While cranes and hoists take the spotlight, beam clamps deserve just as much attention. A beam clamp allows you to create an anchor point on a steel beam, eliminating the need for a permanent eye installation or gantry system, making them ideal for temporary fixes. Choosing the right clamps affects the safety and efficiency of structural engineers and site supervisors.
There are two major types of beam clamps in the UK: girder clamps and fixed beam trolleys or clamps. Girder clamps are designed for temporary lifts while fixed clamps offer support for monorails or point loads. Girder clamps come in screw-adjustable or spring-loaded which allows them to be secured on different widths. Flange width is very important to avoid uneven distribution of load and to prevent deformation of the beam under load.
Working load limitations are critical and should never be viewed as just a maximum number on a checklist. Manufacturers set beam clamps for a specific safe working load given a specific pulling angle, which is usually vertical. As soon as a sling or chain is rigged at an angle, the effective load on the clamp increases, sometimes significantly, regardless of whether the weight being lifted changes. All users specifying beam clamps on-site need to appreciate this phenomenon and configure the rigging to exert a force as close to vertical as possible, or choose clamps that are rated for the working load at the given angle.
Like chain blocks, wire ropes, and other lifting accessories, beam clamps are subjected to inspection and thorough examination requirements under LOLER. Beam clamps can more frequently be dropped or modified because they are used as loose tools. An inspection should be performed on a clamp to check the condition of the jaws, the integrity of the locking mechanism, any wear on the load pin, and that the identification tag or the marking of the safe working load is still properly visible. If the clamp fails an inspection or cannot be documented, the clamp should be readily withdrawn from service rather than being risked on a live lift.
When picking out a beam clamp, one must also consider the overall lifting plan instead of the one specific component. The clamp is but one element in a sequence involving the beam, the fixings, or welds that secure that beam, the sling, the hoist, and the load. The host beam engineer needs to confirm that the host beam can accept the point load applied, especially in older buildings where the initial design loadings did not consider a lifting point addition. This happens a lot in converted warehouses and manufacturing facilities with older repurposed steel frames, especially in buildings with significant alterations to the original design.
For more permanent setups, businesses that frequently lift loads from the same beams tend to find it more economical (over time) to have a dedicated fixed point installed, be it a lifting eye or a monorail trolley or a small gantry, than to have to keep rigging and de-rigging a temporary clamp. However, temporary clamps have their place, especially for one-off installations, maintenance lifts, or instances when the lift point needs to be mobile along the beam. Because of the safety-critical nature of this decision, working with a supplier who can best advise the appropriate type, rating, and inspection schedule for your specific application takes a lot of the guesswork away.