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Crane Hire for installation advice
Putting a quote together for a client at the moment, and they’ve advised that we’ll need a crane to lift the sign to the roof of the building, there’s access to the roof for fitters, but not large enough for the sign.
Having never come across this before, any tips on what I should be looking out for, and what questions to ask crane hire companies?
It’s a big job to bugger up 😮
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11 Replies
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Personally I would sub this out to someone who deals with this type of thing… Find an installations company and get them to do it. This way it’s not your headache if something goes wrong…
IMagine your up in the crane and something goes terribly wrong?
Put the whole of the installation out to someone including the hiring of the crane
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What type of sign is it? What is the material? We always use a truck mounted cherry picker they come in many sizes and the bigger ones can hold 2 fitters, driver , tools and the sign. Obviously when we do a large pan or lots of letters we have to go up and down several times.
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2 big led illuminated flex face sign, about 4x2m
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Remember wind load etc can get a lot higher on roofs, ensure what your fitting & even the fittings you are using are up to the job. Re the crane most decent crane companies will do the survey for you because they have to do risk assessment themselves re loading on floor subject to size crane & height you are going.
How big is the roof access could you make the sign in 1mtr x 2mtr bite size junks & reassemble on roof etc
Kev
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I’m going off what the client informed me, site survey will be next week (or is that this week??)
It’s to be afixed to the lift shaft gear hut on the roof, so hopefully the installation is straight forward, once its up there.
Any suggestions on a compatlny who are used to this kind of job?
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David when you are there look at the width of road etc because although the weight you want to lift could be very little the size crane needed can be massive to achieve the height & then you get in to planning to close roads, crane companies have to do risk assessments re weight loading on road surface where drains are located and any other buildings that may be affected may also need a lifting frame for the sign as well which would probably need to be custom made. Can get in to serious £££’s just in the quotation stages. I would seriously be looking at if the casing can be modular & assembled on the roof then just stretch you flex face on to it
Kev
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Hi David
Im with Kev on this one get it up there in modules, I even project managed a job once like this in central Nairobi and cranes were impossible we ended up taking the kit up to the roof in pieces, literally pieces of extrusion and built the box on the roof. -
Just been to site… modular isn’t an option as it was a squeeze for us to fit through the hatch, we’re also going to need a scaffolding structure, as the sign’s elevated on the rooftop structure, and we don’t want the fitters falling from the roof.
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If you contact a crane hire company they should send out someone to survey the site and they will advise on what machine will be suitable
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Actually had a meeting on site this morning with a crane hire company.
I need a ‘contract lift’ not ‘crane hire’ unless I am going to conduct the surveys/risk assessment, and have my insurance cover the lift, and provide the staff to direct the crane operator during the lift. Not something I would take on.
Typical trades people, I’ve contacted a number of companies, with one meeting me within 24hours, and the other in a weeks time from the enquiry. Contacted a number of scaffolding companies, and had similar results there. :banghead:
I’m taking on more of a ‘project manager’ role, and I’m hoping we get the order, as I get the feeling the previous company didn’t want to deal with the logistics.
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David
that’s right but be sure to check your own insurance because if things go wrong even though its a contract lift you as the contractor can become liable. I have a friend who was in cranes in a big way I will ask him about any pitfulls to watch out for. I know of a company who where chased by a big energy company for costs after a contract lift of steel beams in to a house took out power cables. When the energy company approached the Crane Company their answer was we was contracted by them. It eventually comes down to who has the deepest pockets & the best solicitors.Don’t mean too scare just make aware
Kev
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