What is the span of a bridge crane?

Bridge cranes are the most commonly used lifting equipment in workshops. The span of a bridge crane refers to the distance between the centerlines of the two rails on its running track. It is denoted as: L. The unit is typically: M (meter).

The span of a bridge crane is directly related to the length of its main girder and influences the structural design of the main girder. Therefore, it is a critical parameter. If the user's factory building is steel-structured, the design firm will have already planned the crane's load-bearing beams, rails, and other components. The user can determine the bridge crane's span based on the center-to-center distance between the two rails.

For retrofitted facilities with older concrete structures requiring installation of load-bearing beams and rails on the gable ends, the track center distance is significantly influenced by the building width. To ensure proper installation and operation of the bridge crane, a minimum clearance of 25 centimeters must be maintained between the single-girder bridge crane rails and the building edge. For double-girder bridge cranes, a 40 cm clearance is required. Users can use this clearance to install load-bearing beams and rails, as well as calculate the bridge crane span.

Relationship Between Crane Span and Building Span The span (width) of a steel structure building and the span of a bridge crane are distinct concepts. The width of a steel structure workshop building is a key factor influencing the crane span. Generally, knowing the building span allows calculation of the approximate crane girder span. The calculation method for building span and crane span is as follows:

Lo = Lk + 2s, where Lo is the workshop span, Lk is the bridge crane span, and S is the distance between the bridge crane beam axis and the workshop axis. For medium-sized workshops, S is typically 0.75m. Example (answer for reference only): If a 10-ton crane with a 16.5m span is provided, your workshop span should be 18m, with the workshop axis aligned flush with the outer edge of the columns. If a 50-ton crane with a 22.5m span is provided, select a 24m building span. In this case, extending the outer edge of the columns 250mm beyond the building axis is appropriate (as the larger crane tonnage requires a larger column cross-section, potentially making the 750mm clearance insufficient for installing the crane beam).

When calculating bridge crane spans, we typically reference the inner distance between the end columns within the building (i.e., the building's internal width). Subtracting 50 cm from this inner distance yields the approximate span for a single-girder crane. Subtracting 80 cm gives the approximate span for a double-girder crane. This calculated span closely matches the actual span. When customers place orders, we provide a detailed data diagram to confirm the precise span.