Hi folks i am looking a bit of advice, i have been moving some solid mould blocks 8 tonne each approx 8ft long 3.5ft wide on a flat bed, now i have been strapping them with four 2.5 tonne straps, but i feel if i slam on nothing is stopping them and there coming through the cab, i told my firm i do not feel there the correct strapping for these items as i think chains should be used, but they cannot be damaged as they are moulds. im not used to moving items like these i am sure some chaps on here with a lot more experience than me 
but just want to be safe so any advice would be welcome. 
What they are made of can be a big factor, as for slamming through the cab, appropriate driving comes into play as well.
How is your body constructed ? Is it flimsy like a cut down curtain , how far back from the headboard are they ?
andy_s:
What they are made of can be a big factor, as for slamming through the cab, appropriate driving comes into play as well.
totally with you there on driving as i always keep my distance, but saying that i have seen people do rash things around hgvs 
Punchy Dan:
How is your body constructed ? Is it flimsy like a cut down curtain , how far back from the headboard are they ?
its a brand new brick rear steer trailer.
sweeper1gg:
Punchy Dan:
How is your body constructed ? Is it flimsy like a cut down curtain , how far back from the headboard are they ?its a brand new brick rear steer trailer.
sorry about that, about 2ft back of the board.
Why not just cut some descent timbers to fill the gap and stick a strap over them ,isn’t that what we are told to do by the powers that be ?
Have you tried your axle weights to see if it will stand being right up to headboard ?
Punchy Dan:
Have you tried your axle weights to see if it will stand being right up to headboard ?
hi the problem is, i reverse into a building to load and the overhead crane only goes so far over the truck.
all that i want to know is four 2,5 tonne straps secure enough in reality in vosas eyes for 8 tonne blocks.
Punchy Dan:
Why not just cut some descent timbers to fill the gap and stick a strap over them ,isn’t that what we are told to do by the powers that be ?
good point.
sweeper1gg:
all that i want to know is four 2,5 tonne straps secure enough in reality in vosas eyes for 8 tonne blocks.
The maths add up so that part ‘should’ be ok, but the gap between the load and the trailer headboard is something that could land you a fine. Packing dunnage or preferably, the company you load the moulds at should make more access to load up to the headboard if it doesn’t mean your front axles go over their limits.
sweeper1gg:
all that i want to know is four 2,5 tonne straps secure enough in reality in vosas eyes for 8 tonne blocks.
With regards to the moving forwards ,look towards strapping over the front corners to make a cross if you have good anchor points that the hooks won’t slide forward from if you stop quick .
sweeper1gg:
all that i want to know is four 2,5 tonne straps secure enough in reality in vosas eyes for 8 tonne blocks.
No, because the breaking strength of the strap is not the amount of force it holds down something with.
That being said the rules regarding such things are ridiculous 
When I was stopped by vosa, they stated they would accept rated straps which just covered the weight of the load usually.
The guy did state they much prefer a margin of 50%, so a 5 ton rated strap would hold upto 2.5 tonnes to allow for sudden movements rather than just restraining the load. In your case the ideal would be 7 x 2.5T straps or fewer bigger ones.
A cavat however - make sure all the straps are in perfect condition, no freying at all or they’ll state they dont count.
As for the concrete, I used to move upto 10T at a time and never had any move forward, but make sure theres carpet or similar to prevent straps being rubbed. They like to see that too. If really worried, you could cross strap across the front too.
How about 4 or 5 Cheps stood on their sides ?..should fill the 2ft gap 
andy_s:
sweeper1gg:
all that i want to know is four 2,5 tonne straps secure enough in reality in vosas eyes for 8 tonne blocks.The maths add up so that part ‘should’ be ok, but the gap between the load and the trailer headboard is something that could land you a fine. Packing dunnage or preferably, the company you load the moulds at should make more access to load up to the headboard if it doesn’t mean your front axles go over their limits.
Unfortunately for this kind of overstrap the maths don’t add up.
If you check the label you’ll find STF and a figure such as 350daN. This is the maximum Force Tension the ratchet can create.
if you wanted to do the official calculation then try this (BSEN 12195-1:2010)
Weight of payload x 0.8 (or 0.5 if loaded to or blocked to headboard)
Weight of payload x coefficient of friction (0.2 if not known)
Minus the 2nd answer from the 1st gives ANSWER 1
STF x 1.8 x coefficient of friction x Sin of the angle of straps from deck gives ANSWER 2
Divide ANSWER 1 by ANSWER 2
Multiply by a safety factor of 1.25 and round up to nearest full number
So …
8000 x 0.8 = 6400
8000 x 0.2 = 1600 (I have no idea of the actual coefficient of friction so have used 0.2)
6400 - 1600 = 4800
ANSWER 1 = 4800
350 x 2 = 700
700 x 0.2 = 140
140 x 0.9848 = 137.87 (0.9848 is the Sin of 80 degrees)
ANSWER 2 = 137.87
4800/137.87 = 34.81
34.81 x 1.25 = 43.51 round up to 44 Straps
Or download this App which gives the answer of 43 straps
http://www.spanset.com/au_en/section/lashcontrollerapp
A very rough and ready calculation for a load AGAINST the headboard is weight of load divided by STF from ratchet. So 8000/350 = 22.85 or 23 straps. If loaded away from headboard multiply the answer by 2.
Of course this will all be mocked and scoffed at even though it’s all based on a British Standard calculation but usually most truck drivers know far better than the load restraint engineers and experts that created the calculation.
Couldn’t agree more…all our drivers,myself included,keep 43 straps behind their seat just in case
Baggie:
Couldn’t agree more…all our drivers,myself included,keep 43 straps behind their seat just in case
Oh yeah. Then what happens if you’re then told to put ten ton of plate on top ? Come on then, answer that one. You’ll need another trailer for your straps. 
sweeper1gg:
Punchy Dan:
Have you tried your axle weights to see if it will stand being right up to headboard ?hi the problem is, i reverse into a building to load and the overhead crane only goes so far over the truck.
Or you could drive in forwards and reverse out!
I do big coils of metal for a paint tin manufacturer on a regular basis. They weigh in at 8.2ish tonnes a piece and I strap them with 1 5t rated ratchet strap around the front of the item, another around the back so the load is effecively being pulled to the front and back of the trailer at the same time. I then put two or three straps straight over the top to hold it down to the bed. Halving the rated load on the straps either gives me 10 or 12.5 t of restraint on a 8.2 tonne item, more than enough. I also strap to the chassis rather than to the apparently 2.5t rated hooks at the side of the chassis.