Crane runways: what an overhead crane demands

October 10, 2026  ·  Indumor

Adding an overhead crane to a building is not hanging a gadget: it doubles the demands on the structure. Dynamic loads, braking forces, impacts and thousands of cycles per year. At Indumor we fabricate the structures that make it possible.

Runway girders: the heart of the system

The crane rolls on them its whole life. They are usually built-up girders sized for bending, fatigue and torsion, with the rail aligned and fixed precisely. A poorly fabricated runway eats crane wheels and multiplies maintenance.

Reinforced columns and brackets

A crane building carries heavier columns, with brackets or stepped columns to support the runway, and longitudinal bracing that absorbs braking forces. That is why you decide on the crane BEFORE building: reinforcing afterwards costs double.

Tolerances: no forgiveness here

Rail gauge, level and alignment work in millimeters across tens of meters. Our fabrication with laser cutting and dimensional verification delivers runways erectors thank you for.

What if the building already exists?

We evaluate the existing structure: sometimes it takes a light crane with local reinforcement; sometimes an independent structure is better (freestanding crane portals that never touch the building). We fabricate and install both.

Checklist for your project

• Crane capacity and span: they define everything else.
• Duty class: 5 lifts a day is not 50 lifts an hour.
• Required hook height: drives columns and runway elevation.
• The future: a second crane someday? Providing for it today is cheap.

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