View Full Version : Can an engine crane do this? (rip concrete out of the ground)
So I have a basketball goal I need to tear out the ground, its a big one the piece of concrete is about 16" diamer 45"s in the ground. About 800 pounds worth. A jackhammer works fine on old small ones but going 45 inches into a 16" hole would just plain suck. So Im wondering if a 2 ton engine crane would be able to do this? Its under the weight capacity and has 93 inches of travel so thats enough to lift it out. I would be grabbing it by the anchor thats in the concrete, there are 4 1/2 16" j bolts that stick out of the slab about 2 inches so I could make a plate to attach to those and hook it with the crane. Just wondering if anyone sees a problem with this, seems like it would work but I have never used an engine crane for anything other than lifting engines
thanks
i would say yes, but you'll have to see at what point the lift is rated for 2 tons, i.e. the farther you extend the boom, the lower the capacity of the lift. you really dont want it to fail with 800 pounds on it. for comparison, a big block motor weighs around 750 pounds decked out (dont they?) and a diesel is heavier yet, and a lift will move them. if that doesnt work for whatever reason, call a wrecker. when i was towin, we would do stuff like that for the price of a tow most ofthe time, 40 bucks or so, then again your in nova...so, get out the lube...
ChiScouter
10-07-2006, 03:28 PM
Ive lifted alot of goofy shit with mine, and based on what I have done Id say yes with some prep. Threre will be a lot of dirt and friction holding it in until you break it free, so you will need a lot of lifting capacity.
First I would chock up the boom as short as possible, Get the cable or chain so it is hanging about a foot or 18 inches away from the ram, this will give you added strength and lessen the chance of bending the boom. I would use some sort of cribbing so that the hoist is sitting level and not on the wheels with the weight spread out over as large an area as possible. Use that setup to break it free from the ground and lift till the jack maxes out. Then I would let the slab as far back down the hole as it wants to go, maybe shove a couple of 2x4's down the hole before you let it back down so it doesn't go so far and possibly get stuck. Then I would re rig the hoist to the regular configuration and lift the slab and roll it away
Azzy2000
10-07-2006, 03:33 PM
The weight wont be a problem if youre using a good engine hoist.. i just unloaded a ~1,500 LB. lathe last weekend with mine , no problems. Like the others said , make sure the extension is in the correct position for the wieght you are lifting.
Also.. with something like this.. it might take much more power than you think to pull this out so be very careful.. wrap the chains and rigging with a thick blanket or leather welders coat with a bungee around it just in case something lets loose and the chain goes flying.
I havent bought the lift yet but Im sure 2 tons is boomed in all the way. Wrecker is a good idea I never thought of that. Even if they charged 100 dollars that would be fine. Whats the lifting range of a small wrecker? Would it be able to lift it high enought to get it into my truck?
I like the wrecker idea and while im on the subject anyone have any ideas for ripping out slabs that dont have the j bolts in them? Usually if they dont have the jbolts its an older one that is prolly only 300-500 pounds of concrete. Those are the kinda that are just a pole stuck in concrete and there usually old and rust and I wouldent really trust lifting them by the pole over customers driveways. So theres no good way to grab them, I knows theres lag shields and other expanding anchors that I could drill a hole into it with and stick something in but I dont know what kinda of weight those are rated for.
Roughshod
10-07-2006, 04:10 PM
I knows theres lag shields and other expanding anchors that I could drill a hole into it with and stick something in but I dont know what kinda of weight those are rated for.
Next time you're at the hardware store just look at them, they all have their ratings printed right on the box.
threadkiller
10-07-2006, 07:31 PM
On paper, your hoist will lift the concrete. In reality, you'll break something before the concrete gives.
I've had the front of my tractor off the ground just from pulling T-posts. To put that in perspective, the hitch can pick up 1800 pounds without making the front end come off the ground.
300sniper
10-07-2006, 09:00 PM
On paper, your hoist will lift the concrete. In reality, you'll break something before the concrete gives.
I've had the front of my tractor off the ground just from pulling T-posts. To put that in perspective, the hitch can pick up 1800 pounds without making the front end come off the ground.
i gotta agree with you. lifting the concrete with the engine lift will be no problem. plucking it from the ground will be. especially if it is 16" diameter and 45" in the ground. i will almost guarantee some thing will break before it comes out unless you dig all around it first.
Azzy2000
10-07-2006, 09:05 PM
Just reread this... i was under the assumption you had dug out around the base... So.. yeah , that hoist might not work too well for you. Youre going to need to dig around it.. get it freed up a bit first.
ya i figure it figure it will have some drag to it, I do like the wrecler idea. I need to find someone local.
as far as digging around it, would a wrecker be able to do it without digging around it?
Azzy2000
10-07-2006, 09:49 PM
Maybe... but id stay the hell away from it unless it is sliding out pretty easy...
I know its not relevant... but why would you need a 16" wide 45" deep base for a basketball goal??? Seems like way overkill to me :confused:
Its called the Goalrilla its pretty heavy duty, lots of thick steel, and a real heavy backboard. Its pretty much what you would have in a gym or proffesional game. I put in plenty of the smaller ones to those only take about 4 bags of concrete though. Northern VA has plenty of rich folks who will drop a grand on a basketball goal than another 400 or so to get it installed.
randii
10-07-2006, 10:22 PM
Soak the hell out of the soil first to make it easier to pull loose. That's gonna be a bear, and I'd bet against the crane having the balls to break it loose.
Do you really need to pull the whole thing, or can you just demo the top foot with chisel, sledge, grinder, etc.?
Randii
rusted
10-07-2006, 10:39 PM
I don't think the crane can break it loose. Soaking the soil is a great idea, after you do that you could just bump it with your truck a couple of times to loosen it up. If you don't need to keep the goal you could definitely break it loose with some type of tough/expendable vehicle. Then you might have a chance.
The guy who took out my fenceposts with a backhoe moved the backhoe around doing it. It was a small Ford, but it was still a big piece of equipment much heavier than a car or 1/2ton truck.
Do you really need to pull the whole thing, or can you just demo the top foot with chisel, sledge, grinder, etc.?
Randii
I wish the 2 I have going on right now I already proposed jackhammering it below grade and putting the new one to one side or the other but one of them it dead center in there driveway and thats were they want the new one directly were the old one is and the other one has underground utilities to close to move it. Also both of these are scewups and were only poured about 5 days ago so they havent been in the ground for years. Luckilly I dident screw up, 1 of them the store gave me an anchor for one other than what they bought and the price difference was to much so there paying for it to be ripped out. The other one the customers wife told me to put it parallel to the driveway and the husband wanted it in line with the house and theres about a 25-30 degree difference in the 2 lines so he is paying me to redo it. The old ones are easy, have the time I can put a tow strap around them and pull it out with my truck.
Pavemen
10-07-2006, 11:24 PM
cut the existing one off 12" off the ground and weld on the new post at the proper rotation.
soaking the ground might help, but i think that it would fill all the voids in the soil and cause increased resistance and suction.
you probably need to jack hammer out the surrounding top and then rock the pole back and forth, but its most likely just going to bend the post where it enters the concrete. you could cut it off a few feet up and pour concrete up it and let it cure to help keep it from bending though.
I would be more than happy to cut and weld but it is 4x4 square. This setup isnt a pole stuck in concrete either its 4 jbolts on a 9x9 square pattern. If your curious click here http://www.basketballgoalstore.com/go/goal-installation-instructions theres a link a to pdf file with some photo instructions.
What have you got to lose? :flipoff2:
Why can't you just connect your winch to the top of it and winch it over?
Azzy2000
10-07-2006, 11:47 PM
This...
Azzy2000
10-07-2006, 11:50 PM
That should do it.. :evil:
thanks guys I run these pics by the homeowner
78bronco460
10-08-2006, 12:51 AM
A backhoe would be the right tool for the job.
braxton357
10-08-2006, 03:00 AM
I had the same problem. Full basketball court with two goals deep in the ground. Tow strap+low range=no more goals and new shop... :D
Travis Waldher
10-08-2006, 07:51 AM
I've actually used my rigs winch to do stuff like that before.
Never quiet that deep, but if you got a rig with a winch, may be worth a try. I just pulled up and put the winch right over the cement block and pulled straight up.
I have a bobcat that could probobly do it but it has tracks and would prolly damage there driveway. As far as the winch idea if anyone in near northern va has one and can do it I will be glad to pay you.
a light duty wrecker with an extendable boom will absolutely do it. extended the tip is probably 10 feet high. and theres probably dual 8000 pound winches...it will pull it. as for the water idea, id say thats a no go, it will make mud, as we all know from recovery's mud creates suction, and more resistance. just find a good wrecker company and let the guy have fun. :cool2:
BurnedBronco
10-08-2006, 03:56 PM
a medium to HD wrecker can pluck it out in under 10 minutes and set it where you want it. probably will cost you about $125 though. our truck boom extends 15' past the rear of the truck, and i can get the boom 18' in the air. dual 30 k winches and outriggers on the back will lift it right out;.
nissancrawler
10-08-2006, 07:26 PM
I've used this method several times. It worked to pull out a 3' diam chunk of concrete that tapered down to 3.5' deep with a little nissan.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f56/chevyman_57/pull.jpg
put a small piece of concrete in the ground (angled-I couldn't draw it that way) and put a 4x4 on it, and run a chain across and to your vehicle. If the post wants to lean over, use 2, hold them together near the top with a small chain and do it.
TLCObsession
10-10-2006, 04:24 PM
I had 2 laundry posts in my yard. The former owner worked at GP and did some wierd stuff unless it came to plumbing or stainless.
We wanted the posts out. I dug....and dug and dug Until I realized that the cement anchoring these posts was about the size of your average trash can as supplied by the trash haulers here: 34" diameter and went down about 40+ inches. I rented a jackhammer, and chipped away at it, but barely made a dent.
In the end, I used as Sawzall to cut the posts off (5" diametr5/16" wall thickness) and broke the concrete down about 12" below grade and called it good. I tried double lining my winch over the top of a railroad tie as shown above, and it did not budge.
Its now buried and I hope I never need to get it out - If I do, a mid sized excavator will be well worth it!
driver351
10-11-2006, 01:23 AM
this is my ghetto contraption for lifting things around the farm. just slides into the front reciever and chain it on.
http://www.ccr4x4.com/Xphotos/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=390&g2_serialNumber=2
ive used it to lift up the the back of a truck befor, not to sure how it would do hoisting concrete out of the ground.
desertsport
10-11-2006, 01:42 AM
this is my ghetto contraption for lifting things around the farm. just slides into the front reciever and chain it on.
http://www.ccr4x4.com/Xphotos/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=390&g2_serialNumber=2
ive used it to lift up the the back of a truck befor, not to sure how it would do hoisting concrete out of the ground.
I dont think that would work at all.
Dude...
grab a shovel to start digging and stop yapping on the internet :p
Get the thing broken free and then worry about getting it out of the hole. This is NOT rocket science :shaking:
hey belive me this would have been done a long time ago but when I told her I was going to get some labor to do it she freaked out. She dident want anyone but me or anyone from my company doing it. I would have been more than happy to rent a jackhammer and pay 2 spanish guys from the labor yard to do it.
hotwheelsYJ
10-11-2006, 08:20 PM
this is my ghetto contraption for lifting things around the farm. just slides into the front reciever and chain it on.
http://www.ccr4x4.com/Xphotos/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=390&g2_serialNumber=2
ive used it to lift up the the back of a truck befor, not to sure how it would do hoisting concrete out of the ground.
This would actually work very well as long as you had something braced under the front bumper/ hitch to keep from just bottoming out the suspension
driver351
10-12-2006, 01:57 AM
i think it would work good because you would be able to get a bit more hight out of it.
youd definately have to block the front end of the truck.
when i strip trucks i use it to lift everything. its imposible to use an engine crane in the dirt.
when i picked up the back of a 82 club cab long box dodge the front of the dak sqatted about 4-5 inches.
good luck with your removal.
glfredrick
10-12-2006, 07:06 AM
I've tried to pull stuff like that on several occaisions, like once when I had to pull all the piers for an old mobile home before digging for a basement...
I ended up using a large triangle device like the line drawing of Nissan Crawler above ^^^. That way you increase the leverage tons.
BTW, I broke the front end loader on the International 1466 that I was using, trying to get those piers out of the ground... It could lift the entire front end of a big block truck with no problem... :rolleyes:
Once I turned it around and used the home-built tripod the concrete just popped out of the ground. I made mine from some left-over heavy wall pipe, welded around another piece at the top in an "H" pattern so that I had a way of containing the chain I used. The bottom ends were anchored to the concrete with another chain to keep them from kicking out back toward the tractor. When I pulled, the entire thing came up. The pipes were around 10 feet high.
keenavv
10-12-2006, 10:33 AM
hey belive me this would have been done a long time ago but when I told her I was going to get some labor to do it she freaked out. She dident want anyone but me or anyone from my company doing it. I would have been more than happy to rent a jackhammer and pay 2 spanish guys from the labor yard to do it.
TIME TO GIVE HER THE SHOVEL!!!:shaking:
Urban Wheeler
10-13-2006, 08:13 PM
Get some rope and strap to the back of your truck, I'm sure you could put down some lines at the three point line for free. :flipoff2:
Paul Gagnon
10-15-2006, 11:38 AM
Dude...
grab a shovel to start digging and stop yapping on the internet :p
Get the thing broken free and then worry about getting it out of the hole. This is NOT rocket science :shaking:
x eleventy
Dude...
grab a shovel to start digging and stop yapping on the internet :p
Get the thing broken free and then worry about getting it out of the hole. This is NOT rocket science :shaking:
no, but it is fun to see what people have done in similar situations, heck, i might drop my truck off in a hole one day and have to make the triangle thing to get it out...:flipoff2:
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