a load

Deborah Grayston LOL, wit century was that Garry, might as well have said Stephens an Carter Hee Hee
 
Haven't used proper Unit Beams inMany a year. did a 19m span with 4 lifts on top of it on the Holiday Inn at Stockwell St. Glasgow off Cantilevered ladder beams each side about 10 years ago, an used them for ledgers on the Hanger for Glasgow's Central station glass roof around a year later.

Back then it was more build it then get the drawing ROFL


Central Station? - the job where there was a massive matt hung from the trusses?

I worked on that too - gave me first taste of Glasgow life :D
 
Aye but it wisnae you pulling 36 ft of unit beam up on a block an tackle solo on a sunday mornin LOL, feckin John Jack sittin on a Girder shoutin "up 2 mill"
 
Aye but it wisnae you pulling 36 ft of unit beam up on a block an tackle solo on a sunday mornin LOL, feckin John Jack sittin on a Girder shoutin "up 2 mill"

No it wasn't :toung:

PMSL at you metioning John Jack though! :laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
Stef

Nae, I didni pull it up---I had to go to the Haven Bar at St Fergus to level it in wi the eye---the feckin thing wiz aff the level, yi could see it for miles LOLoooo:nuts:
 
I my brother scaffs, ower the other side of Hadrians wall, that daft roman bloke should have built it lower down.

llike 'Allround' not 'Layher' but all round our island ,Hadrian must have been on a job 'n' knock, then we would all be grafting, T&F, and not trying to get the EU *****, regs in.

Making our guys do a apprenticeship on system, instead of promoting the knowledge that could be lost, re T&F.

Stef, bunk ower marra, am pissed as well, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 
Done a 15mx18m matt over the water between 2 piers last year,with unit beams,forgot how heavy they are when dragging a end with a rope attached to it,not great to work with due to there weight,but solid as a rock,alloy beams are tops now..
 
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