Using Structural Shoring to Build Heavy-Duty Platforms for Machinery and Equipment

Scenario: you have some equipment for a new line that needs to be installed. Simple job, right? Size a crane to unload the equipment, get forklifts and machine skates so you can move the robots into place, toe jacks so you can get the skates out from under the equipment. Plus all the layout, utilities, and other things that are common when installing manufacturing equipment. There's no drawings yet, and you're meeting with the customer to quote the job. As you walk up the stairs behind the engineer, you realize "How the hell am I going to get all this equipment up here???"

You could get a 250 ton crane, open the roof, and fly everything in. Or, you could have a temporary platform built. The heaviest piece is a CNC drill, and it weighs 8 tons. Southern Shoring can provide a platform sturdy enough to support a forklift and that 8 ton drill. Maybe you have lighter loads - and the equipment can be moved with pallet jacks. Maybe you have heavier loads.

Another case for one of these platforms is pictured below. The construction site was not only small, there were different elevations. Located on a corner lot in Athens, GE, this customer needed a platform with handrails on two sides that was strong enough for the wheel loaders and boom lifts to drive on. This temporary platform allowed the mobile equipment to access the entire site without having to drive down a few different roads.

A custom heavy-duty platform using structural shoring is an effective and safe solution. These platforms, designed to support up to 25 tons, offer a stable surface for placing the machinery during installation. Once the crane has lifted the robots, assembly machines, or conveyor systems onto the platform, they can be easily moved into their permanent position within the facility using a forklift or machine skates—without needing to bring equipment to the edge of the floor. Every platform we build is engineered for safety and will have OSHA-rated handrails, gates at the ends for easy loading, and fall protection anchors that can be used when the gates are open. Our platforms can be as small as 8' by 8' or as large as you need, ensuring that no matter the size or complexity of the equipment, the installation is both safe and efficient.

Contact us here, or send us an email and we can get started on your elevated platform today.