Laboratory tests on a real crane runway girder with welded box section and eccentric wheel loading

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe design of crane runway girders is strongly affected by the local stresses at the web top due to wheel loads (mainly fatigue design, but also web buckling). A realistic approach of these local stresses due to centric and eccentric wheel loading is very important for economic design.In this paper, experimental tests on a real crane runway girder with welded box section are presented. Centric as well as eccentric wheel loading is investigated. The tests have been conducted with and without longitudinal stiffeners in the web under the crane rail. Therefore, the influence of these stiffeners on the local vertical stresses can be highlighted.For all tests, additional comprehensive finite element analyses have been conducted. The results of the numerical calculations are compared with the test results and with the predictions of a sophisticated engineering model that takes into account the typical load carrying behaviour of welded box sections.