A Cost-Effective Alternative to Lattice-Boom and Hydraulic Cranes

At one time, highway and heavy construction contractors would almost exclusively use towers and crawlers for job-site lifts. Now they are increasingly turning to overhead cranes for bridge, subway, and tunnel construction and repair.

Overhead bridge and gantry cranes:

• are available in capacities up to 150 tons and spans to 150 feet
• can power through and navigate inclines with custom engineering

Difficulties with Lattice Boom and Hydraulic Cranes

Consider a work zone of limited area - the removal of decks from sections of active roadway, for instance. There is typically not enough room to set up a lattice-boom or hydraulic crane, and therefore the crane must be erected outside the work zone, often requiring that parts of the road be closed to traffic. Such an operation is then restricted to a few nighttime hours—sometimes as few as five, with two reserved for setting up and taking down the crane. And since the work crew must be compensated for a full eight-hour shift, wasted operating costs soon grow exponentially.

Advantages to Using a Bridge or Gantry Crane

A Better Investment
With towers and crawlers, money is often spent on a rental or lease. When the job is complete, the customer does not own equipment with immense value. With the affordable overhead gantry and bridge crane alternative, the contractor owns a valuable piece of equipment that can either be resold, or converted for the next application at job’s end.

Works Well in Limited Space
Gantry cranes can operate in a limited area, meaning there’s no need for lane closures on the roadway or restrictions on the time of day that work is executed.

Gantry and bridge cranes are designed specifically for each job, so the dimensions of the work zone are rarely a problem. Overhead cranes also provide more flexibility with the type of work zone—they can even operate on the underside of an active bridge deck .

Requires Fewer Operators and Laborers
Since gantries can be powered by diesel generators and manipulated by radio control, they require fewer operators and laborers, resulting in lower operational costs, higher productivity, and the safer handling of loads.

Weighs Less
Gantry and bridge cranes also offer an advantage over tower and lattice-boom cranes when it comes to weight. Many roads—particularly those being rehabilitated—cannot withstand the considerable deadweight of a lattice-boom crane (280,000 lbs.) or hydraulic crane (400,000 lbs. or more). Gantries impose significantly lighter loads (up to 90% lighter).

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