Titan Blast Room Installation: Adding a Crane Slot
Designing a custom blast room to accommodate overhead crane access requires the expertise of a structural engineer.
Adding a crane slot in the ceiling of your blast room is similar to removing a support beam in your house.
In the case of the blast room, you have to cut into the I-beams, which run perpendicular to the enclosure walls. With I-beam support now compromised, the walls will fall in on themselves.
To prevent this from happening, we add support structures to the enclosure called “cat ears” and “sidewall kickers” or “floor anchors.” Both are highlighted in Figure 1.
The cat ears are added to the I-beams along the top of the blast room; the sidewall kickers are added along the bottom and are lagged into the concrete. Both prevent the enclosure walls from falling inward and/or sagging.
The structural engineer determines the number of anchors needed by calculating the weight of the enclosure walls and doors (which can be quite heavy), and the crane slot length and width.
The crane slot itself is a rectangular opening that runs the length of the blast room and is covered by a pneumatic door (Figure 2).
The door easily opens to allow crane access; once the work piece is inside the enclosure and disconnected from the crane, the airtight door closes and blasting can commence.
Blast room installation considerations
If you’re considering a Titan blast room with crane access, you’ll need additional ceiling height to accommodate the cat ear supports. You’ll also need an additional 6’ of width for the floor anchors – which you can see on the left in Figure 2.
Want to learn more? Give us a call to talk to one of our engineers – 215-310-5055.
Brandon Acker: President
Brandon purchased Titan Abrasive from his uncle and founder in 2013. Titan has since redesigned its entire product line to solve dozens of industry challenges.
Brandon purchased Titan Abrasive from his uncle and Titan founder, Bruce Maurer, in 2013 after spending five years learning the ins and outs of the business. He and VP of Engineering Brian Fox have completely redesigned the entire product line to solve the dozens of challenges that have plagued the blasting industry for decades.
Brandon is passionate about American manufacturing, the jobs it creates, the quality produced, and the bright future that lies ahead. He’s a frequent guest on manufacturing podcasts where he shares his deep industry expertise. Brandon holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University.
