Anyone built a bridge crane?

[jon1996]

I am thinking of building a Bridge Crane for my home shop, it is 30x40' wondering what size Ibeams to use for running the length of the shop which is 40' the using 8x8x1/4" for the cross which is 30' then i have a trolley to put a 2,000;b hoist on, any ideas that could help
jon

[weldbead]

uhh, how much load are you gonna lift?

[jon1996]

no more than a ton

[denrep]

No way 8x8 H will span 30' and carry a 2000# concentrated load.

You could try to reference something like an AISC Steel Construction Manual for some basic calculations, but this is going to get complicated fast.

If you could find a copy of an old shareware program, titled "Beam Cookbook" it would calculate some of this for you.

Good Luck

[Photo]

OK, if you really want to see a home-made bridge crane, go here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2122

'OldCarGuy' has the ultimate toy/work shop.

Post #53 on page 3 has some specs on what he used for his beam.

Lane

[Photo]

jon1996,

If you go to post #92 on page 5 of the above mentioned post, it gives a couple of references for beams and cranes.

Lane

[piniongear]

The closest I have come to that is building a hoist frame on 4 wheels.

I built the end frames with 2 inch pipe and rectangular tubing with pipe bracing........

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/piniongear/Welding/CopyofSeptember20040021.jpg

I used a 4 inch H-Beam across the top, and then put a trolley on the lower flange. Hooked my chain hoist to that.
Simple to make and it just bolts together.......

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/piniongear/Welding/September20040039Medium.jpg

You can lift and then roll the frame across the floor if you need to The trolley allows you to move the lifted item left to right.
. Not a bridge crane by any means though...... pg

[piniongear]

Here is the larger hoist frame I built at home, then loaded it up in my short bed pick up and tranported it to the boat shed 70 miles away. Previous pics show it set up in the shed where I used it to remove the 140HP Evinrude from the boat. The frame is 12 ft tall...............

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/piniongear/Welding/September20040022.jpg

Later, I needed another one to use around the house, so I built a smaller hoist (10 ft tall) so I could get it under the carport. Unbolts for storage in just a few minutes. Also used a 4 inch H-Beam for this one too.
Pic shows it painted, but no wheels yet and not bolted together.......

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/piniongear/Welding/September20040014.jpg.

[A_DAB_will_do]

pinion gear,

I like the lifting framework. Do you have any accurate ideas about what the lifting capacity is for that setup? How about stationary lifts vs. rolling the frame with a suspended load?

[piniongear]

pinion gear,

I like the lifting framework. Do you have any accurate ideas about what the lifting capacity is for that setup? How about stationary lifts vs. rolling the frame with a suspended load?
I use a 1-1/2 Ton chain hoist on it, but of course that does not determine the lift capacity.
The beam is a 4 inch 'H' beam that is 8 ft long. The best that I can determine is this will support lifting a ton or better in the middle.
The boat engine weighs approx 300 lbs and the hoist did not even notice that.

It is easy to roll the frame across a concrete floor. To turn it is a bit more trouble because I installed non swivel wheels (on purpose), but all you have to do is pull one side and push the other side and it turns quickly........ pg

[sdonecker]

Beam deflection calculator:
http://www.engineersedge.com/beam_bending/calculators_protected/beam_deflection_2.htm

Section properties of various I beams:
http://www.engineersedge.com/standard_material/Steel_ibeam_properties.htm

[garnification]

I got a gantry crane from HF. Back when I bought it it was 500 bucks. Its adjustable from 8' to 12' tall with built in winches on each leg. I widened it out to 12' though. I put two trolleys and 2,1 ton chain hoists on it. I couldn't of built it for that money and options.