Another barn moving post

[chucko]

I have a 18x20 wood frame barn. It sits on a 6" floating slab. My granddad did it this way for me so "we" could easly move it when I built a house. Well it took longer than we thought for me to get around to replacing my MH with a house and me granddad (my know how guy) is no longer around to tell me what to do

I need to move it to the back of my yard (100' +- from where it is now) no turns or anything just back. A floating slab has no footer to make it easy to move but I am in fla and the wold here is sand. I think a BIG loader could move it but it would dig in as it was moved....or would it?
Suggestions?

 

[AndyR]

Unless special effort was made to keep the slab bottom smooth it will be quite a lot of drag to pull the whole thing. I would try to position a couple of good sized I-beams with thier buts under the slab and the other ends resting on the surface. Use something like 30 to 40 footers so you get a gradual slope. You will need second set as you get going - overlap the ends and keep the beginning of the second set sligthly buried to avoid catching an edge. Figure around 150 lbs per cubic foot for concrete weight plus the weight of your structure - then triple it to overcome you initial friction to get things started on to the steel. This will be noisy too.

In a perfect world you can start it off with a center push but operating on sand will probably require 2 machines.

Or you could just pour a new slab and move the frame - which I think would end up being easier and cheaper.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'd think that much concrete would weigh more then most tractors can handle. Not a power issue as much as a traction one.

To stop the slab from digging in, I'd try using some plywood along the front edge like a sled. Slide it under half way, then bend it up to create something to stop the slab from digging in. Then I'd drill some large holes through the slab about two feet from the leading edge and run the chain through them.

Then get your tractor, your neigbors tractor and anybody else you know and hook it all up.

Even then I have my doubts you'll have enough traction to make anything happen, which brings us back to the previous post.

Pour a new slab and relocate the barn on top of it. Or better yet, pour a bigger slab, and build a bigger barn with the materials you already have. Making it longer will give you more space without affecting your trusses. Just build a few more and stretch it out.

Good luck and post pics of what you end up doing.

Eddie