2011-2012

Crane Runway Girder

Dr. Ibrahim Fahdah

Damascus University

https://sites.google.com/site/ifahdah/home/lectures
2011-2012
2011-2012

Components of Crane system

2011-2012

The Crane Runway Girder and the

Structure
Issue1: Vertical Load Transformation
The support method of the crane
runway girder depends on the
magnitude of the reactions being
transmitted. Some typical
arrangements ranging from the lightest
to the heaviest are shown
2011-2012

The Crane Runway Girder and the

Structure
Issue2: Free Rotation at the Supports
Free rotation at the supports of crane
runway girders is important in order to
prevent bending and torsional moments
in the columns.
2011-2012

The Crane Runway Girder and the

Structure
Issue3: Transverse Load Transformation
Figure (b) illustrates the reversible strain
to which the girder web is subjected - an
action leading to the result shown in
Figure (c)

Dangerous details for lateral

forces
2011-2012

The Crane Runway Girder and the

Structure
Issue3 could easily be prevented by
simply connecting the top flange directly
to the column, as shown. The top flange
acts as a horizontal beam delivering its
reaction to the column.
2011-2012

Typical Section of Crane Girders

2011-2012

Rail Fastenings
2011-2012

Design Procedure (BS5950 Code)

2011-2012

Classification of Cranes
2011-2012

Step1: Calculate the maximum vertical

Loads
• The weight of the trolley (carriage) + Lifted
Load (Rh)
• The weight of the crane bridge (Rs)
• The self weight of the crane girder & Rails (Rg)

Note: The load to the crane girder will be maximum

when trolley wheels are closest to the girder.
2011-2012

Step1: Calculate the maximum vertical

Loads (cont.)

For Warehouse or workshop F=1.3 => the load combinations below

Conservatively we can simplify the calculation , a factor of 1.3 can be applied

simultaneously to both the lifted load and to the self-weight of the crane.
2011-2012

Step1: Calculate the maximum vertical

Loads (cont.)

So the maximum unfactored static point load per wheel, assuming there are
two wheels on each side, is:
Rw=1.3*0.5*(Rs/2+Rh*(Lc-ah)/Lc)
2011-2012

Step2: Calculate the Horizontal Loads

Plan View
2011-2012

Step2: Calculate the Horizontal Loads

• Inertia forces produced by the motion drives
or brakes. Referred to as the surge load.
(clause 3.1.5.1 of BS 2573-1:1983[4]).

• Skew loads due to travelling referred to as the

crabbing force. (clause 3.1.5.2, BS 2573: Part
1:1983 [4])
2011-2012

Step2: Calculate the Horizontal Loads

• Transverse Surge load is taken as 10% of the combined
weight of the crab and the lifted load.

• Longitudinal Surge load of 5% of the static vertical

reactions. (i.e. from the weight of the crab, crane
bridge and lifted load).

• Crabbing forces are obtained from clause 4.11.2 (BS

5950-1:2000). If the crane is class Q1 or Q2, then the
crabbing forces would not need to be considered.

Note : Horizontal loads need not to be combined together.

2011-2012

Step3: Load Combinations

Rail
Wv

FR Wh1 Wheel

Wh2

Load combination according to BS 5950-1:2000 (Table 2) are:

• LC1 =1.4 DL + 1.6 Wv
• LC2 =1.4 DL + 1.6 (Wh1 or Wh2 or FR)
• LC3 =1.4 DL + 1.4 Wv + 1.4 (Wh1 or Wh2 or FR)
2011-2012

Step4: Design Checks

1. Major axis bending
2. Lateral-torsional buckling
3. Horizontal moment capacity
4. Consider combined vertical and horizontal
moments
5. Web shear at supports
6. Local compression under wheels
7. Web bearing and buckling under the wheel
8. Deflection
2011-2012

Major Axis Bending

For plastic section: BS 5950-1-2000
Note : Sx is for the whole section 4.2.5

Check limit to avoid irreversible deformation under serviceability

loads.
BS 5950-1-2000
4.2.5.1

Note: for section classification of compound I- or H-sections, see BS

5950-1-2000 : 3.5.3 & Table 11.

Note: Moment capacity should be reduced in case of high shear

according to BS 5950-1-2000 : 4.2.5.3
2011-2012

Lateral-Torsional Buckling
• Check gantry girder as an unrestrained member for vertical loads.

• Due to interaction between crane wheels and crane rails, crane BS 5950-2000
loads need not be treated as destabilizing, assuming that the rails 4.11.3
are not mounted on resilient pads.

• No account should be taken of the effect of moment gradient i.e. BS 5950-2000

mLT (lateral-torsional buckling factor) should be taken as 1.0. 4.11.3

BS 5950-2000
4.3.6.3 ,4.3.6.2, and
4.3.6.4
Pb is the bending strength and is dependent on the design strength
py and the equivalent slenderness λLT.
BS 5950-2000
4.3.6.7(a)
For compound section (Rolled section + plate ), use I and H with
unequal flanges to calculate λLT.
2011-2012

Horizontal Moment Capacity

Horizontal loads are assumed to be carried by the top flange plate only.

Moment capacity of the top flange plate, Mc,plate is equal to the BS 5950-1-2000
lesser of 1.2py Zplate and py*Splate. 4.2.5
2011-2012

Consider Combined Vertical and

1-Section Capacity:
Horizontal Moments
BS 5950-1-2000
4.8.3.2

2-Buckling Capacity: “simplified method”

BS 5950-1-2000
4.8.3.3.1

For simplicity take maximum M x and M y (rather than coexistent M x

and M y) and assume that the minor axis loads are carried by the plate
only.
M LT is the maximum major axis moment in the segment.
Note : mx, my factors can be taken as 1.0 for simplicity.
2011-2012

Web Shear at Supports

BS 5950-1-2000
4.8.3

Note: It is ok to assume that the sear is resisted by the UB section => BS 5950-1-2000
Av = tD (for rolled I-sections, load parallel to web) 4.8.3 (a)
2011-2012

Local Compression under Wheels

BS 5950-1-2000
The local compressive stress in the web due to a crane wheel load
4.11.1
may be obtained by distributing it over
a length xR given by:

45 HR
Tplate
Tflange
2(HR+T)

The stress (fw) obtained by dispersing the wheel load over the length
xR should not be greater than py for the web.
2011-2012

Web bearing and buckling under the

wheel/supports
Bearing capacity of web for unstiffened web BS 5950-1-2000
4.5.2.1

Buckling resistance of the unstiffened web BS 5950-1-2000

4.5.31.
2011-2012

Deflections
Vertical deflection due to static vertical wheel loads from overhead
travelling cranes BS 5950-1-2000
2.5.2 Table 8(c)

Horizontal deflection (calculated on the top flange properties

alone) due to horizontal crane loads

Note : The deflection of crane beams can be important and the exact
calculations can be complex with a system of rolling loads. However,
For two equal loads, a useful assumption is that the maximum
deflection occurs at the centre of the span when the loads are
positioned equidistant about the centre.