Need ideas on moving a 10’x25’x50’ pole barn

[City Farmer]

Hi all, I need to move a barn about 300’ to a pasture sometime soon. I have a few ideas but hopefully some of you can help me out and add to them.

The building is 10’x25’x50’ truss built 4’ on center with sheet metal on the roof and sides with some thin paneling on the inside. My plan is to re-enforce 4 trusses with 2x4’s and plywood. I have a huge pile of 16’-25’ long 6”x6” stashed away from a couple years ago. I’ll strap four to the bottom of the trusses and lift the building with 2 backhoes hitting at least 8 of the trusses in the process. One backhoe has a bad transmission so I have to chain them together and pull with a different machine. Everything is high, dry and perfectly flat.

The rest is just marking and drill holes for the new location, level and bolt to new posts. Does this sound realistic or am I in for a rude awakening? My buddies think I’m crazy and it won’t work. They want me to block it up and put it on my deckover trailer. I think blocking it up off a trailer deck 7’ would make things to flimsy when moving. A new building is out of the question because this building is perfect for the few animals we plan to have.

Thanks in advance. I’ll add some pictures as this project unfolds.

Andy

 

[newbury]

IF (and that's a big if) your path is truly flat and it doesn't need to be done immediately I'd plan on moving it in early winter.
Make some deep ruts in the path to the new site, fill them with water, let them freeze solid. Get the building blocked up on runners 6x6 runners and drag it.
Or if you can flood the entire 300 feet to the new site just do that.

/edit - whatever you do we want pictures and video!

 

[stevem5215]

A pole building we got for free we dismantled one day and then reassembled another day. (several to reassemble really)

But that was almost 10 years ago now and it's just as good looking and working well (we put a new roof on it the last few... metal).
I personally would say that it's best to dissemble and move the parts over.

 

[3Ts]

How far into the ground are the poles? Mine are about 4'. I wouldn't attempt to lift a building that size that high.
I'd reinforce the base with skids, put some diagonal bracing in the sides and cut the poles at ground level. Prep the new site with concrete footers for the posts then drag it to the new location. Anchor the posts to the concrete.

 

[dusty3030]

If you push up on the trusses from below you're to likely just destroy them / rip them loose. They have strength from a load pushing down as they are sitting on top, not vice versa.

 

[IndyJay]

These folks did it without any equipment.
How many friends and relatives can you muster, including your church group?

 

[City Farmer]

Thanks for the replies. My plan was to cut the poles flush with the ground and bolt them to the side of the new poles. No way it could happen in one day, this is a one man show until I go to move it.