20.

Gantry Alignment
Crane gantries will generally be constructed as ‘top running’ or ‘under-slung’. Top running gantries are
supported in various ways.

The latticed stanchion shown below tends to provide a lighter and more rigid structure since the transverse
loading at the track level are all virtually transmitted through a very stiff column to the foundations.

The method of gantry support shown below, although cheaper to produce, could have problems of fatigue
with the cantilever brackets if the crane is in constant use.

185

The support steelwork shown in the illustration below provides direct support for gantry girders, additional
stiffness and no tie bars are required.

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After a number of years, gantry installations can suffer from what is known as ‘settlement’ which can affect
the track levels and span. This is caused by the settling of the building foundations.

Serious misalignment of a crane track will cause the crane to bind and bias to one side of the track rather
than float.

The immediate effect is to cause rapid wear on the crane runner flanges reducing their working life, often
from years to months.

Misalignment will often be found to occur only in certain areas when the crane lifts continually heavy loads,
for example, a loading bay when the loads are all concentrated before they are dispersed to various parts
of the building.

Free Standing Crane Gantries

If a building has not been designed to support a crane gantry then the gantry and stanchion may be totally
free standing so that no load is transmitted to the building structure, (See Fig. 4 below).

The illustration below shows three methods of making gantry columns. Types A and B are braced and
therefore are very stiff. Type C, which is usually an edge on universal beam or column, are normally for
lightly loaded light duty cranes. The Tester and Examiner will find that with rapid reversals of the crab unit
type C will tend to resonate. With type C columns, down-shop surge bracings will be required.

186

Gantry Girders
Generally manufactured from universal beams the girder will sit on top of the column cap with a packing
allowance. The girder web should be laterally supported to provide a rigid connection at the cap. If two
beams are joined at the cap they must be properly spliced with splice plates either side.

Note that the beam section used for the column is extended past the capping plate to support lateral
bracing.

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Bridge Rails
Depending on the duty, the bridge rail will have a profile similar to one of those shown below, but more
often than not for light duties this will be square bar.

These rails are normally fixed by intermittent welding and if not welded with the rail securely clamped to
the beam weld, cracking will occur in service.

187

It is normal to offset the rail joint from the girder splice either bolting the overlap or welding on site. A 45°
scarf joint is preferred thus avoiding point load contact at the join:

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Gantry Rail Clips

Gantry Foundations

Foundation design is the responsibility of the Civil Engineer. He would be provided with foundation bolts 188
and a template to set their position. He will be informed what loadings his foundation will be required to
take. The steel erector will then erect on the prepared foundations:

With set in holding down bolts, these are cast into pockets which allow them to float. Once the erector has
set out his stanchions, lining and levelling the caps, the stanchion bases are grouted. When the grouting is
set, loose bolts can be tightened up and the erection completed.
The crane and gantry will be tested whilst the foundation bolts are exposed so that they may be checked
after testing.

Grouted Anchors
Some foundations anchors are provided by the civil engineers set into
cones, allowing an amount of movement at the top of the anchors in
order that they align with the column fixing holes.

Once the column in place, a non-shrink grout is poured into the

foundation to set the anchors in place.
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Gantry Alignment
When considering alignment of the crane supporting structure (gantry) the Competent Person should refer
to the manufacturer’s specifications for crane running tolerances.

In the absence of such information, reference can be sought from BS466 and ISO12488, depending on the
standard to which the structure was designed.

For in-service overhead cranes, it is likely that over a period of time the gantry will move; the original
tolerances will then be exceeded. This can be caused by settlement of the structure or general vibrations
and stresses resultant from the crane movements.

The types of gantry alignment issues that are commonly found are:

x Level differences between the gantry rail heights

x Span differences between the gantry rails (parallel running)
x Line deviation of individual gantry rails
x Inclination of tracks in the vertical position

Notes:

189

Gantry Levels Out of Tolerance

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Gantry Rail Line Problem

Possible Span and/or Line Problem

190

Notes:

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Gantry Tolerances

BS 466 and ISO 12488-1 specify the dimensional and geometrical tolerances of tracks for top running and
under-slung cranes. BS 466 lists standard tolerances for all cranes, whereas ISO12488-1 has varied
tolerances depending on the crane classification.

In the absence of manufacturers’ specifications, the classification of a crane, as stated in ISO 12488-1 can
be calculated as follows:

The classification of the long travel drive mechanism (from ISO 4301-1) will provide the amount of service
hours (S)

L (Km travelled in crane life) = service hours (S) multiplied by the travel speed x 60

Example:

ISO 12488-1 Tolerances - M5 Duty Crane

Service hours (6,300 hours) x 32 metres/min x 60

= 12096 Km, therefore as per the table below, it would be in tolerance Class 2
and have a span tolerance of +/- 5mm.

ISO 12488-1 Tolerances

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BS 466 Tolerances

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BS 466 and ISO 12488
Tolerances

BS 466 Tolerances
The tolerance on span should be as follows:

x ѐS ч 3mm where S < 15m

x ѐS ч 3mm + 0.25 (S 15)mm where S > 15m 192
x ѐS Max = 15mm

Misalignment of track running surfaces in the vertical plane

x ȴ H ч 0.001S
x ȴ H Max = 10mm

Tolerances on track width under-slung only

x ȴ W = 0.025W

Track Straightness
For the total length of track, the maximum lateral deviation from the straight line mean datum should not
exceed 10mm.

Local lateral deviation at any point of the track should not be greater than L/2000, measured over a length
L of not less than 2m on a line parallel to the straight line mean datum.
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Permissible Deviation in the Vertical Plane
For the total length of the track, the maximum vertical deviation from the theoretical datum line should
not exceed 10mm. The theoretical datum line may be the true horizontal line or a theoretical camber line.

Local vertical deviation at any point of the track should not be greater than L/2000, measured over a length
L of not less than 2m on a line parallel to theoretical datum.

Running Surface Permissible Transverse Inclination from the Horizontal Datum Position

193

Notes:

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Measurement of Crane Tracks

When measuring crane tracks, calibrated steel measuring tapes should be used. It is important that the
readings obtained are corrected to allow for sag in the tape and for temperature variation. All track
measurements for a particular crane should be made with the same measuring tape and the same applied
tension force.

Gantry and Crane Surveys

We have previously noted that the major cause of wear on crane wheels and tracks is misalignment.

This could be misalignment of the track or misalignment of the crane.

Check crane against end stops until buffers are touching, run crane back along track and come back to end
stops. Should buffers not both be touching then the crane or buffers are out of line, but in any case this
would suggest movement of the bridge girder connections.
194

Gantry Bridge Survey

A crane bridge can be checked for serious misalignment whilst on the track, it is not easy and requires
accurate measurements. The following checks should be made to establish any serious misalignment:

1. Check end carriages for parallelism

2. Check crane wheels for diameter and flange wear
3. Check crane wheels alignment in end carriages
4. Check crane wheel diagonals, i.e. from centre line of tread plumb down to rail, if not plumb down
from axles
5. Check for issues with long travel drive and/or braking mechanisms

If the crane appears reasonable the gantry should be checked.

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 Notes:

Line and Level Surveys

The Competent Person may be able to look along a crane track and detect serious misalignment. A line and
level survey would then be required to decide what remedial action will be necessary.

Line Check
1. Working from a datum point, e.g. a string line stretched the length of the gantry, the horizontal
variations of the track would be measured and tabulated using numbered stanchions for reference
195
2. Using a steel tape and tension gauge, the span of the tracks could be measured at the numbered
stanchion positions
3. The design office would lay those dimensions out as a drawing using an exaggerated scale for the
track variation

Level Check
Again working from a datum level, using either a dumpy level or some other means, deviations from the
datum level would be noted at the stanchion positions for both tracks.

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Line and Level Drawings

This drawing would show deviation in lines and levels and allow a decision to be made as to how best
remedial action could be taken.

By adjusting the datum lines it may be possible to reduce the amount of remedial work required.

Great care must be taken to ensure end clearances are maintained between crane and steelwork.

Notes:

196

Levelling

Accurate levelling is far more difficult to achieve since we need to measure from an imaginary line. The
traditional method is the dumpy or automatic optical level used in conjunction with a staff.

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Line and Levelling
Positioning a dumpy (optical level) for sighting gantry rails will often need improvisation. Engineers tend to
make up their own attachments for clamping to gantry rails etc.

The level is set up using a built-in bubble, similar to a spirit level except the glass is spherical, with a circular
reticule thus providing a 360° level.

The optical level, once set up, provides our datum from which variations can be calculated as previously
explained.

Laser Levelling
A more recent innovation is the laser leveller. Power operated, the
laser leveller will automatically plumb itself. 197

The laser beam is then rotated and becomes a continuous

horizontal reference until switched off. Having set the laser the
engineer can walk to where he wishes to measure and take a
reading off the staff which is power operated and automatically
seeks out the laser beam.

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