×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

OSHA 3146 Guardrail System Question

OSHA 3146 Guardrail System Question

OSHA 3146 Guardrail System Question

(OP)
We have been asked to provide a cable guardrail system for a steel erector.  The system will be up only for the steel erection and floor construction and then it will be taken down.  My design will require fastening the cable to a clip angle at the columns and then to intermediate vertical members (angles welded to the bent plate at the edge of the floor slab).

What kind of connector should be used at the column.  Can the cable be tensioned accurately with a turnbuckle?

RE: OSHA 3146 Guardrail System Question

Yes.  A properly sized turnbuckle will work fine for this application.

RE: OSHA 3146 Guardrail System Question

Right, but you do not want the cables to be "tightened" so much that they have no flexibility.  

A cable that is "infinitely" tight cannot deflect outward and form the horizontal catenary that actually will support the man (the sideways load) who is leaning against the cable.   (Obviously, too loose and the cables cannot hold a person in against his falling forces - so there is a balance needed.) You want just a little bit of wiggle room over the length of the cable.

As a guard rail, the top cable needs to be 42" above deck level.   Check for a 4" toe board at the bottom also.

A handrail (at the stairs) needs to be also provided +36" above the nose of the steps, ending with a 12" horizontal extension at the top and bottom - for final access.  Don't know if that handrail extension is req'd for temporary construction stairrail though.

 

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources