Forklift on Elevated Slabs
Forklift on Elevated Slabs
(OP)
I am currently working on a project where most of the structure is made out of concrete. this Week i encountered a unforeseen problem. the EOR asked me submit the type of equipment that i was planning to use on the elevated slabs. i used a Forklift Caterpillar P5000 pneumatic on many occasions without any problems. but this type, the EOR told me that i was not allow to use this particular machine because it will exceed the Max Point Load of 3000 lbs.
this is some of the specs about the forklift:
* Front Wheel Axle with rate load = 11570 lbs.
* the tires contact area is 7.5" X 2.5"
* Stress will equal to 309 PSI per tire
i want to contest his response, but my question is the following? Do i use this force as i uniform distributed load or do assumed a point load?
**** thi is the response by the EOR:
"The garage levels are required to be design for 40 psf and a max point load of 3000 lb (see below code reference). This lift with a full load would exert a point load nearing 6000 lbs. So Therefore it is not acceptable to use this equipment."
Thanks,
Mauricio
this is some of the specs about the forklift:
* Front Wheel Axle with rate load = 11570 lbs.
* the tires contact area is 7.5" X 2.5"
* Stress will equal to 309 PSI per tire
i want to contest his response, but my question is the following? Do i use this force as i uniform distributed load or do assumed a point load?
**** thi is the response by the EOR:
"The garage levels are required to be design for 40 psf and a max point load of 3000 lb (see below code reference). This lift with a full load would exert a point load nearing 6000 lbs. So Therefore it is not acceptable to use this equipment."
Thanks,
Mauricio





RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
If you don't know how to do this you would probably need to hire a structural engineer to check the floor and provide the EOR with a report on the findings, and possibly share with the EOR the calculations to back it up.
The 3000 lb. load is probably a standard value based on the live load table from the IBC or whatever code is applicable. I don't know for sure but the EOR probably didn't do any significant calculations for the 3000 lb. point load so this may not really be the true limit.
I would ask the EOR whether another engineer's calculations would be acceptable if they showed that the wheel loads work.
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RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
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RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
i do agreed with all of you... having an outside engineer to do the moment and shear design calculations will be counterproductive! i know that EOR used table 1607.1 from the IBC to get this number of 3000 lbs and 40 psf. but i was thinking of this as a uniform load instead of a point load. please advise if my assertion is correct.
Thanks,
RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
Maybe you meant productive or don't know what counterproductive means. But you should hire another engineer to evaluate the forklift use. You and/or your boss should want maximum protection if he's going to run a forklift pver a floor that the EOR has prohibited this use of. You don't want that forklift damaging the building or killing someone.
RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
The garage floor was designed for 40 psf. It's a parking garage so they're not usually given much extra capacity. You would need 325 square feet of floor area to support your lift, assuming nothing else is within that area. I don't know what the framing plan looks like, but it's very possible that you don't even have a single member with 325 square feet of tributary area. You'd be taking the entire capacity of that member and placing it in one location, this would easily exceed the design load before even considering point loads.
I admit I'm making some very big assumptions here but it is a possible scenario depending on the framing plan.
RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
RE: Forklift on Elevated Slabs
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)