Dlubal’s stand-alone programme called CRANEWAY has been added to the portfolio of programmes we use for steel structure design. The programme carries out crane runway girder design and complete analysis according to EN 1993‑6 (Eurocode 3), with a host of National Annexes readily available as well as an optional feature to add user-defined annexes with specific limit values and parameters. Options for designing by crane type (bridge or suspension crane) are also available.
CRANEWAY shares the user-friendliness that characterises other Dlubal programmes, as it allows for complicated analyses and designs to be carried out in a simple and comprehensive manner. Input options are quick, easy, and clearly structured into separate input windows. Support conditions are defined based on various support types (hinged, hinged movable, rigid, etc.); hinges can also be inserted optionally, and the arrangement of rigid and deformable stiffeners is variable. CRANEWAY gives graphic representation and 3D visualization of nearly all input data and offers import of cross-sections from an extensive RSTAB/RFEM library.
CRANEWAY allows for analysing the actions of up to three simultaneously operated cranes by selecting a standard crane from the library or by manually entering the required data. The programme analyses all combinations of limit states (ultimate limit state, fatigue, deformation, and support forces) for each crane position. Upon defining the loadings, the programme creates load cases that are combined in load positions, with three load combinations for each load position. Each load combination is calculated with three loading levels in order to determine the internal forces for the general stress and deformation analyses, or the fatigue design. The internal forces of a crane runway girder are calculated according to the second-order analysis.
All results are clearly arranged into separate results windows by topics. Design values are illustrated in corresponding cross-section graphics.
CRANEWAY performs stress analysis of crane runways and welds, fatigue design of crane runways and welds (for up to three simultaneously operated cranes), deformation analysis, stability analysis for lateral torsional buckling (1D FEA element), etc.
The general stress analysis of a crane girder is done by calculating the existing stresses and comparing them with the limit normal, shear and equivalent stresses. This analysis is also done for welds with regard to parallel and vertical shear stresses and their superposition.
The lateral-torsional buckling analysis is performed in accordance with the second-order analysis considering imperfections.
We have used CRANEWAY for a project by our partners Saltängen, Sweden, for the structural design and drawings of a runway beam. The project required adding a runway for a 22m-span bridge crane to the existing hall structure. The runway is a three-span continuous beam with a total length of 24m. CRANEWAY was used to perform the general stress analysis and fatigue design, stability and deformation analyses and, as a result, the cross-section for HEA 260 beams was applied. The girder is supported on the brackets on the existing SHS section. The brackets were designed in Dlubal RFEM using the support forces resulting from the CRANEWAY design. The design required for the girder splices to be fitted in the start and end quarters of the intermediate span. These splices were designed in Idea StatiCa.
