Gantry &
Overhead Cranes

Gantry and overhead crane systems are industrial lifting solutions used to move heavy or bulky loads in a controlled manner within production, maintenance and storage areas. The crane type is determined by the weight of the load, the working span, the lifting height, the frequency of operation and the geometry of the facility.

Overhead cranes generally travel on load-bearing columns and runway beams inside a production building. With gantry cranes, by contrast, the loads are transferred to the ground through the crane's own legs. As a result, the structural connections of the two systems, and the effects of their loads on the existing structure, can differ considerably.

A Crane System Must Be Planned as a Whole

In industrial crane projects, looking only at the capacity of the hoisting mechanism is not enough. Crane girders, rails, wheel loads, connecting elements, the power supply system and maintenance areas must all be assessed within the same design.

Rayf Teknik's experience in structural steel and tall industrial structures is a significant advantage when detailing the load-bearing structures to which crane systems are connected. In new facilities, the structural connections for crane runways can be built in while the reinforced-concrete and steel designs are being prepared.

Where heavy equipment is to be attached to reinforced-concrete structures built by the slipform method – such as silos, industrial chimneys or process towers – the necessary embedded plates and structural anchorages must be prepared during construction. Designing these details in advance, rather than creating new connection points in the concrete after the slipform has risen, allows much more controlled work.

Slipform technology is not a crane system, nor is it a direct part of crane manufacturing. On large industrial projects, however, the two disciplines can work hand in hand on the same site. Particularly where process equipment must be lifted to high elevations or heavy components moved during plant maintenance, the lifting systems need to be compatible with the structural design.

Preparing the structural steel members used in crane manufacture to the correct dimensions, executing welds and connections in line with the design, and precisely aligning the rail axes during erection all have a direct impact on operating performance.

On gantry and overhead crane projects, Rayf Teknik aims to develop engineering solutions tailored to the facility's existing structure, the load to be lifted and the intended use. Drawing on its site experience in structural steel, reinforced concrete and slipform construction, the company treats a crane not merely as a machine but as a handling system that works together with the structure it is connected to.

A well-planned crane system streamlines production flow while allowing maintenance and heavy-lift operations to be carried out in a more orderly way.