Bolt Boxes and Building Layout

[whitepeak2024]

Hello,

So i am about to put up a lambing shed ready for next year.

Cost wise, i am looking at getting a local well recommended company in Derbyshire to make the shed, but then to save costs (maybe a foolish idea...), i am thinking of doing the following myself:

> Dig and level ground out
> Lay the type 1 myself and compact
> Lay out the bolt boxes based on plan being provided by the shed builder.
> Possibly even then erect the building myself.

The last two points make me nervous as i have never done either.

Any tips? Is there somewhere i can buy the bolt box kits (hdbolt is one i found online)? Any absolute no no's or top tips?

I don't want to scrimp and want to do it properly but also need to be careful with limited funds

 

[Party Pete]

Getting someone in to do the bolt boxes and get them spot on would be money well spent I think . Everything else fairly straightforward

 

[whitepeak2024]

Thanks Pete, i was wondering that myself (visions of it all having to be dug up because i hadn't got it spot on...).

I was thinking if someone else did the bolt boxes, surely with a telehandler on site, me erecting the barn in theory should be a fairly simple process of bolting together, or is that me just being very naive...

 

[Mur Huwcun]

Getting someone in to do the bolt boxes and get them spot on would be money well spent I think . Everything else fairly straightforward

This, work with a shed builder. Get the ground level and sorted and get them to guide you to mark the boxes out so that you can dig them then get them in with their tools and levels to pour the concrete and set the bolts. Will be easy from then on and I’m sure you can do as much or as little of the following work as you like.

 

[Fendt516profi]

Get the bolt boxes done by someone who knows what there doing, if there wrong everything else is wrong. Crack on and try put shed up if you want worst that will happen is you have to get someone else in

 

[e3120]

Even if you're bang on with the boxes, if something else doesn't work out later, it'll be your fault.

Only need the man to measure/place them. If someone can't get the holes in the right places, they'd be better getting the whole job done.

 

[Kidds]

Used thunderbolts on mine.
Poured concrete blocks where legs were going, levelled with laser level.
Put legs in place and drilled and thunderbolts to fasten in place.
Then concrete in when the floor was done.
I've never put a shed up before and did have an assistant that had (I think I was the assistant really) but two of us put it up OK.
We has 2 lifting devices, one for the shed parts and one for the person fitting the bolts.
Put roof on after the floor was concreted, this meant a scaffolding tower was good enough for doing the roof as there was a good even floor to work off.

Nothing wrong with what we did but if doing it again I think I would get a shed building firm to put it up just because I have plenty to do and it would then get done in a more timely manner.

 

[HatsOff]

I wouldn't rely on thunderbolts to keep a big column in place. It won't matter once it's all concreted in but during construction, a knock from a telehandler and they'd just pull straight out and down onto someone's head.

 

[B R C]

If you can use a laser level and a tape measure there is no reason you can’t put bolt boxes in yourself, how big is your lambing shed? you really need one lifting machine and one person carrying machine on site.

 

[O'Reilly]

I know someone who set the bolts with a tape measure that had an inch or two missing off the end. Lads put the posts up, then went to put the beams up, first one needed a little nudge, then the second, then they had a measure up...

 

[goldeneagle]

Last bolt boxes we did got civil engineer in with total station as didn’t have line of sight across site. Cost £500 for 21 boxes but no issues during erection, money well spent.

If small enough footprint and no obstructions laser level, steel measuring tape and strings for setting out will get job done.

 

[Hesstondriver]

I did a small shed last year . , levelled site , dug holes set bolts and erected. It took a long time due to me double checking everything and making sure I know what I was doing. Plenty of advice on here and you tube videos for triangulation etc am

am I glad I did it ? yes I learned so much , and massively enjoyed the satisfaction of get it up squarely and level.

would I do it again? Probably not because the professionals do it quickly and don’t spend all day looking like a monkey with a rubix cube . Unless money was really tight and needs must .

1980s ground works reenactment:

 

[Tarw Coch]

If you’re not confident getting bolt boxes spot on, why not do it the old fashioned way, order shed with longer legs, dig holes , 9 inches of concrete in the bottom then fill in with concrete around the legs after the shed is up.
The man who put several sheds up here in the past used to do this, he used to measure the depth of pads after concreting and make the leg length to suit each hole but it would probably be easier to make all the pads same level on a fairly level site.
Doing it this way will be far more forgiving if you’re a few inches out with your holes than bolt boxes

Also thought the legs being concreted into the ground made for a better job………….unless you’re thinking of taking it down one day

 

[Farmer_Joe]

i usually build the shed part but i do sub out the bolt box setup and pour, he gets the concrete cheaper than me too as its on account so its a no brainer.

Much easier to start your self from the bolts up

 

[Mur Huwcun]

If you’re not confident getting bolt boxes spot on, why not do it the old fashioned way, order shed with longer legs, dig holes , 9 inches of concrete in the bottom then fill in with concrete around the legs after the shed is up.
The man who put several sheds up here in the past used to do this, he used to measure the depth of pads after concreting and make the leg length to suit each hole but it would probably be easier to make all the pads same level on a fairly level site.
Doing it this way will be far more forgiving if you’re a few inches out with your holes than bolt boxes

Also thought the legs being concreted into the ground made for a better job………….unless you’re thinking of taking it down one day

The bolt boxes are usually below floor level anyhow and are concreted in when everything is in place. The main advantages are the ease and speed of popping the frame up

 

[Tarw Coch]

The bolt boxes are usually below floor level anyhow and are concreted in when everything is in place. The main advantages are the ease and speed of popping the frame up

Below the floor yes but in the days before they were common the legs would have gone in the ground at least 2 foot, so a lot of concrete holding them in place.
The advantage of doing it this way is the legs could be moved several inches on a pad, obviously there’s only one right place but being able to have the option of quite a bit of movement is better than a bolt box more than an inch or so out of place, and so whilst in some ways not as good, it could be a better bet for someone not fully confident in their abilities as it will leave them more wiggle room

 

[Zebbedee]

How big is the shed? It’s not rocket science to set up bolt boxes good measuring tape and common sense will do it. We used fencing wire between two tractors to get a good line on last shed purely because we are always windy and it’s impossible to get a string and tape straight in a strong wind. Laser level to set heights we were 300mm below finished floor level for bolts but that info should be on shed drawing. Drop strings tied to guide line at appropriate bay spacing with a small weight on to transfer bay spacing down to bolt box then a cross marked on plywood of bolt box for centre.
When u erect legs put a 10-15mm spacer plate below each base plate in centre to make it easier to adjust later once frame is up, when frame is finished and bolts tightened pour a cement grout below each leg ( will require a small shutter) which fills up the cones and tightens it all solid ( last job to do)
Frame itself is self explanatory big meccanno set if founds are correct, bolts set in concrete make erection simpler as legs will free stand until rafters and wind bracing are fitted to first bay (wind bracing on roof of first bay erected is very important safety tip) then put up adjacent bays with a couple of purlins each to keep it stable
A cherrypicker is very useful and safe access for shed building forklift or crane/hiab for lifting depending on height and weight

 

[oakleaf]

I know someone who set the bolts with a tape measure that had an inch or two missing off the end. Lads put the posts up, then went to put the beams up, first one needed a little nudge, then the second, then they had a measure up...

Are you O Reilly the builder from Fawlty Towers by any chance?

 

[Cotlandfarmer]

Tom lamb has few videos on YouTube of a grain store build using bolt boxes, may give you some help and guidance.

 

[GmB]

Below the floor yes but in the days before they were common the legs would have gone in the ground at least 2 foot, so a lot of concrete holding them in place.
The advantage of doing it this way is the legs could be moved several inches on a pad, obviously there’s only one right place but being able to have the option of quite a bit of movement is better than a bolt box more than an inch or so out of place, and so whilst in some ways not as good, it could be a better bet for someone not fully confident in their abilities as it will leave them more wiggle room

Thats how I do mine, just make sure you have a good plate on the bottom of the uprights with a couple of 22mm holes drilled in it, square the building and then bolt each leg down with 20mm through bolts, this stops the legs moving when you pour the concrete, believe me, they will move. 750mm deep hole, 300mm in the bottom, bolt down leg, fill to ground level. Keep it simple.