Gantry crane design calculation
Check a mobile A-frame or column-type gantry crane with real numbers. Enter the load, the hoist and trolley, the beam profile, span and height, the end frames and the castors, then drag the hoist along the beam or use the slider. The calculator gives the allowable load at the most unfavourable trolley position, names the governing check and marks it in orange in the drawing. Free, in the browser, metric or imperial, with print to PDF.
How a gantry crane beam and frame carry the load
The beam spans between two end frames and carries the trolley on its bottom flange. The bending moment is highest with the trolley near mid span: M ≈ φ·q·L²/8 + ψ·F·L/4, where q is the beam self-weight, F the load plus hoist and trolley, and φ, ψ the dead and moving load factors. The castors and legs are most loaded with the trolley at a frame. The wheels also bend the bottom flange locally, which often governs light I-beams before the beam itself.
What the free gantry crane calculator checks
- Beam bending and shear, and the bottom flange under the trolley wheels (prEN 15011)
- Deflection from the moving load: L/500, L/900, L/1000, or L/600 for the total deflection to EN 1993-6
- Leg or column buckling, struts and base beam (EN 13001-3-1)
- Castor loads, push force and stability across the beam
- Bending moment, shear force and deflection diagrams for any trolley position, with the part beyond each limit in orange
The method reproduces worked examples from Górecki’s crane textbook and two gantry designs by the author, a 500 kg A-frame and a 2 t column-type gantry.
Free and Pro
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| A-frame and column end frames, all profiles and values | yes | yes |
| Beam, flange, deflection, legs, castors, stability | yes | yes |
| EN 13001 limit-state method, lateral–torsional buckling, custom sections | – | yes |
| Calculation report, saved projects, comparison of variants | – | yes |
The Pro version is in preparation.
From calculation to production drawings
The calculator sizes the beam, legs and castors; building the gantry needs the full design. papacad.com offers gantry crane CAD projects: 3D assemblies, STEP files, 2D production drawings in DWG and PDF, and a bill of materials, ready for a fabrication workshop. Check your load and profiles here, then use the drawings to cut, weld and assemble the crane.