Moving Large Stones Manually

Running a stone up a ramp

To build a stone arch bridge, large stones will need to be moved. Many times, pieces sufficiently small to be carried will be used, and, perhaps, heavy equipment and machinery will be available to move material. However, if the stones are big and heavy equipment is not available or practical, some ingenuity will be required. Here are some ways to lift and move massive stones by hand. The most important consideration is to be safe! Consider where the stone will end up if something goes awry and avoid being in that location as much as possible! We assume no liability for the use of the methods shown.

The Power of Rollers

Probably the best way to wheel heavy stones short distances is with rollers. A round log or wooden post my be chopped up into roller sizes. At this point it is simply a matter of levering up the stone onto the first roller (crowbars are handy), then pushing it along, adding rollers in front of the stone as needed to keep it balanced well and to replace those which have rolled out behind.

Rollers provide an easy way to move those stones that are a little too large to lift and carry. The stone can be readily steered by turning the rollers off of a straight line.

If the ground is rough or excessively soft, a few large flat boards can be laid down to form a sort of track that is easy to roll over. Rollers with a track as needed can also be used on top of an existing stone wall, allowing stones to be wheeled precisely into place.

Ramps

Ramps of loose rubble and fill can be built to aid in placing large stones atop a wall. A board track will probably be necessary as the ramp invariably is soft or rough. Keep the slope shallow enough that the stone being rolled along remains controllable. Too steep and not only is the stone very difficult to move, but it tends to roll backwards at the slightest provocation.

A ramp made of rubble concrete covered in dirt with a board on top acting as a track to wheel the stone over.

To rest while rolling a stone up a ramp, allow the back roller(s) to come out leaving only the roller(s) at the front of the stone in place. Then, gently rest the back end of the stone down onto the ramp (see photo above).

Lifting the Stone

A ramp is the easiest way to move most stones to the top of the wall. There are alternative methods, however, for use when a ramp is not practical. Traditionally, a pair of “lifting dogs” were used; essentially shaped like giant scissors, they are cleverly designed such that they pinch down on the stone when the stone is lifted up. A hand winch perhaps tied to an overhead (thick) tree branch can be used to provide the necessary lifting motion. However, extreme care is required to assure a good grip of the lifting dog; if it slips the stone will come plummeting down so keep as well away as practical and make sure your ropes are strong!

A stone can be lifted with lifting dogs and a hand winch. However, this method can be very dangerous if something goes amiss. Lifting dogs specifically intended for use with stone were commonly used on most of the “newer” stone arch bridges, and were similar in construct to the small pair of dogs shown.

A far older and yet safer method of lifting the stone is to pry one end up and rest it on a small rock, then pry up the other end of the stone, resting it too on a small stone, and so on and on until the stone is perched on a growing pile of small rocks. Keep up the process until the desired height is reached.

A pile of small stones can be used to raise large stones. The pile can be built straight up with a little care, or it can be simply built leaning in towards the wall the stone is to be placed on. With patience, this method is fairly safe and quite reliable. As an aside, the stone pictured is a strange shape because it was custom cut with feathers and wedges to fit around the curve of the arch of this bridge.

It has been said by the anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl that this method was used to raise the massive Easter Island statues; in fact, Heyerdahl was privileged with a demonstration of this remarkable undertaking. Several men with long poles and many small rocks over a couple weeks raised an enormous toppled statue using the method outlined!