TABLE OF CONTENTS Two out of every five metal building systems are constructed for manufacturing facilities where cranes are frequently needed for material handling. A building crane is a complex structural system that consists of the actual crane with trolley and hoist, crane rails with their fastenings, crane runway beams, structural supports, stops, and bumpers. A motorized crane would also include electrical and mechanical components that are not discussed here. Our discussion is further limited to interior building cranes.
The main focus of this chapter is on proper integration of the crane and the metal building into one coordinated and interconnected system. Any attempts to add a heavy crane to the already designed and constructed pre-engineered building are likely to be fraught with frustration, high costs, and inefficiencies. If the required planning is done beforehand, however, a cost-effective solution is much more likely. We are also interested in a relationship among the three main parties with design responsibilities architect-engineer, metal building manufacturer, and crane supplier. Occasionally, disputes arise when the contract documents do not clearly delineate their respective roles in the project.
Several types of cranes are suitable for industrial metal building systems, the most common being bridge cranes (either top-running or underhung), monorail, and jib cranes. Occasionally, stacker and gantry cranes may be required for unique warehousing and manufacturing needs. Jib, monorail, and bridge cranes are examined here in this sequence in order of increasing structural demands imposed on a pre-engineered structure. Constraints of space...
