Shop addition

I'm thinking about adding onto my tractor repair shop and I would like your opinion. I'm thinking about adding a white steel building trimmed with red, maybe a red roof and red wainscoating. I'm also thinking about installing a bridge crane system. I want to make things easier, more comfortable and have a safe place to work as I enjoy retirement. Thanks for your input.

I like IH, but that is too gaudy for me. Mine is white with brown trim. I had Cleary put up a 30x60 pole barn for me in 2006, had the same thing done in 2000, but I moved. $34,900 including concrete. Split into 2 30X30's. One I insulated and heated as a work area (not included in initial price); the other 30x30 has 7 tractors in it. 40x80 would be much better, but I would probably fill it too. Permanent hoist of some sort would be nice, not sure the 2x10 trusses would support it. I get by with an engine hoist, barely. I'm sure you know, but what you want to do as far as working on tractors is VERY expensive, unless you are doing it for others. I have been doing it for 8 years, after retiring in 2001, budget currently in negative territory, not unusual.

My barn was built prior to the Revolutionary War. Nearly every space on three floors has some sort of overhead crane. I installed them all. Main shop in the cellar has two ea 2-ton air powered bridge cranes with 16ft of clearance. Another space has a 8000 lb forklift mast bolted to a butressed concrete wall. Another space has a 1-ton Jib crane with an eight foot radius and 16ft clearance. There are four trolleys running on separate 6" I-beams. There is a three floor dumb waiter. Been thinking about a handicapped elevator between the third and fourth floors. I own it but haven't installed it yet.

Despite all these improvements, I actually prefer working outside with my Hyster as a lift. I can see better and feel safer. It's hard to drop stuff on your head or toes when operating the forklift. No, I have had no personal injuries with my cranes but I have dropped stuff.

Even as I say this, I, too, am building 30'x40' addition equipped with a Shaw-Box 5 ton bridge crane. I've had it stored outside for fifteen years and it is probably junk by now. I can scarcely see it in the summer time.

But go ahead with your plans. Have an engineer look at your ideas or buy something pre-engineered all the way down to the footings. Most of my overhead lifting capacity was purchased at auction and engineered approved prior to installation.

Make sure your building it properly designed to handle a bridge crane. The welding and design to hold one up safely is not for amateurs.

Ben
Structural EIT (Engineer in training)