Haider Crane Co.

Crane Design Basics

A brief introduction to Crane Design is presented with the
intent that it will be useful to the users specially those who
are new in this field and have no knowledge of how a crane
is built.
This work is motivated due to the lack of presence of
literature for crane design on the web. The author was
compelled to put up some effort to have at least some stuff
on the web which can at least give a introductory level
information to engineers and students.
Feel free to send me a mail with questions or comments

Beam Calculatorcrane_calc.xls
12/25/07 1
Compute Moments Haider Crane Co.

Dead Load Bending P Live Load Bending P1 P2

L = Span
x y

Span Span

l 2 Pl
Max Moment = +
8 4
P = Center drive + Controls
w = Footwalk + Beam + Lineshaft
Dynamic Mx = Max Moment x factor
Dynamic My = Max Moment x factor

If P1=P2, use the Case 41, otherwise use Case

42. Also calculate the Max moment using the
formula PL/4. In other words, to be
conservative, use the largest value obtained.

12/25/07 2
Compute Stress Haider Crane Co.

Dynamic Mx = LL Mx + DL Mx a
My = LL My + DL My
Mx
f bx = 0.6 Fy b
T Sbott

Mx Girder Beam
f bxC = Available to 60 ft max. length
STop
My
f byC =
STop
f bxC f byC h
+ 10
.
Fbx 0.6 Fy b

Fabricated/Box Beam
L/h should not exceed 25
L/b should not exceed 65
DL Dead load, LL = Live Load, Fy = Yield normally @ 36 ksi for A36 material, Fb = Allowable Stress
12/25/07 3
Compute Deflection Haider Crane Co.

5wl 4 For Trolley:

= For Uniform Load LL + TW
384 EI P=
2
Pl 3
=
[ 3l 2 4a 2 ]
For Conc. Load Pa
48 EI =
24 EI

12/25/07 4
Allowable Compressive Stress Fb per CMAA 74 Haider Crane Co.

1/600

1/888

= 0.6 y
12000 Use when the flanges
= are not welded on the
d top and bottom
L
Af

12/25/07 5
Allowable Compressive Stress Haider Crane Co.

2

L
L 102000 L 510000
2 Fy rt
rt Fy And rt Fy , Fb 2 = Fy
3 1530000



170000
Otherwise, Fb3 = 2

L
rt
12000
Fb1 = ( perCMAA)
d
L Af

Fb = 0.6 y

Select Allowable Stress which is the Greatest of all. Then check for the following:

Tensile < 0.6 y

comp x comp y
+ <1
fb 0.6 y
12/25/07 6
Lower Flange loading per CMAA 74 Haider Crane Co.

This is a empirical formula

For a crane where the trolley is running on the bottom flange, it is necessary to check the local bending of
flange due to the wheel load. The flange must be OK before a beam selection is made.

12/25/07 7
Lower Flange loading per CMAA 74 Haider Crane Co.

12/25/07 8
Lower Flange loading per CMAA 74 Haider Crane Co.

12/25/07 9
Lower Flange loading - Alternate procedure I Haider Crane Co.

The lower flange of the crane beam must be checked for:

1) Tension in the web. 2) Bending of the bottom flange.
Refer to the figure, the length of resistance is seen to be 3.5k. The 30 degree angle is a
consensus figure used for many years. Assuming 4 wheels (2 pair) at each end of the
crane, each wheel will support P/4 delivered to the supporting crane beam. Two wheels
cause the web tension, so the load is P/2. Tensile stress in the web is:
3.5k
P P P
ft = = =
2 A 2t w ( 35
. ) 7t w
k
tf
30 deg
Flange bending depends upon the location of
the wheels with respect to the beam web. This P/2
dimension is e as shown in the figure. The
wheel load is P/4. Longitudinal length of the tw
flange participating in the bending resistance P/4 Bottom Flange
is 2e per yield line analysis. Bending stress is:

tf
e
M Pe 6 Pe 6 0.75 P
fb = = = = k1
S 4 bd 2 4 2et 2f t 2f e
e
Point of Load

12/25/07 Refer to Engineering Journal, 4th quarter, 1982, Tips for avoiding Crane Runway Problems by David T. Ricker 10
Lower Flange loading - Alternate procedure II Haider Crane Co.

Now, the angle is changed from 30 degree to 45 degrees.

tw
Capacity = 6000 lb P/4
Hoist wt = 1000 lb
Load = 6000 +1000 = 7000 tf

Wheel load = 7000/4 = 1750 k1

e
With 15% impact = 1750(1.15) = 2013 lb
b =11.5, e = b/2 = 5.75
Tf = 0.875 45 deg
b=2e
M = 2013(5.75) = 11574.75

Stress = M/S = 11574.75 . (6)/(11.5)(0.875)^2 = 7890.15

Load
Moment = 7000(1.15)(30)(12)/4 + 110((12)(30))^2/(8(12)) = 873000 lb-in
Stress= 873000/280 = 3117.8

. 2 + 3117.8( 789015
= x2 + y2 + x y = 3117.82 + 789015 . )
110 lb/ft

30 ft Bridge
Stress = 9827 << 0.6 Sigma y (21600) OK Span

12/25/07 11
 EXAMPLE Simple Approach Haider Crane Co.
Capacity: 2 Ton (4000 Lb), Span: 20 Ft (480 in) P1 P2
Hoist Wt: 200 Lb, Hoist W.B: 12 in 114 12 P=2100lb

Vertical Impact factor = 15%, Hor. Impact = 10%

Solution: Beam must be checked for
240
2 Lower flange load, if the
wL2
P a
Mx = + L trolley is under running
8 2L 2 Say, for example, we select a A36, S beam
S12x31.8#, Ix=218, Iy=37.1, Sx=36.4,
. 2402 2100 115
2
318 . 12 Sy=9.27, d/Af=4.41
Mx = + 240 = 2945711
.
12 8 2 240 2 P=2100 lb, w = 31.8/12 lb/in
M 2945711 .
x = x = = 8092.6
Sx 36.4
M y 2945711 . 11
. 01
. comb = 8092.6 + 3039.5 = 11132.1
x = = = 3039.5
Sy 9.27 115
. all1 = 0.6 y = 0.6 36 = 216000
5wL4 (3 L2 4a 2 ) 12000 12000
= + Pa = = = 11337.8
384 EI 24 EI all 2
L A d 240 4.41
5(318
. )240 4
(3 240 4 114 )
2 2 f
= + 2100 115
. 114
384 12 218 E 24 218 E all = Min _ of all1 , all 2 = 11337.8
= 0.237 <
L
= 0.4 comb < all .
600 OK OK
12/25/07 12
 EXAMPLE Conservative Approach Haider Crane Co.

. 1.05 +
11
Br . speed
1.2 = 1.10 P1 P2
DLF = 2000
114 12 P=2100lb
HLF = 0.15 0.005( HoistSpeed ) 0.5 = 1.15
IFD = 0.078( Bridge _ acc. ) 0.025 = 0.39
C T _WB X 1 X 2 T _ Wt
Wheel Ld (P1/P2) = 2 ( HLF ) + ( DLF ) = 2410 240
T _ WB 2
( P1 + P2 ) 2 L WB P2 PL
Moment A = HLF x M (whichever is greater) =P1 > P2 , M = X , X = 0.5 , OR , M = = 166290
L 1 2
P + P 4
Moment B = IFD x M (whichever is greater) = 56394
wL2 PL Beam must be 5wL4
Static Moment = + = 19080 checked for d1 = = 0.0181
8 4 Lower flange 384 EI
load, if the trolley
Moment C = DLF x Static Moment = 20988 is under running PL3
d2 = = 0
Moment D = IFD x Static Moment = 7441.2 3 EI
Moment Mx = A+C = 187278
d3 =
( P1 + P2 ) [ 3 L2 4a 2 ]
a = 0.2188
Moment My = B+D = 63835.2 2 24 EI
Tensile Stress = = Mx Sxb = 5.15 < 0.6(36) OK P1 L3
d4 = = 0.1098
Comp. Stress X = = Mx 48 EI
Sxt = 5.15
My
Comp. Stress Y = = Sy = 17.07
Total Deflection = d1+d2+(Greater of d3 and d4)
Deflection = 0.0181+0+0.2188 = 0.2369 in
Cx Cy 515
. 17.07
+ <1 = + = 103
. > 1 ERR Deflection 0.2369 < L/600 (0.4) OK
f b 0.6 Fy 216. 216
.

12/25/07 Above calculation is for S12x31.8 Beam 13