Angle for ramp?
#1
11-09-15, 04:53 AM
Angle for ramp?
I wasn't sure where to put this so feel free to move it if it'd be better in another forum.
I need to move a lot of dirt into my backyard which is only accessible via a short staircase rising about 63 inches vertically. I'm planing to build a ramp so I use a wheelbarrow but am not sure how much lumber to purchase.
What kind of angle can a wheelbarrow be pushed up comfortably? Is 23 deg too steep?
I need to move a lot of dirt into my backyard which is only accessible via a short staircase rising about 63 inches vertically. I'm planing to build a ramp so I use a wheelbarrow but am not sure how much lumber to purchase.
What kind of angle can a wheelbarrow be pushed up comfortably? Is 23 deg too steep?
#2
11-09-15, 05:06 AM
Group Moderator
It all depends on you, the wheelbarrow and how heavy you fill it. 23 degrees may be too steep for good footing on a smooth board. You may need to attach cross strips or lugs so you have something for grip especially if the ramp gets wet. If I had to make a lot of trips with a heavy wheelbarrow I'd make the ramp angle shallower.
Another option is to not use a ramp at all. Maybe the dirt gets moved to the base of the steps then shoveled or carried up the step in buckets to a wheelbarrow waiting above.
Another option is to not use a ramp at all. Maybe the dirt gets moved to the base of the steps then shoveled or carried up the step in buckets to a wheelbarrow waiting above.
#3
11-09-15, 05:33 AM
How much a "lot" is varies. Do you have a measure in cubic yards?
There are many options for powered wheelbarrows or concrete buggies if a "lot" is a truck load.
You will need that ramp to be wide enough to support the rear legs of the WB and give you comfortable room to maneuver.
At 23° your ramp will be about 14'. How much room do you have? At 16' you are down to 18°. IMO, with any amount of weight you will want a lower slope. For short ramps you can get a run at them and coast up and over. But not 14 or 16' or more. Two 16' planks in length will get you down to under 10° and if you are talking 8 or more yards you will love the low slope, and it is safer.
Bud
There are many options for powered wheelbarrows or concrete buggies if a "lot" is a truck load.
You will need that ramp to be wide enough to support the rear legs of the WB and give you comfortable room to maneuver.
At 23° your ramp will be about 14'. How much room do you have? At 16' you are down to 18°. IMO, with any amount of weight you will want a lower slope. For short ramps you can get a run at them and coast up and over. But not 14 or 16' or more. Two 16' planks in length will get you down to under 10° and if you are talking 8 or more yards you will love the low slope, and it is safer.
Bud
#4
11-09-15, 08:27 AM
8 m3 ~ 10.5 cu yd of dirt.
Doing that in buckets seems like it might take a while.
I can do 15 ft of slope in a straight line I think. Otherwise I'd have to do a platform and a 90 degree turn.
Doing that in buckets seems like it might take a while.
I can do 15 ft of slope in a straight line I think. Otherwise I'd have to do a platform and a 90 degree turn.
#5
11-09-15, 10:05 AM
It sounds like even at 15' you are not going to get much of a run at the ramp to help you make it up. I had a ramp in back for my mini-dachshunds, 12' with a 2.5' rise. I had to convert it to small steps as even just wet it was a death trap for this old guy, and I work off ladders and staging a lot. That is half the slope you are thinking of.
10 yards IS a lot. At 75 pounds per cubic ft and 2 ft³ per load (150 pounds) you are looking at about 140 trips. Any helper coming over for beer? Now, considering you still have to shovel the dirt into the wheelbarrow and dump it somewhere, you are looking at more than one day for sure. The muck truck in the link below would carry 3 time the weight and handle the incline and they show $45 a day or weekly rental if you work alone.
Now the last poster I told he couldn't do something proved me wrong. Guess I'm getting old.
Of course, if you build the ramp for a motorized wheelbarrow that carries more, the design would need to be adjusted for the load.
Not impossible, easy to test, two small kids and a makeshift ramp. If the kids survive you are all set. Have a camera rolling, you might want to post the results .
Bud
10 yards IS a lot. At 75 pounds per cubic ft and 2 ft³ per load (150 pounds) you are looking at about 140 trips. Any helper coming over for beer? Now, considering you still have to shovel the dirt into the wheelbarrow and dump it somewhere, you are looking at more than one day for sure. The muck truck in the link below would carry 3 time the weight and handle the incline and they show $45 a day or weekly rental if you work alone.
Now the last poster I told he couldn't do something proved me wrong. Guess I'm getting old.
Of course, if you build the ramp for a motorized wheelbarrow that carries more, the design would need to be adjusted for the load.
Not impossible, easy to test, two small kids and a makeshift ramp. If the kids survive you are all set. Have a camera rolling, you might want to post the results .
Bud
#6
11-12-15, 04:24 AM
Thanks for the answers. I did the math on how much I was going to spend on lumber and ended up hiring a crew of 7 guys to come and and move the dirt for about the same price as the lumber would have cost me. They ended up stationing a guy at the stairs and he'd help the the wheelbarrowers carry the wheelbarrows up the stairs.
