Mobile Construction: Steel in Launching Gantry

As technology progressed, the construction industry was among the first to implement
innovations in various methodologies in various aspects of construction. Engineers are
incorporating these technologies into their own operations today, as heavy machinery plays an
important role in the construction industry.

Typically, precast segmental bridges and precast girders are installed by lifting each segment or
girder with a ground-based crane. Ground access to the spans, on the other hand, may be
hampered by the presence of existing infrastructure or bodies of water, or the height to which the
segments must be raised may exceed the reach of ground-based cranes. These problems can be
solved by using a launching gantry.

Furthermore, A launching gantry (also known as a beam launcher, girder launcher, bridge
building crane, and bridge-building machine, and locally dubbed the "Iron Monster") is a type of
mobile gantry crane used in bridge construction, specifically segmental bridges that use precast
box girder bridge segments or precast girders in highway and high-speed rail bridge construction
projects. The launching gantry is used to lift and support bridge segments or girders as they are
placed on bridge piers rather than the ground.

Launching gantries are often distinguished by the design of the main girders.
Honeycomb girder
ZZHZ invented the honeycomb girder launching gantry in 1999, and it has proven to be suitable
for lifting loads ranging from 5 to 300 tonnes (5.5 to 330.7 short tons).
A honeycomb girder's main girder is made of welded plates that form an isosceles triangle cross-
section. To reduce wind resistance, regular hexagonal holes are cut in the inclined web plates.[8]
Because the honeycomb girder is formed by relatively long seam welds joining plates, the welds
will not lose integrity easily due to minor welding defects.

Truss girder
A truss girder's main girder is made of welded steel poles. A truss girder's welds are point-to-
point (joining steel poles to other poles), necessitating more stringent welding technology and
technique. The truss girder launching gantry is suitable for highway bridge construction projects
due to its low self-weight and high deflection.
Box girder
A box girder's main girder is also made of welded plates. This type of girder is commonly used
in the construction of high-speed railway bridges.
Parts of Launching Gantry

Parts of the Launching Gantry

1. Plate Girder
 a. A plate girder is a built-up I-beam section, used to carry heavy loads which
cannot be carried economically by rolled I-sections. It is made by riveting or
welding the steel plates in I-beam shape. Components of a typical Plate girder and
their functions are discussed in this article.
2. Rear Trolley
3. Rear Support
4. Middle Support
5. Front Support
Why do they use steel for Launching Gantry?
In the fields of construction and industrial machinery, the use of higher strength steel is promoted
in view of the needs for reducing weight.
1. Size
With its ability to carry heavy precast concretes for bridge construction.
Launching gantry’s size must also be massive in order to carry heavy beams,
with a lot of available options in steel connection. Steel is the perfect material
for massive machineries like Launching Gantry.
2. Function
In order to construct with Launching Gantry, Installation of the device in the
area is necessary. From installation of the machine to its main function, steel
portrays a significant role from being a light weight material.
3. Production
Steel is widely visible in the worlds different industries, most specially in the
construction industry. With the high demand of steel in the market, production
for parts of Launching Gantry is not an issue to resolve.
Launching Gantry in the Philippines

Launchin
g gantry in the #CebuBridge, The Philippines | ACCIONA
References

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http://en.vsl.cz/segmental-bridges/1-balanced-cantilever-erection-with-launching-gantry/

http://en.vsl.cz/segmental-bridges/1-balanced-cantilever-erection-with-launching-gantry/

Design review of self-launching gantries and MSS. BridgeTech. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21,
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https://www.bridgetech-world.com/blogs/the-bridge-club/design-review-of-self-launching-
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https://www.jfe-steel.co.jp/en/research/report/002/pdf/002-06.pdf

Wikimedia Foundation. (2020, December 29). Launching gantry. Wikipedia. Retrieved March
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%20gantry%20(also%20called,segments%20or%20precast%20girders%20in

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launching_gantry#:~:text=A%20launching%20gantry%20(also
%20called,segments%20or%20precast%20girders%20in

YouTube. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=kgtC9K_YLHw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgtC9K_YLHw

Author Andy Holtmann, About the Author Andy Holtmann is Marketing Content & PR Manager
at Viewpoint. He has worked in the construction software arena since 2011. Previously he
served as a multi-award-winning newspaper and trade media editor. , Author, A. the, Andy
Holtmann is Marketing Content & PR Manager at Viewpoint. He has worked in the
construction software arena since 2011. Previously he served as a multi-award-winning
newspaper and trade media editor., Follow on Linkedin Visit Website More Content by
Andy Holtmann, Linkedin, F. on, Website, V., & Holtmann, M. C. by A. (2020, April 26).
4 key benefits of mobile construction technologies and 12 ways they improve field
functionality. Construction Industry Data. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from
https://constructible.trimble.com/construction-industry/4-key-benefits-of-mobile-
construction-technologies-and-12-ways-they-improve-field-functionality
https://constructible.trimble.com/construction-industry/4-key-benefits-of-mobile-construction-
technologies-and-12-ways-they-improve-field-functionality

YouTube. (2021). YouTube. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=rMyzBxULvHo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMyzBxULvHo