Incorporating Steel Spreader Beams into Propping Design – Sydney

Problem 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.