Temporary Works
Incorporating Steel Spreader Beams into Propping Design – Sydney
The Project
Shore Hire designed and installed a specialised propping solution incorporating steel spreader beams and pre-loaded hydraulic jacks to support a school pylon during footing replacement in Sydney.
Summary
With live wires, limited access and 2 tonnes of steel to transport without machinery, Shore Hire's team hand-delivered all steel on dollies and engineered a solution using Shore 400 Modular Props, Aluminium Tilt Prop braces and steel spreader beams to support the building above while the existing column was removed. Pre-loaded hydraulic jacks matched the column's load to eliminate deflection during the transfer, and spreader beams ensured the propping system remained stable during a 2-metre excavation below the surface for the new footing installation.
Challenge
A local school contacted Shore Hire to design a propping solution to support a pylon which would be compromised during a footing replacement which needed to take place. This unique job involved working around an active work site with live wires, as well as limited access.
Furthermore, the weight of the required steel for propping was 2 tonnes, and the access to the site didn’t allow for machinery to be used for transportation meaning alternative methods needed to be utilised.
Solution
For this project, Shore Hire designed, engineered, and installed a solution made up of specialised Shore 400 Modular Props and Aluminium Tilt Prop braces, as well as temporary steel, to hold up the building during the replacement of the footing.
To address the limited access and the need for human-powered transportation, the steel was brought in on dollies by our team of installers. Shore Hire’s engineering team designed a system that enabled the removal of the existing column and support of the building above, also ensuring there was no deflection when the load was transferred to the temporary propping system.
Steel spreader beams were used to give the client access to install the new footing and ensured that when they excavated 2m below the surface the propping system wasn’t undermined.
Hydraulic jacks were used on top of the props and pre-loaded to the same kN that the column was supporting, this was done to reduce any deflection while the old column was removed.
The propping of the pylon at the school was a challenging project that required careful planning, coordination, and specialised equipment. By working with Shore Hire, the school was able to overcome the obstacles posed by limited access, live wires, and a heavy steel requirement and get the job done effectively and safely.