Beam Clamps for Rigging and Lifting: Choosing an Anchor Point

Quick answer: A rigging clamp creates a certified anchor point on existing structural steel without drilling or welding it. LNA offers two, and the choice is decided by the steel, not the load. For an open flange, the BeamClamp Adjustable Rigging Clamp self-adjusts across flange widths from 4 to 24 inches and flange thicknesses from 1/8 inch to 2-1/2 inches, with a safe working load up to 5,000 lbs and a shackle that accepts loads applied up to 45 degrees. For a hollow structural section or anywhere you can only reach one face, the BoxBolt Rigging Clamp bolts an anchor plate through 13/16 inch holes, also rated to 5,000 lbs. Both carry Lloyd’s Register and DIBt approval. Neither tells you whether the beam itself can take the load, which is a separate calculation a licensed structural engineer has to do.

Most rigging clamp questions arrive framed around load. How much will it hold. That is usually the easy part, because both LNA rigging clamps are rated to the same 5,000 lbs. The decisions that actually matter are what steel you are attaching to, which direction the load pulls, and whether anyone has checked the host member.

Which rigging clamp fits which steel?

The two products are not competing options. They solve different access problems.

The BeamClamp Adjustable Rigging Clamp clamps onto an open flange. An I-beam, a wide flange section, a girder. It is self-adjusting and ready to install out of the box, and it grips mechanically without touching the steel. No holes, no heat, no damage to the existing coating.

The BoxBolt Rigging Clamp handles the cases where there is no flange to clamp, or no access to the far side. Hollow structural sections are the obvious one. It works from a single face using an anchor plate and blind bolts.

Put simply: if you can get a clamp around the steel, use the BeamClamp version. If you can only reach one side, use the BoxBolt version.

What sizes does the BeamClamp rigging clamp come in?

Five standard sizes, selected by flange width. Every size carries the same safe working load and the same bolt torque, so sizing is purely a question of fit.

Flange thickness is not a selection input. The clamp self-adjusts anywhere from 1/8 inch to 2-1/2 inches, which covers essentially any rolled section you will meet in a North American industrial building. That range is the reason these get specified on retrofit work where nobody has reliable as-built drawings.

How does the BoxBolt rigging clamp attach to a hollow section?

The standard assembly is a load ring welded to a fabricated anchor plate, secured with hot-dip galvanized M12 Size 1 BoxBolts. Installation is four steps: drill 13/16 inch holes at the predetermined locations, line the anchor plate up with them, insert the BoxBolts, and tighten to 59 ft-lbs. No site welding, no tapping, no strapping.

Two configurations, chosen by the direction the anchor point needs to face:

Note that the two versions differ only in plate geometry. The load rating is identical. If you are working through a blind connection more generally, our guide to connecting hollow structural sections from one side covers the underlying method.

Why does the 45 degree shackle limit matter?

This is the detail that gets missed most often, and it is the one worth reading twice.

The shackle connection on the BeamClamp rigging clamp permits loads applied up to 45 degrees. That is a specified limit, not a suggestion. The 5,000 lb safe working load is published for loading within that envelope. Pull outside it and the published figure no longer describes what you have built.

It matters in practice because rigging geometry drifts. An anchor point installed for a straight vertical pick gets reused six months later for a lateral pull, or a sling angle opens up as a load is walked across a bay, and nobody goes back to the spec sheet. The clamp has not changed. The load path has.

If your application involves loading at an angle, or an angle that changes through the lift, that is a conversation to have before the clamp is ordered rather than after it is installed.

Does a 5,000 lb rating mean the beam can take 5,000 lbs?

No, and this is the single most important thing on this page.

The safe working load describes the clamp. It says nothing about the steel you are clamping to. LNA guarantees the safe working load of the connection itself. LNA is not responsible for the structural integrity of existing steelwork, and the catalog is explicit that the structural integrity of the existing steel should be verified by a licensed structural engineer.

That separation is not a disclaimer. It is the actual engineering. A 5,000 lb point load hung mid-span on a member that was designed for uniform floor loading is a different problem from the same load applied near a support, and no clamp specification can answer it. Somebody has to check the host member for bending, shear, local flange effects, and whatever the load does to the structure it is part of.

If you do not have a structural engineer on the project, say so when you contact us. It changes what we can and cannot sign off on.

When is a rigging clamp the wrong product?

Worth being direct about this, because it saves everyone a phone call.

A rigging clamp creates an anchor point on a structural member. It does not lift the member. If you are searching for a clamp to pick up and move a steel beam or a steel plate, you want a lifting clamp or a beam grab, which is a different tool from a different kind of supplier. LNA does not make one.

Two other cases that come up:

• Personal fall arrest. These are rigging and lifting anchor points. Fall protection anchorage is a separate discipline with its own requirements. Do not substitute one for the other.
• A permanent structural connection. If you are joining two members rather than hanging a load, you want BeamClamp or BoxBolt directly, or the FastFit pre-engineered system. Our guide to attaching to a steel beam without welding covers those.

What if you need more than 5,000 lbs?

Both product lines have custom paths above the standard range.

Custom designed rigging and lifting points are available on the BeamClamp side. On the blind connection side, individually designed rigging and lifting points can be produced for a specific application, with load capacities up to 30 KIPS.

The caveat from the previous section applies with more force at that end of the range, not less. A 30 KIP anchor point demands a real assessment of the member carrying it.

How are these clamps approved and tested?

LNA’s Pre-Engineered Solutions range, which includes both rigging clamps, is independently load tested and carries Lloyd’s Register approval and DIBt approval. DIBt is the Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik, the German construction technology institute.

What that means in specification terms is that the published safe working loads come from physical testing verified by a third party, not from calculation alone. For anyone writing a spec or assembling a submittal package, that is usually the distinction that matters.

Approvals are product-specific. If you need documentation for a particular part number, ask and we will send exactly what covers it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a beam clamp be used as a lifting point?

Yes, that is what the BeamClamp Adjustable Rigging Clamp is for. It creates a shackle anchor point on an existing flange with a safe working load up to 5,000 lbs, installed without drilling or welding. What it does not do is lift the beam itself. For that you need a lifting clamp or beam grab, which is a different product category.

What flange sizes do BeamClamp rigging clamps fit?

Five standard sizes cover flange widths from 4 inches to 24 inches, in four-inch increments. Flange thickness is handled by the clamp’s self-adjusting action across a range of 1/8 inch to 2-1/2 inches, so it is not a selection input.

How much torque do rigging clamp bolts need?

The BeamClamp rigging clamp uses four bolts at 109 ft-lbs each, the same across all five sizes. The BoxBolt rigging clamp is tightened to 59 ft-lbs. Torque is what generates the clamping force the published load depends on, so it is not a step to approximate.

Can you install a rigging clamp with one-side access?

Yes, using the BoxBolt Rigging Clamp. It bolts an anchor plate to the steel through 13/16 inch holes using blind bolts, so you never need to reach the far face. This is the standard approach for hollow structural sections, where there is no far face to reach.

Do rigging clamps damage the existing steel or its coating?

The BeamClamp version does not. It grips mechanically, with no drilling, welding, or heat, so the section loses no material and the protective coating stays intact. That matters on galvanized steel, where a weld or a drilled hole creates a corrosion site that outlives the job. The BoxBolt version does require drilled holes, which is the tradeoff for working blind. For more on why that distinction matters on existing structures, see our guide to retrofitting steel without hot work.

Can a rigging clamp be reused on another job?

The BeamClamp rigging clamp is a mechanical clamp that leaves the host steel unmodified, so removing it and installing it elsewhere is straightforward. Treat any reinstallation as a new installation: confirm the flange dimensions are within range for that part number, retorque to 109 ft-lbs, and have the new host member assessed. The clamp’s rating travels with it. The suitability of the steel does not.

Source and disclaimer

All technical data on this page, including part numbers, safe working loads, flange ranges, dimensions, hole sizes, torque values, and approvals, is taken from the LNA 2024 Steel Connection Solutions Catalog. Safe working loads apply to the connection only. The structural integrity of existing steelwork must be verified by a licensed structural engineer. Approvals and certifications are product-specific and should be confirmed for the part number you intend to use. For project-specific values, contact our engineering team.

Last reviewed: September 11, 2026