Metallurgist. Vol. 42. No. 3.

1998

ANALYSIS OF THE LOADING AND REINFORCEMENT OF THE

RUNWAY GIRDERS OF OVERHEAD-TRAVELLING CRANES IN

METALLURGICAL SHOPS

S. D. Gartsman, A. A. Zhukov, V. I. Karasev, UDC 621.874.6

Z. P. Karetnyi, Yu. A. Rubanovich, and A. A. Filatov

The runway girders of overhead-travelling cranes in metallurgical shops are subjected to cyclic loading in service. Such
loading leads to the formation of fatigue cracks at the juncture of the top flange and web of the girders [ 1, 2].
As was shown in [3], the bridge may undergo rotation in the horizontal plane during acceleration or braking of the
crane. In this case, impacts of the truck wheels or trolley wheels against the rails may create intensive dynamic horizontal
(lateral) loads.
Substantial lateral compressive or tensile stresses may also be created if the distance between the rails in plan deviates
from the design value by an amount greater than the gap between the rails and the truck or trolley wheels [2].
The lateral loads reach 500-600 kN (50-60 ton-f) for the 50/12.5-ton cranes in sheet shop No. 3 of the Novolipetsk
Metallurgical Combine. These loads are comparable in magnitude to the vertical pressure exerted by the wheels on the rails
and are 20-30 times greater than the loads for which the girders were designed [3].
To evaluate the fatigue strength of the runway girders, we calculated the stresses created with the combined action of
vertical and lateral forces. To do this, the actual structure of a runway girder, with the rail and the brake plate, was represented
in the form of a beam that had vertical ribs and was hinged to the column of the shop building (Fig. 1).
A vertical force Qv and a horizontal force Qb act on the beam at the distance ZQ from the axis of the column. This
distance can vary from 0 to a value equal to the length of the runway girder. The force Qh is applied to the head of the rail
at the distance YQ from the top flange 1. It is assumed that Qh > 0 with the direction of the force being "toward the brake
plate" (as depicted in Fig. 1) and that Qh < 0 when the force is directed ~away from the brake plate."
Proceeding on the basis of the data in [1], we took fatigue strength as being determined by the equivalent stresses %
= a I - o-3, where a I and o"3 are the principal stresses (orI > 0"3). Fatigue damage accumulates when the equivalent stresses
exceed the limiting value - - which is on the order of 160 MPa for carbon steel 3sp, for example. This in turn leads to the
formation of fatigue cracks and fracture.
The stresses were analyzed by the finite-element method for a crane substructure with a KR-80 rail (YQ = 110 mm).
The main geometric characteristics of the runway girder are shown below, mm:
Length of runway girder (length of span) 12000
Distance between ribs:
of runway girder 1500
of brake plate 1000
Top flange:
width 400
thickness 25
Web:
height 1353
thickness 22
Bottom flange:
,.~idth 400
thickness 22
Brake plate:
width 1200
thickness 6

Novolipetsk Metallurgical Combine and the All-Union Scientific Research, Planning, and Design Institute of
Metallurgical Machinery (VNllMetmash). Translated from Metallurg, No. 3, pp. 21-22, March, 1998.

92 0026-0894/98/0304-0092520.00 ©1998 Plenum Publishing Corporation

 Or/

Fig. 1. Cross-section of a runway girder: 1) top flange; 2) web; 3)

bottom flange; 4) rail; 5) brake plate; 6) support of brake plate (the
remaining notation is explained in the text).

With allowance for the load-carrying capacity and weight of the crane, we took Qv = 500 kN as the vertical force;
the horizontal force varied within the range - 2 Q v < Qh < 2Qv.
The stresses were determined o n the lateral surfaces of the vertical web in the section located the distance Ya = 20
mm from the top flange (points a and b in Fig. 1). Fatigue cracks usually form in near this section.
It was established that in section a-b the maximum equivalent stresses develop in the region under the point of load
application and around the vertical rib closest to this point. The local increase in stresses is connected with the action of the
vertical force (seen in a narrow region under the point of load application) and the horizontal force (seen mainly within one
section, i.e., in the section between the ribs). It was determined that in this case fatigue damage begins to be accumulated when
the ratio Qh/Qv = +0.6, i.e., at Qh = +300 kN (30 ton-f). Since the ratio Qh/Qv may actually be greater than 1, the results
obtained here indicate that the above-indicated level of fatigue damage might be exceeded. Such a conclusion is borne out by
practical experience. Thus, the accumulation of fatigue damage and subsequent fracture may occur as a result of the combined
action of vertical and lateral loads.
One possible way of reducing the lateral loads is decreasing the difference between the speeds of the motors that move
the bridge during acceleration and braking of the crane [3]. It would also be expedient to find ways of strengthening the runway
girders.
Using a computational method devised for the given design of runway girder, we studied its stress state with allowance
for its reinforcement by brackets [2] (shown by the dashed line in Fig. 1). The top edges of the brackets are positioned the
distance Xb from the middle plane of the web of the girder.
Calculations confirmed weU-known f'mdings [2] on the expediency of using brackets to reinforce runway girders. The
calculations established (as a refinement of [2]) that there are optimum design parameters for which the installation of brackets
is most effective. For example, the most efficient brackets for the section being examined have a width of 200-220 mm and
thickness of 8-12 ram, with X b = 30-500 mm. The maximum stresses in the web of a beam with such brackets are nearly twice
as low as in the standard girder (without brackets). No fatigue damage is accumulated within the range -1.2Qv < Qh <
1.2Q v. Since the reduction just noted occurs only in the section containing the brackets, it would be best to reinforce the top
flange over the entire length of the girder. The accompanying increase in the weight of the girder would be no greater than
10-12%. Exceeding the indicated ranges for the design parameters increases the equivalent stresses and lowers the fatigue
strength of the girder.
The approach used here to analyzing the strength of crane-runway girders, when combined with the methods available
for evaluating the dynamic loads acting on these members [3], can be used to efficiently choose design modifications for
reinforcing the girders.

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REFERENCES

1. E. I. Belenya and K. K. Nazhdanov, "Endurance of the compressed region of the web of steel runway girders," Prom.
Stroit., No. 4, 40-43 (1976).
2. A. I. Kikin et al., Improving the Durability of the Metal Structures of Factory Buildings [in Russian], Stroizdat,
Moscow (1984).
3. S. D. Gartsman, B. T. Gorbulinskii, A. A. Zhukov, et al., "Improving the durability of elements of overhead-
travelling cranes and underlying structures by reducing dynamic loads," Metallurg, No. 2, 46 (1998).

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