Safety When Installing A Foundationless Jib Crane - Cisco-Eagle

25, Aug. 2025

 

Safety When Installing A Foundationless Jib Crane - Cisco-Eagle

You want to move heavy loads safely and effectively while also keeping your solution economical and efficient. Consider the Jib Crane, and effective tool in your warehouse arsenal that will hold its own and can interface with a wide variety of workstations and functions.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website.

Foundationless Jib cranes offer versatility and economic savings, as they are bolted directly to an existing concrete floor and don’t require a concrete foundation. Using the existing floor means that you don’t need to install a costly special foundation, plus you can install and use the system sooner because you don’t need to wait for concrete to cure. Existing floor use also makes sense for smaller capacity and shorter span jib cranes. With that said, there are multiple concrete considerations before you install a foundationless jib crane. The key, is your installation.

With two foundationless Jib Crane choices (base plate mount and sleeve insert), you have the options you need to add this handy machinery to your warehouse. But what do you need to consider before installation?

Below are some questions to ask before you make a purchase

Can my floor handle the load?

Concrete is very brittle and has virtually no strength when loaded in tension, so great care must be taken to keep workers safe before bolting any crane to a concrete floor. Concrete, when overloaded, can crack and catastrophically break, which can result in dropped loads or, worse, the crane falling over. Before a foundationless jib crane is chosen, calculations must be performed to ensure that the existing concrete floor can safely handle the crane’s rated capacity. These calculations ensure that your workers are safe from catastrophic concrete failures.

Is a second opinion needed?

Does the crane manufacturer’s sales literature state that the “customer is responsible for determining concrete strength”? If that’s the case, you will need to hire a local structural engineer to perform all the calculations required to determine if your existing concrete fulfills all the safety requirements of the International Building Code (IBC).

Are the specs correct?

There are multiple factors regarding the installation of your jib crane that will require referencing the manufacturer’s specifications. They include:

  • Minimum requirements – Has the crane manufacturer specified the minimum steel reinforcement thickness, diameter, and spacing required to keep your workers safe? Concrete requires a minimum amount of steel to strengthen the concrete and keep it safe from catastrophic breaking during use. Not supplying enough steel reinforcement or using a thin, wire mesh can lead to a sudden and complete failure of the concrete. If the steel sizes are not specified, it is most likely because you are responsible for performing the proper calculations to determine the safe amount of steel required to keep your workers safe.
  • Reinforcement locations – Has the crane manufacturer specified the proper steel reinforcement location and elevation required to strengthen the concrete properly and keep your workers safe?
  • Amount of concrete space needed – Is there a listed the minimum length, width, and square footage of concrete required to keep your workers safe? Cranes require a proper amount of concrete counterweight to stay safe and stable during use. Not supplying enough counterweight can lead to an unsafe and unstable condition.
  • Distance from cracks and/or seams – Is the minimum distance the crane can be installed from a crack or concrete seam been identified by the manufacturer? The closer a crane is mounted to a seam or crack, the weaker the concrete. The minimum safe distance must be specified in all cases to keep workers safe.
  • Bolt strength – Has the crane manufacturer specified the minimum bolt pull-out strength? This must be listed to ensure the safety of your installation.

Finally, if in doubt, ask the foundationless jib crane manufacturer if they have the calculations performed to the International Building Code that proves the safety of the concrete floor they suggest.

See Also:

  • Specifying a Jib Crane
  • Safety and Cranes: What You Need to Know
  • See all jib cranes

Tags: warehousing, Manufacturing, industrial safety, warehouse, Safety & Ergonomics, cranes, jib crane

Evan Fleishacker

6 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE PURCHASING A SIGN TRUCK

6 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE PURCHASING A SIGN TRUCK

In the early days of modern signmaking, installers would use ropes, pulley systems, lifts, and ladders to accomplish various aerial jobs. However, over the years, the use of sign trucks has made it easier for industry operators to take their sign businesses to great heights. These machines are both mobile and versatile, and have made it easier for installers to work seamlessly—even in hard-to-reach areas.

Buying a sign truck is a significant investment that requires a great deal of thought.

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Whether a company is looking to enhance the reach of its installation business or expand its overall services, here are seven factors for sign shop owners/managers to consider before making a purchase.

1. Aerial needs

If a 60 foot boom reach does most of your work and you feel it will meet your needs then that’s great. Stick with the 60’ foot reach boom. However, if you spend $25,000 a year renting cranes to compensate for the lack of an 85’ foot reach boom then it would make sense to buy the 85’ foot boom and get rid of your rental costs. Your monthly payment would be half as much.

2. Ease of operation

K.I.S.S. Many of us have heard this acronym once or twice in our lifetime I’m sure. Keep it simple stupid. Many manufacturers try to engineer and design things to be super modern, however, in our line of work it’s always best to stick to the basics. Stability, reliability, and smooth operation are of the three most important aspects when looking for ease of operation. Don’t get fooled by gimmicks. Simple and easy to use controls and baskets that can be rotated into place without jerking are extremely critical to feel safe at 85’ feet in the air.

3. Helpful attachments

A sign truck is a like a little Swiss army knife. You use different attachments to save you time and money. On some sign trucks you could add a digger derrick. This can alleviate the need for a second truck or waiting on a contractor. Some sign trucks come with a main winch. This eliminates a second truck and now you can set your pylons. Some even have jib winches which will allow your installer to stay positioned and raise his channel letter or anything else he is installing.

4. Safety features

I have listened to many of the old timers in the sign industry share their life and death stories with me. I remember one man told me how me managed to hang 80’ feet over the street with no safety harness and successfully installed a sign. Well, times have indeed changed. Safety features are everywhere today. Sign trucks come in various lengths so that you can meet the demands of the job safely. Nowadays, if your outriggers aren’t properly extended, the crane won’t even operate. Outriggers keep your vehicle rock solid and balanced so that when you’re 85’ feet in the air installing a sign, you have a sense of security which will allow you or your crew to operate in confidence. You can’t even drive off with your boom not stowed properly which I find incredibly valuable.

5. Chassis design

Your sign truck has to be mounted to a chassis. A chassis is an integral and important part of your sign truck. Some dealers offer one stop shopping that takes the guess work and worry out of purchasing the proper truck for your particular needs. If not, I would definitely recommend you ask your boom truck dealer before just buying a chassis from a dealership. Most of the time they have little or no experience building what you are asking for. Locating an industry professional will save you mounds of time and money.

6. Transmissions

The three most important things about buying real estate is location, location, location. Well, the same principle works for sign trucks and transmissions. Automatic, automatic, automatic. Whether you’re putting together a truck with a 19,500 gvwr or one with an 88,000 lb svwr, always go with an automatic transmission. With the advent of automated transmissions, almost 95% of boom trucks we sell come equipped with them. This option will save maintenance, driver fatigue, accidents, and down time. For the one purchasing a sign truck, this will save them a lot of money.

Bottom line

If you are in the market to purchase a new sign truck, it’s critical that you take your needs to a dealership that has industry specific knowledge. A dealership that knows how to ask the right questions to equip them with the proper answers that will ultimately aid the sales team in guiding you to the perfect truck. I have spent over 20 years serving the boom truck industry and I can promise you, if you follow these 6 factors when buying a sign truck you will have a great chance of making the correct choice.

Jeff Stutt

Jeff Stuff has accumulated over 29 years of industry related business experience.  He has built cranes , repaired cranes, and has even driven trucks across North America.  Jeff worked in new and used truck sales and then transitioned 19 years ago into the boom truck industry. Along the way he has earned his PHD in helping companies find the best solutions for delivering and unloading their products.  

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