How to move a 2-ton block of concrete?

[Beltzington]

I'm looking at buying 17 concrete road barriers which measure 2x2x6-foot I can use for future projects I have in mind. However, my tractor FEL will not lift the weight and my trailer can only handle 2 of them at a time due to their length. The best I have come up with is to rent a large backhoe with trailer, load them on the rented trailer and then drag them off the trailer with my tractor at my property. The only good thing about this is they are located only about 15 miles from my property and the low price. I can spend around $500 for the equipment rental and still feel I got a good deal. They are rebar reinforced and have a loop located at center mass.

Any other suggestions?

 

[4570Man]

What surface are you driving on to load them? A forklift rental might be cheaper. I'm afraid they might break when you pull them off the trailer.

 

[Beltzington]

They are sitting out in a pasture. I did look into the off road fork lift but rental is more expensive and less flexible the a backhoe for loading. I have access to a large gooseneck deck over trailer I figure I can nail some 3/4" plywood to the decking to set them on and they should slide off the dove tail onto the dirt without damage. The logistics of having to transport the blocks and equipment back and forth six times would be just to time consuming for me to consider. I do have a 12,000LB winch mounted on a box blade that would move the blocks should traction and engine not suffice.

 

[4570Man]

What size backhoe did you look at renting? I have a rollback and I'd just winch them on it. You might check with a towing company to move them.

 

[Beltzington]

JD 310 or similar rate the backhoe at 5k+ lifting from what I can tell from the specs, I have never used a backhoe for lifting a load before. How much weight can a rollback typically carry? At $100 a load it could quickly exceed my $500 budget.

 

[Cataclysm]

I'd put a good winch on the front of the trailer and get a good snatch block and use a few sticks of steel pipe as rollers. Winch them on, roll them off. Easy.

 

[4570Man]

My rollback is a lighter duty one on a F-350 frame. I'd haul 2 blocks on it. Most rollbacks are heavier duty and could haul 4 blocks.

 

[Hiltz]

I'm looking at buying 17 concrete road barriers which measure 2x2x6-foot I can use for future projects I have in mind. However, my tractor FEL will not lift the weight and my trailer can only handle 2 of them at a time due to their length. The best I have come up with is to rent a large backhoe with trailer, load them on the rented trailer and then drag them off the trailer with my tractor at my property. The only good thing about this is they are located only about 15 miles from my property and the low price. I can spend around $500 for the equipment rental and still feel I got a good deal. They are rebar reinforced and have a loop located at center mass.

Any other suggestions?

It might be cheaper to hire it out. If you have a company close by that sells concrete block they might do it for a nominal charge. I paid a block company years ago to move pallets of stone I had purchased. They came out with their big truck that had the forks that rode on a crane rail. It worked like a charm and was a very reasonable cost.

 

[joefromga]

A cemetery undertaker might be able to do it with their A-frame trucks also. They're all set up for the bulk and weight.

 

[Streetcar]

Be careful, the barriers are usually not heavily reinforced. I have seen the barriers break if dropped

 

[Rustyiron]

I have used them before for several retaining wall projects, they are great but very heavy. Usually made up from various concrete trucks retruning to the plant with some left on the truck. They are not the best for bumping around a lot because of their casual "pouring" makes for questionable stregnth, so no dropping-dragging off the trailer. I used to hire a guy with a low boy (18 wheeler) and his (legal) load would not fill the bed.
You are getting into a pretty "monumental" task here without the proper lifting equipment, and it sounds like they are for various future projects. Once they are on your site, you'll need equipment again to move them around. Dragging or pushing them into place will not get great results as the block will generally dig in on one side or another and not be level where you leave. :2cents:
FWIW, I could buy them from the concerte Co. for around $30 each, geting them moved was on me.

 

[Ken45101]

A backhoe may have enough lifting capacity but only at certain positions, such as low and close in. It may have significantly less capacity at a position to get it off of the truck.

 

[carmedic310]

I have a medium duty International 4700 car carrier its rated for 9000lbs I have hauled 5 of these at a time before @2000 lbs each

 

[Xfaxman]

I'm looking at buying 17 concrete road barriers which measure 2x2x6-foot I can use for future projects I have in mind. However, my tractor FEL will not lift the weight and my trailer can only handle 2 of them at a time due to their length. The best I have come up with is to rent a large backhoe with trailer, load them on the rented trailer and then drag them off the trailer with my tractor at my property. The only good thing about this is they are located only about 15 miles from my property and the low price. I can spend around $500 for the equipment rental and still feel I got a good deal. They are rebar reinforced and have a loop located at center mass.

Any other suggestions?

Most of the Rental Company's around here rent the Genie GTH5519. It would be the quickest, easiest and safest way to do it.

 

[Billrog]

A truck with a hiab is very good for loading moving and setting those blocks.

 

[flyerdan]

If you can get the trailer to where they are now, and where you want to place them, I'd consider building a straddling gantry hoist out of whatever steel I could scrounge. Place it over the block, chain hoist it up, back the trailer underneath. Then when you're done with it you can break it down or keep it around if you have the room. Could build that and get a 2T HF chain hoist for a lot less than your $500 discretionary transport fund.
That way you can eliminate the risk of breaking them by brute force and position them a lot more precisely.

 

[Beltzington]

Thanks for all the comments and sanity check, turns out you can buy this type of barriers new for $75 delivered from the local concrete companies. Much less than I was seeing online for actual highway barriers. Still would need to unload them but I can buy them as needed.

 

[Handloader109]

I'd expect them to unload if they deliver... For free!

 

[TheMan419]

Sounds like a good excuse to buy a bigger tractor...... just sayin.....

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Logging trucks are used around here all the time for moving and setting both concrete block and the big slabs of rock used in retaining walls. At $75 each delivered for new ones, it's hardly worth the effort messing around trying to truck the used ones