A lift for building a hall: step by step

Building a hall is one of the most common jobs for which a lift is rented: erecting the steel structure, sandwich panels, installations under the roof, lighting and ventilation. A well-chosen machine decides the pace and safety of the whole crew. Below we show, step by step, how to plan a lift for building a hall, so that the work goes smoothly and without costly downtime.

Step 1. Determine the working height

Start with the highest point you have to reach, usually the ridge, the roof girders or the top chord of the structure. Remember the +2 metres rule: a person works roughly two metres above the platform floor, so a lift with a working height of 12 m gives a platform height of about 10 m. Choose the machine for the real need with a small margin: oversizing is an unnecessary cost, and a machine that is too low blocks part of the work. More in the article on choosing the working height.

Step 2. Check the ground and the stage of construction

The key question: what ground will the machine work on? At an early stage, when there is no floor slab yet, the ground is often uneven, clayey or muddy, and you then need a rough terrain lift with 4×4 drive and self-levelling outriggers. When the hall already has a poured, hard-surfaced floor, a lighter lift suitable for work indoors will do. Also assess the load capacity of the ground and any manholes or ducts that the machine must not drive over.

Step 3. Choose the type of machine

For building a hall, one of two types is most often chosen:

• Scissor lift — a large, stable platform and a high capacity, ideal for work done vertically upwards on hard-surfaced ground (installing panels, installations under the ceiling). The 4×4 rough terrain versions also cope on the yard before the floor slab is poured.
• Articulating boom lift — lets you “jump” over an obstacle and reach sideways and into places that are hard to get at, for example between structure that is already erected. It works where the machine cannot drive right under the point of work.

You will find a comparison of the two types in the context of halls in the article scissor or articulating lift for building a hall.

Step 4. Choose the drive: electric or diesel

Inside a closed, finished hall go for electric (battery) drive: no exhaust fumes, quiet, clean and safe for work indoors. On an open yard and in difficult terrain, diesel drive with a strong rough terrain chassis works better. Often both machines come in useful on one site at different stages. Details in the article on electric and diesel drive.

Step 5. Plan delivery and unloading

Establish which way the machine will drive onto the site, where the trailer will stand and whether there is room to unload. Large lifts require specialist transport; smaller ones we carry on a trailer. Prepare a hard-surfaced access route, remove obstacles and provide room to manoeuvre. We have described a practical checklist for before the machine arrives in the article how to prepare a site for a lift delivery.

Step 6. Take care of qualifications and safety

The operator must hold valid UDT licences (UDT is the Polish Office of Technical Inspection), and the machine a current technical examination. On boom lifts a safety harness with a lanyard is mandatory. Before work, check the technical condition of the equipment, assess the stability of the set-up (outriggers, level) and mark out the zone under the machine. If you do not have an operator with the qualifications, consider rental with an operator or training your own employee.

Step 7. Match the rental period to the stages of work

Building a hall usually has several phases: structure, cladding of walls and roof, installations, finishing. Consider whether you need the machine for the whole job or only for selected stages; with longer, continuous rent the daily rate is better. It is also worth anticipating whether at a later stage (installations under the roof) a second, lighter electric machine will be useful for work in the already finished interior.

We will help you choose a machine for your hall

Tell us the dimensions of the hall, the stage of construction and the type of work, and we will choose the type, height and drive of the lift, plan the transport and prepare a quote. In our fleet we have scissor, articulating and telescopic machines, electric and diesel, including 4×4 rough terrain versions for work on an unsurfaced yard.