Removing pre-cast concrete lintels: Techniques?
Discussion
So, I have a 7' lintel to remove, that's about 9" tall and 7" thick complete with rebar. It's sitting on top of a block wall, above an opening that used to contain a window.
There is nothing above the lintel now.
It's about 6' off the ground and looks like it weighs a bit, and appears indestructible, so it needs to be lowered out of place, but there is no room for a genie lift or similar.
So anyone have any ideas? My best idea is to jury rig some scaffold and lower it in a series of stages using clamps as 'stops' - but is there a better way?
There is nothing above the lintel now.
It's about 6' off the ground and looks like it weighs a bit, and appears indestructible, so it needs to be lowered out of place, but there is no room for a genie lift or similar.
So anyone have any ideas? My best idea is to jury rig some scaffold and lower it in a series of stages using clamps as 'stops' - but is there a better way?
sherman said:
and as said before run in the opposite direction after hitting it.Globs said:
looks like it weighs a bit
Near as dammit 4 hundredweight if your dims are correct.Scaffold board cut to length underneath. Prop with acrows and secure the acrows in a line with a scaff tube. scaff tubes either side of reveals and secure to centre rail. Now knock it apart in place.
MOTORVATOR said:
Near as dammit 4 hundredweight if your dims are correct.
Scaffold board cut to length underneath. Prop with acrows and secure the acrows in a line with a scaff tube. scaff tubes either side of reveals and secure to centre rail. Now knock it apart in place.
Ahhhh thats only 200KGs!! I say give gravity a hand with a large hammer and when it drops just smash it up in place, they do break up fairly easily.... (you may want a pair of steelys though Scaffold board cut to length underneath. Prop with acrows and secure the acrows in a line with a scaff tube. scaff tubes either side of reveals and secure to centre rail. Now knock it apart in place.
)Do you know anyone with a garage? You could consider asking to borrow a gearbox jack. That way you could lift it enough to manouvre it out from the wall, then lower it to a more managable height??
One of these.
http://www.toolsandpowertools.co.uk/product/transm...
One of these.
http://www.toolsandpowertools.co.uk/product/transm...
dudleybloke said:
use a shaped charge.
I did consider this, but as I'm a bit inexperienced with the stuff I thought it might not do the trick.I think the solution will involve scaffold - I have access to some that seems about right, I need to get it away from the wall and down to ground level as it's a bit out of reach to whack (and a go with an 11kg Bosch-Hammer didn't seem to have it's usual effect).
Don't have a gearbox jack, but I do have a strut compressor.. maybe I can build scaffold underneath (where the window was) braced so it doesn't tip, then lift it onto this (with the jack) to bring it away from the wall, and then lower the rails it sits on by alternately moving collars down in steps.
An alternate is to use scaffold boards secured on scaffold at an angle, get it onto that and then slide it down. Maybe a bit easier and safer as once the scaffold is fixed and braced it stays fixed - this is currently the favourite. I might have a few blocks crewed in if I do this though in case it slides too much!
Once at ground level I can drag it somewhere better!
wolf1 said:
Use a disc cutter and chop the lintel in situ but don't cut all the way through. Place the scaffolding boards etc under it and them finish the job giving it a big old whack with a sledge. The bits will now be small enough to man handle out without damaging you or anything else.
I might end up grinding it into chunks except I have two issues with grinders:1) My 9" Makita doesn't have a very deep cut and creates masses of dust everywhere.
2) A 12" grinder with water feed is superb, but I put my back out last time starting one.
So I'd prefer if possible to get it onto the lawn where I can beat the crap out of it with a lump hammer, or drag it to the drive so my local farmer can scoop it up in a JCB bucket.
BTW I have a list of lintels I need to get rid of:
Upper floor:
7ft - 1 off
5ft - 2 off
Ground floor
8ft - 1 off
4ft (unless combined) - 4 off
but the main 'lintel of terror' is 7' one upstairs.. also it's the only one ready to come out right now as there nowt on top of it and the window underneath is gone.
Well I got the Lintel of Terror mostly out this evening. Three sets of scaffold, the in-wall ones braced side to side, the middle two just as supports and the end two hooked onto the joists above to the whole thing is rigid. Glad I have a lot of scaffold lying about at the moment + all conceivable fittings
Levered the lintel partly up out of the wall by lifting the poles into place, then pulled out onto the main scaffold tubes and descending by a series of collars. When it's down I think I may grind this into two or three bits which should make it light enough to slide out the window or something.
henrycrun said:
Congratulations !
Cheers! Got it on the deck today, cut it into three manageable bits with a bosch-hammer (to whittle the concrete down to find the steel), an angle grinder to cut the steel, and a lump hammer to crack it at the end. Much happier now, a small one of 5' for tomorrow.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff