Crane Day! Part 2: Putting the Modular Cabin on the Foundation

Crane Day! Part 2: Putting the Modular Cabin on the Foundation

On Crane Day! Part 1, the crane was set up and the cabin was prepared. They lifted one end of the cabin with cable on a spreader bar and slid a second cable under the cabin. They put a bunch of blocks and timbers under the cabin and set it back down.

Set the cabin back down on the blocks

With the cabin resting on supports, they readjusted the cables on both ends of the cabin. They moved the wood protection again.

Sliding the cable in from the other end with the cabin resting on timbers

See him keeping the cables on the protection wood with the cabin resting on timbers and blocks.

The Westwood Cabin is lifted
Two men are steering it with cables

They slowly lifted the cabin. They tweaked where the cable was until they had the cabin the way they wanted it. I thought they were trying to straighten it up, but they were not.

The cabin is lifted high enough to clear everything, but it’s not swinging by in the air.

They lifted the cabin and slowly swung it around to the foundation.

The cabin lifting into place onto the foundation

See how the cabin is lower on one corner? That’s not the heaviest point. They did this on purpose.

The crane operator watches the front cable steering guy give hand signals to steer the cabin into place.

Two guys have cables to steer the cabin. The guy in the front used hand gestures to help guide the crane operator.

The low corner is adjusted until it sits in its spot.

This is why one corner is lower. It is so they can start setting the cabin here.

He measured every step of the way to keep things centered and square.

They slowly jogged the cabin until it was setting right down on this corner.

 

They pivoted from the first corner to set the cabin into place.

They all took a look and agreed that the corner looked right to them, I guess.

Lining the cabin up with the foundation

Then they set that side down, measuring and jiggling until it looked perfect to me.

They measured and adjusted while the crane kept some tension on the cable.

They measured and pushed until the cabin was centered on the foundation.

They muscled the cabin over just an inch or so.

From where I was standing, it looked perfect. But it evidently wasn’t because they muscled it over a little bit while the crane kept just a little tension on the cable so that it was still moveable.

Then they pulled cable out from under the cabin.

Once they had measured again and were happy that the house was placed just right, they pulled the cable out from under the cabin.

Groove for cable

I didn’t even wonder how they got the cable out with tons of cabin sitting on it until I am writing this. I looked back through the photos and found that there is a groove by every cable. I don’t know if they put it there or if the cable did it itself holding all that weight.

The cabin on the foundation

They packed up the crane and drove it away. They picked up the rest of the debris, the taken out part of the silt fence and the boards that protected the cabin and stacked it all up. It was 11:52 AM.

I checked the time stamps on my photos. It took hours to prepare, but then just minutes to move the cabin.

  • Arrival 8:30
  • Phone calls about liability, etc.
  • Moved the crane into place 8:55
  • Put out the crane pads 9:15
  • Set up the crane
  • Lifted one end  of cabin 10:06
  • Put cabin on blocks and timbers and readjust cables
  • Cabin is in the air 10:54
  • First corner touches the foundation 10:57
  • Cabin shifted into place to their satisfaction 11:08
  • Crane is packed up and gone 11:52

The cabin is from Westwood Cabins. You can see more photos and floor plans at www.westwoodcabins.com and www.facebook.com/westwoodcabins.

The work is done by Fowler Excavating. Taylor Fowler has managed all of the subcontractors.

Filed Under: New Modular Cabin, Research