Contents
Overview
Types of lifting clamps and what each one is for
There are two main types of lifting clamps. Plate clamps grip the load itself: a vertical clamp holds a steel plate by one edge, and horizontal clamps carry a plate lying flat, working in pairs. Beam clamps fix to the flange of a steel beam above the load, so a chain block or other hoist can hang from them.
| Clamp | What it holds | Direction of pull | Main use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical plate clamp | One plate, gripped by its edge | Up from the edge; some designs also turn a plate from flat to upright | Lifting and turning steel plate |
| Horizontal plate clamp | A plate lying flat, or a bundle if designed for one | Along the angled legs of the sling (two-leg or endless loop, as the maker designs it), with at least two clamps facing each other | Carrying flat plate |
| Beam clamp | The flange of a steel beam above the load | In line (straight down) for most designs, unless the maker allows other angles | A hanging point for a hoist |
In short
- If a vertical clamp has a locking lever, lock it before taking the load, and put one plate in the jaws at a time.
- Never use a horizontal clamp on its own.
- Check the plate against the clamp’s thickness range and hardness limit before using it.
- Check the steelwork is undamaged and adequate for the load before hanging a hoist from it.
On a contract lift, our own appointed person plans the lift and writes the lift plan.
Sources
Where the rules for lifting clamps come from
The rules here come from the code of practice of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), known as COPSULE, and the legal duties from the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). Plate clamps are among the attachments covered by BS EN 13155, which our guide to lifting accessory standards explains.
Some limits are set by each maker and differ between products: plate hardness, sling angles for horizontal clamps, working temperatures and beam clamp capacities. Any such figure below carries its maker’s name and holds for that product only, so go by the instructions for your own clamp.
In Great Britain, regulation 8 of LOLER requires every lifting operation to be properly planned by a competent person. For a crane lift, BS 7121 sets out the role of the appointed person in planning it.
Vertical
Vertical plate clamps
A vertical clamp slides over the edge of the plate and grips it by friction. In many designs the load on the lifting eye works a cam or lever that forces the jaws together onto the plate.
Some clamps can lift a plate from flat to upright and back, while others hold their grip only one way round. Push the clamp fully onto the plate and square to its edge. Only one plate goes in the jaws, and a clamp is used to turn a plate only where its maker’s literature allows it.
Locking before the lift
LEEA prefers clamps with a spring-loaded locking device, which locks the clamp onto the plate before any force comes on the lifting eye. Camlok’s instructions are to check the lever is in the locked position before lifting.
Screw-locking clamps
A screw clamp is closed onto the plate by a screw tightened with a bar or spanner, so it holds without relying on the load. These are purpose-made, and an ordinary G clamp is not suitable. Where two screw clamps share a lift, LEEA sets a limit of 15 degrees from vertical for the sling legs.
Horizontal
Horizontal plate clamps and why they work in pairs
A horizontal clamp hooks under the edge of a plate lying flat and works with a partner on a two-leg sling. Some grip with a cam or a toe, a lip that hooks under the plate. Others hold only because the sling angle pushes them inward against the plate.
Because of that inward push, at least two are used, always facing each other, so the sideways forces cancel out.
Sling angles and long plates
The sling angle sets how hard the clamps squeeze, so keep to the maker’s angles and reeving, meaning the way the sling runs through the clamps. Camlok’s THK range allows a sling angle of up to 30 degrees from vertical. A pair supplied on an endless sling must not be moved onto a two-leg sling, because that changes the geometry and the forces.
Use two or more pairs on a lifting beam for a long plate. Where a wide, thin plate could bow between the clamps, choose clamps that grip with a cam or toe.
Limits
The plate a clamp can safely grip
Every plate clamp works within a jaw range, and the range of thickness it may lift should be marked on the clamp. Some clamps, particularly spring-loaded cam clamps, also need a minimum load and plate thickness. Without a figure from the maker, LEEA advises a load of at least 20% of the safe working load (SWL) and a plate at least 20% of the maximum thickness.
Hardness
The teeth have to bite into the plate, so each clamp has a hardness limit, given as Rockwell C (HRC) or Brinell (HB). Camlok’s CZ is for plate below 30 HRC (300 HB), and Crosby’s IPU10 for up to 37 HRC. Hard or polished plate needs the clamp maker’s approval first, and no packing should go between the jaws and the plate.
Surface and heat
Camlok’s instructions call for plate free from grease, liquids, scale or paint. Tell the supplier if marks from the teeth would matter, or if the plates will be hot. Crosby gives -40 °C to 100 °C for its standard IPSC screw clamps.
Beam clamps
Beam clamps for hanging a hoist
A beam clamp fits on the flange of a suitable steel beam so a chain block or other hoist can hang from it. Some makers also sell girder clamps, which grip the flanges of a steel girder. Check the maker’s instructions to see whether a girder clamp is for hanging a hoist or for lifting the girder itself, which is a separate kind of product.
Adjustable clamps fit a range of flange widths. A non-adjustable clamp fits one size of beam only, and is often made for one particular beam. Yale rates its YC and SC92 beam clamps for ambient temperatures of -10 °C to 50 °C.
A beam trolley is a different product. It runs along the beam so the hoist can travel, while a beam clamp stays where it is fitted. Tractel’s Corso push trolley is pushed along the beam by hand, and its geared trolley is moved with a hand chain over a hand wheel, which Tractel says gives accurate positioning of heavy loads. This guide does not cover trolleys.
Fitting the clamp
The steelwork has to be undamaged and adequate for the load hung from it. On a light beam with a thin flange, the clamp must not overload the flange where it bears on it. Seat the clamp as its maker’s instructions describe, with every fastening secure. A clamp that relies on the load to stay closed can be displaced and fall if left on a beam with nothing hanging from it.
Checks
Checks before using a lifting clamp
A suitably qualified and experienced person should inspect a plate clamp before use or on a regular basis. If a clamp is in regular use, check it at the start of each shift or working day. Check:
- the movement: the cam or jaw travels freely and the lever locks and releases cleanly
- the locking spring, which should be neither broken nor stretched, and any screw thread, which should be straight and run freely
- the teeth on both jaws, since blunt teeth weaken the grip, and the gripping faces for wear
- the body for spreading, cracks, nicks, gouges or rust, and the pins for wear or bending
For a beam clamp, check the SWL marking is readable and the locking screw or nut is the maker’s own and secure. Then look for cracks, nicks, gouges or corrosion, and for wear wherever the clamp bears on the beam or turns on a pin. Any bending of the clamp, or of the beam under a clamp left in place, is a fault too.
A clamp with any of these faults should be withdrawn from service and referred to a competent person for examination.
Thorough examination
In Great Britain, regulation 9 of LOLER requires lifting accessories exposed to conditions that cause deterioration to be thoroughly examined at least every 6 months, or in line with a written examination scheme, and after anything that could affect their safety. Both kinds of clamp are treated as accessories in LEEA’s code. For a beam clamp fixed long term as a suspension point, LEEA allows up to 12 months where adequate controls are in place, so the competent person decides whether that applies and records it in a written examination scheme. Northern Ireland has the same duty under its own 1999 regulations.
From our lifts
We check the plate’s thickness is within the clamp’s marked range, and the jaws grip a surface free of heavy scale, paint and grease. Where the hardness of the plate is in doubt, we check it against the clamp maker’s limit.
When a customer wants a chain block hung from a beam clamp, we first find out what the beam is and what it can carry, from drawings or an engineer if there’s any doubt.
Questions
Common questions
What are the different types of lifting clamps?
Lifting clamps split into plate clamps and beam clamps. A vertical plate clamp lifts one plate by its edge, while horizontal plate clamps carry a flat plate as a facing pair. A beam clamp attaches to a steel beam to give a hoist a point of suspension. The table at the top of this guide compares them.
What are plate clamps used for?
Plate clamps are made for handling plate. A vertical clamp holds one plate by its edge and can turn it between flat and upright where its maker’s literature allows. Horizontal clamps work as a facing pair to carry plate lying flat, and a plate that could sag along its length needs two or more pairs on a lifting beam.
How many plates can a plate clamp lift at once?
One, for a vertical clamp. LEEA’s code says never to put more than one plate in its jaws, and never to add packing between the jaws and the plate. Horizontal clamps differ: some are designed for one plate at a time and others for a bundle, so the clamp’s own instructions decide.
What is the purpose of a beam clamp?
A beam clamp gives a chain block or other lifting appliance a means of suspension on a steel beam. Some designs adjust to suit different flange widths, and others are made for one size of beam. A clamp designed to lift and handle the beam itself is a different product, outside LEEA’s beam clamp section.
Can you lift with a beam clamp?
Yes, by hanging a hoist or chain block from it within the clamp’s marked SWL. Yale’s instructions for its YC and SC92 clamps call them suspension points and say not to use them for lifting loads directly. To pick up a steel beam itself, use a clamp its maker states is made for that job.
How much weight can a beam clamp hold?
No more than the SWL marked on it, and that figure has to cover the hoist and its tackle as well as the load. Ratings vary by model: Yale’s YC range runs from 1 t to 10 t and its SC92 up to 20 t. The beam must also be adequate for the load.
Can beam clamps be side loaded?
Only where the maker’s instructions permit it. LEEA’s code notes that most beam clamps are suitable for in-line loading only, so the pull should stay straight down. Where two or more clamps share one lift, a spreader beam may be needed to keep each pull in line, and no clamp should take more than its own SWL.
How do you fit a beam clamp?
Check the beam is undamaged and adequate and the clamp suits its flange width, then seat it as the maker’s instructions describe. Yale’s instructions say the jaws must reach fully around the flange edges and the clamp should be tightened firmly so it will not move, without over-tightening. Fitting the clamp, above, covers thin flanges.
Get help
Get help with a plate or steelwork lift
Call us on 0800 008 6096 or email office@synergy-lifting.co.uk. Tell us the weight and size of the plate or section, with photos of it and of any steelwork you plan to hang a hoist from, and we will look at how it can be lifted.
Structural frames are covered by steel erection and dismantling, and single lifts or longer hires by crane hire and contract lifting.
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Send us the details and we will come back with a quote, usually the same day for a desktop survey.
Or call 0800 008 6096
