Single post lift concrete requirements

[Nicks garage]

I have put up a carport at the side of the house and have artificial grass sat on 6” ******** so can drive on it for multiple uses, the roof is a custom made sheet that rolls back to open it up and the roof also lifts for extra height clearance..
because it’s also garden area I have gone for a single surface mount lift to keep as much out of the way as possible ..
I am now ready to fit the lift and put in the concrete but I am stuck on how to do it and non of the manufactures spec covers what I’m doing,
i want the lift below ground level so I can road plate over the arms for space so will be digging fairly deep… the foot the lift sits on is around 1.4m x 1.2m in a kind of tee shape so I’m thinking of digging 2m x2m and 400mm of concrete tied into the house wall on one side with rebar.. that will be around 2m3 of concrete

does that sound sufficient?

 

[firebirdparts]

I know it's unorthodox, but I would think you it might be okay. I would prefer to have more area covered in the front-to-back direction of the car. On the other hand, 400mm is excessive. Weight for the sake of just weight is probably helpful with a one post lift.

The load is going to put strange stress on the concrete, so the material under the floor needs to be seriously immovable.

 

[Nicks garage]

I know it's unorthodox, but I would think you it might be okay. I would prefer to have more area covered in the front-to-back direction of the car. On the other hand, 400mm is excessive. Weight for the sake of just weight is probably helpful with a one post lift.

The load is going to put strange stress on the concrete, so the material under the floor needs to be seriously immovable.

Yes.. I dont want to cut into the surrounding area to much hence my idea, it works out at around 5 ton on concrete and that will be tied into the house foundation so I don’t think it will move..

 

[wssix99]

I am now ready to fit the lift and put in the concrete but I am stuck on how to do it and non of the manufactures spec covers what I’m doing,

What does the manufacturer's spec say and call for?

 

[Nicks garage]

What does the manufacturer's spec say and call for?

Unfortunately they won’t give guidance.. probably because I bought it used they did send me the spec for a new lift and that only covers a full concrete floor.. or a cut out and repair of a faulty floor and I have gone above and beyond that by at least 2x

 

[wssix99]

What is the model of your lift? Is it a single post model that bolts to a flat floor?

If so, those models are designed so the floor acts like a flat plate to resist tipping. A counterweight block isn't a substitute for that. To avoid a plate floor, you would need a footing designed by an engineer. (The depth of the footing and properties of the soil would do the work for you and not the weight of the concrete.)

 

[kaymccampbell]

Your slab is going to need to be at least as long as the longest vehicle that lift is capable of lifting. And about 2' wider than the lift and the vehicle. You need the huge plate of the slab to keep it upright under vehicle loading. If you are depending on a compact mass of concrete to keep it upright, you would need more like 10 m3 of concrete, to get enough mass to keep it from tipping with a car on it. Bolting it to your house foundation just puts your house at risk.

 

[Nicks garage]

The type of lift I have can be freestanding also, it will actually lift the car without being bolted to the floor due to the design of the baseplate..
anyway a mate came around with his digger today and filled an 8 yard skip.. the hole is 2.7 x 2.7 and .6m deep, 10cm of compacted ******** at the bottom and will have 45cm of concrete.. I contacted another lift provider and they suggested this size

 

[firebirdparts]

My guess is you'll be fine with that. You can experiment with it and see how scared you get. The longer a vehicle is, the more you're going to want safety stands with a single post lift. I think the lift is going to seem a little bendy.

 

[Nicks garage]

My guess is you'll be fine with that. You can experiment with it and see how scared you get. The longer a vehicle is, the more you're going to want safety stands with a single post lift. I think the lift is going to seem a little bendy.

I saw it working when I bought it and it’s a beast.. it’s not like half a two post ramp it’s much more substantial.. I am however going to be putting an acro prop under the frame when I’m under it… it’s a screw type as well so relatively safe for stopping

 

[Worsedog]

Unfortunately they won’t give guidance.. probably because I bought it used they did send me the spec for a new lift and that only covers a full concrete floor.. or a cut out and repair of a faulty floor and I have gone above and beyond that by at least 2x

This opinion might be worth what you paid for it. If you've truly doubled this, there should be no issues. The only concern I see is how to deal with the clean up of the inevitable fluid spills from the containment created by recessing the lift.