Building A Crane Runway

Rick Rowlands · Apr 29, 2010

I've been down in Steubenville, OH for the past couple of months dismantling a Westinghouse Corliss cross compound steam engine. Removing this 150 ton engine is quite the challenge, as the power house that it is housed in is quite small and there is quite a bit of stuff all around making for some cramped quarters. There is an overhead crane in the power house, however it stops short of the engine. To use the crane for dismantling the engine it was neccessary to extend the crane runways another 30 feet. These photos are of the runway installation.

Setting the southeast column.

Lifting a 20" dia. piece of seamless pipe into position for the southwest column.

Both of the columns in position and ready for the runway.

Sliding the crane runway girder into position to be lifted. We didn't have any rail so we used some 1 1/2" x 3" flat bar that was found in the next building.

Rick Rowlands · Apr 29, 2010

Lifting the girder with two chainfalls, with a chain puller providing a side pull to keep the girder from hitting the columns.

The northwest column has to be 24' long as there is a pit where it has to go that is 12' deep. We found this piece of 20" dia. pipe that is 21' long. It has to go over the bedplate then take a nosedive into the pit.

Rick Rowlands · Apr 29, 2010

Down she goes!

In position.

North runway beam going in.

Rick Rowlands · Apr 29, 2010

Girder resting on the bedplates ready to lift.

Runway in position. I just have to fabricate a 34 1/2" filler for the nw column and a 6" filler for the NE column, weld and bolt everything in place, extend the crane conductor bars and it will be ready for service!

Nothing to it!!!

BTW, you may wonder why the new girder isn't as deep as the old ones. Well the old runway girders are 20' span, while these are 15' span. Both can handle equal load.

Robert Campbell Jr. · Apr 29, 2010

You are a national treasure Rick!

Bob

Gary E · Apr 29, 2010

Rick...when you were a kid, did you play with erector sets??...
Man, I dont know how you do all this...just dont get hurt.

GregSY · Apr 29, 2010

You would be my idol if you told me you were also having sex with Jennifer Aniston.

WizardOfBoz · Apr 29, 2010

Rick,

This is a really interesting project and thanks for sharing.

Jim

Armenius · Apr 29, 2010

An engineer is someone who can do for a dollar what any fool can achieve with ten.

Congratulations!

Arminius

Rick Rowlands · Apr 30, 2010

All that work is just to get us ready to start removing the engine. The real magic happens when we try to start moving out 20 ton engine parts!

SAG 180 · Apr 30, 2010

It looks great!, I wish I had room in my shed for a overhead hoist system. Do the pillars require any sideways bracing with cables for such a lift?.

Rick Rowlands · Apr 30, 2010

I'll laterally brace the ends of the girders by tyingthem into the end wall. The northwest (long) column will also be laterally braced to the roof truss. The southwest column will not be braced. On overhead crane systems as long as one girder is laterally braced the flanges on the crane wheels will keep the other side in line.

Tom1 · Apr 30, 2010

From the pictures it looks scary to me...

Whats the compression load rating of thread pipe and flanges?

Is there any math done on all this? The span of the open side looks very long for twenty tons. Could be the photos don't really show the scale of things.

Going to do a 125% test load?

Please be careful, this stuff falls quick...

Rick Rowlands · Apr 30, 2010

Yes we have done the calculations on all of the components in this design.

The pipe columns are 20" dia. 1/2" wall seamless. Way overkill for this design. The flanges are not carrying any load as the end of the pipe buts up against the plate above it. Remember its not 20 tons but 12 tons since we will be making all heavy lifts at the mid point of the crane which is where the C/L of the crankshaft is.

Tom1 · Apr 30, 2010

Yes we have done the calculations on all of the components in this design.

I am glad

I am not being a nay sayer or being down on it, just worried about everyone's safety.

Rick Rowlands · May 5, 2010

YouTube - First Run of Crane on New Runway

First run of the crane over the new runway.

JHOLLAND1 · May 5, 2010

crane looks good Rick. great lighting for video.

jh

reggie_obe · May 6, 2010

Were did you find the contactor bars for the runway? Any possibility of finding enough "extra" for the crane over the Tod engine?

Rick Rowlands · May 6, 2010

We extended the existing bars which are 1 1/2" angle. For our Morgan crane we will use ductobar and I think we have enough of it for the initial 60 ft. run of the crane.

reggie_obe said:
Were did you find the contactor bars for the runway? Any possibility of finding enough "extra" for the crane over the Tod engine?

loggerhogger · May 6, 2010

Nice job Rick. sure wish I lived closer.

Building A Crane Runway

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