40x60 Farm Shop Build

Verticaltrx · Apr 1, 2012

Within the next month or two I'll be starting to build a shop for our farm. I already have the building, it's a 40x60x12 metal building that was built in 1956. It was at a decommissioned RJ Reynolds plant in NC and my FIL, BIL and myself took it down for basically scrap prices (It was originally 40x120, FIL is building the other half at his place.) It will be built on concrete piers for the posts to sit on and will only have a concrete floor in the shop portion.

The site was already mostly level from an old building that came down years ago. There is a small shed there that will be torn down before the actual construction starts. Basically all I have to do for site work is cut the bank back a little behind the building, strip off the sod and do some minor leveling. Already got started on that, more on that later.

So in the construction of the building there are a few things I am trying to plan ahead for. I will probably be installing a 2-post lift and some type of overhead crane (chain fall.) Both of which may need some additional concrete work in the initial stages. With that said, I've attached a rough layout of what I'm envisioning the shop to be setup like. I sketched in the area for the two post lift, but am still undecided on the type of crane to go with. It will either be a swinging jib crane (mounted next to the air compressor), a traveling crane that covers most of the work area, a simple beam with a trolly on it or even just a mobile A-frame type. Those are in order of preference, and also the order of most work to install. Probably would only be about 2000lb capacity if it were a swinging jib crane (15-20' long) or traveling crane, maybe 4000lb for the later two.

Few Questions:

-where can I get some design parameters/specs for what size beams, posts, mounts etc for the various size/types of overhead cranes?

-what size/type of 2-post lift should I be looking for? Largest truck I currently have is a F-350 cab/chassis with a 12' bed.

-Anyone know of any good books or sites with plans/floor layouts for small shops? Most of the 'farm shop' layouts you find nowadays are aimed at several thousand acre farming operations.

I'll have more questions as things progress and will try to post more pics as things get started. Attached is my current idea for a floor layout and some pics of the first dirt moving.

edlegault · Apr 1, 2012

Make sure to think about a drainage system to divert the rain water runoff from the small hill. It adds up very fast in a heavy downpour.

Martian · Apr 1, 2012

Make sure you have enough equipment storage room. It looks rather small to me. I know from experience, what looks big on paper, isn't always big enough in life. I have 3 barns. At the house I have a 40'x40' with 16' ceilings, at the farm (only equipment storage area, not feeding/pens area) I have about a 40' by 40' and at the cabin I have a 36' by 32' ... and I have no space left and need another barn:laughing::laughing:. I should go take pictures of all of them, the only one that is relatively empty is the farm barn because there's no hay left in it, but man they fill up fast. If I were you I would split it right down the middle for equipment storage and shop area and at least you will have tried to save enough space for everything:thumbsup:

rambler · Apr 2, 2012

It's easy to be critical, so just take this as thoughts and ideas.

Can you get a useable 2 post lift in 12 feet? You might want to build the walls up a little?

Wouldn't you want the side door & 2 post lift much closer to the inner wall - you are blocking your nice big door with that lift in the way of something coming into your shop through the big door.

You shoulda stole another 8 or 10 feet from your dad, the storage side is too short at 24 feet. You can get a vehicle in, but that's all. Tractor & implement and loader on won't fit. You won't be able to fit anything into the corners because there isn't enough room to manuver. It's just too small all around. I'm not sure what you intend to 'store' in it, if lawn mowers & wheelbarrows good to go but then perhaps it would be better as part of the shop and make a nicer shop - if intended to store tractor or pickups and trailers, it's pretty small...

Will you really have 12 foot high doors? Sliders you can get about there, but any other type of rool up or bi-fold door typically takes at least a foot away, if not more, from overhead. That can turn into a big surprise if you aren't planning for it early on.

You aren't in snow country like I am, or you would hate that side walkin door on the storage side - snow comes off the roof & turns into aweful icey ridge that blocks the door, if in snow country one would put it on the end with the big door.

--->Paul

Ken45101 · Apr 2, 2012

Martian said:
Make sure you have enough equipment storage room. It looks rather small to me. I know from experience, what looks big on paper, isn't always big enough in life. I have 3 barns. At the house I have a 40'x40' with 16' ceilings, at the farm (only equipment storage area, not feeding/pens area) I have about a 40' by 40' and at the cabin I have a 36' by 32' ... and I have no space left and need another barn:laughing::laughing:.

That just proves that junk expands to fill all available space!

racekid · Apr 2, 2012

Most 2 post lifts require a 12' ceiling. A 10,000# lift would lift your truck. An asymmetric lift is best so that you can open the doors easier after you drive onto the lift.

90cummins · Apr 2, 2012

I also built a 40x60 shop and as was mentioned it does look bigger on paper.
As for lifts I have a Mohawk System 1 two post lift rated at 10,000lbs it is extremely heavy. It is built using 3/4" steel & roller & ball bearings at all contact points. It is infact similar to a fork truck mast.
When you are working under a 1 ton truck you will appreciate the heavy duty construction and security a commercial lift gives you!
Stay away from Chinese lifts!!!

As for the door the best advice I received was to install a 12x12 overhead door to avoid overhead and entry/exit mishaps.

Verticaltrx · Apr 2, 2012

Thanks for everyone's quick responses, let me add some info and address a few things.

The building is designed on 12' centers, so I can only move things within those parameters. The door to the 2-post lift area could be moved over next to the wall, but I wasn't sure if that would give enough room to work around a vehicle. On that same note, the building will just be open trusses inside (no ceiling) so the 2-post lift will have plenty of extra height above 12' if needed since it will be between the trusses.

The doors on the two ends will be hanger style doors which I will build myself. I could make them almost the full 40' width of the building if I wanted, and I may on the equipment storage end to maximize useable space. This style of door will also allow almost a full 12' height being as how they are on the end-walls. The 10x10 roll-up door is one that came with the building and is a very nice industrial grade unit which I'd love to re-use.

As for equipment storage, this will only be for a few pieces of my personal equipment. A B3200 Kubota and Ford NAA tractor, and some other small implements. We have a couple other large machine sheds at the other farms for the big stuff. I'm limited both on the building size of 40x60 and the site, which wouldn't allow for any longer of a building without major fill being brought in. For me the shop space is most critical, storage being a bonus. Also I'd like to keep the walls on the 12' centers which would then give me only a 24' wide shop if I made the storage area bigger.

So, a few more questions.

-Maybe a shop this size isn't well suited to a 2-post lift? The only things I'd be using it for would be servicing our cars and a couple trucks. All the tractors and farm trucks would be too big to go on a lift. Perhaps I should just keep the 'service-bay' area open for now and see how I like it. As such I would still want to pour adequate concrete in that area to support a future lift. Thoughts?

-one thing that is for sure is some type of overhead crane/chain-fall. I do a lot of welding and fabrication and that along with working on tractors and such would sure make one handy. I'm thinking now of maybe just running a single 40' beam the width of the shop that would go over the center of the service area and the main work area. Or would it be better to run the 36' lengthwise down the center of the main area? What size beam would I need for either to span that with a 2000lb load? 4000lb?

Thanks for everyone input.

BrianDT · Apr 2, 2012

Is this building a steel predesigned structure or was it wood you removed from the old factory? Will your chain fall beam also support any of the rafters?

Verticaltrx · Apr 2, 2012

BrianDT said:
Is this building a steel predesigned structure or was it wood you removed from the old factory? Will your chain fall beam also support any of the rafters?

It was all steel and per-engineered. It uses steel trusses, posts and purlins, etc with metal siding.

The chain fall will be separate from the building structure. Even if I just use a single beam it will sit on top of a square metal post at each end (or a beam with two posts if it straddles a door).

If it runs north/south it can sit between the trusses so as not to lose any headroom. If it runs east/west then it will have to be below the bottom of the trusses.