Goliath Crane

The goliath crane is a bridge-type crane in which the horizontal bridge is set on two legs to form a gantry shape. This kind of crane runs on ground tracks and is mainly used for handling and installation operations in open storage yards, shipyards, power stations, ports, railway cargo stations, etc.

Structure of goliath crane

The hoisting mechanism, trolley operating mechanism and bridge structure of the goliath crane are basically the same as those of the bridge crane. Due to the large span, most crane operating mechanisms adopt separate driving methods to prevent the crane from skewing and increasing resistance and even causing accidents. The lifting trolley of the goliath crane runs on the bridge frame, and some lifting trolleys are just jib-type cranes. The legs on both sides of the bridge are generally rigid legs; when the span exceeds 30 meters, one side is often a rigid leg, and the other side is a flexible leg connected to the bridge through a ball hinge, making the gantry a statically determined system. This can avoid additional stress caused by lateral thrust under the action of external load, and can also compensate for the longitudinal temperature deformation of the bridge. 

The goliath crane has a large wind area. In order to prevent sliding or overturning under the action of strong wind, it is equipped with anemometer and crane rail clamp interlocked with the operating mechanism. The bridge can be without cantilevers at both ends; it can also be cantilevered at one end or with cantilevers at both ends to expand the operating range. The semi-gantry crane bridge has outriggers at one end and no outriggers at the other end, and runs directly on the high platform.

Types of goliath cranes

• Ordinary goliath crane

This type of crane is the most widely used and can transport various finished items and bulk materials. The lifting capacity is less than 100 tons and the span is 4 to 35 meters. Ordinary goliath cranes with grab buckets work at a higher level.

• Hydropower station goliath crane

This crane type is mainly used for lifting and opening and closing gates, and can also be used for installation operations. The lifting capacity reaches 80-500 tons, the span is small, 8-16 meters, and the lifting speed is low, 1-5 meters/min. Although this kind of crane is not frequently lifted, the work is very heavy once it is used, so the work level must be appropriately increased.

• Shipbuilding goliath crane

The shipbuilding goliath crane is used for assembling ship hulls on the slipway. There are two lifting trolleys: one has two main hooks, running on the track on the upper flange of the bridge; the other has a main hook and an auxiliary hook, on the The bridge runs on rails on the lower flange to facilitate the flipping and lifting of large hull segments. The lifting capacity is generally 100 to 1500 tons; the span is up to 185 meters; the lifting speed is 2 to 15 meters/min, and there is also a micro-movement speed of 0.1 to 0.5 meters/min.

• Container goliath crane

The container crane is used in container terminals. After the trailers transport the containers unloaded from the ship by the quay wall container carrying bridge to the yard or rear, they are stacked by the container gantry crane or directly loaded and transported away, which can speed up the turnover of the container carrying bridge or other cranes. A yard that can stack containers with 3 to 4 layers in height and 6 rows in width is usually of tire type, but rail type is also used. Compared with container straddle trucks, container goliath cranes have larger spans and heights on both sides of the mast. In order to meet the transportation needs of port terminals, this kind of crane has a higher working level. The lifting speed is 35 to 52 meters/min; the span is determined by the number of rows of containers that need to be spanned, and the maximum is about 60 meters. The lifting capacity of the container for "single box" operation is about 40.5 tons, and for "double 20-foot container" operation The lifting capacity is available in two specifications: 61 tons and 65 tons.

Precautions of goliath gantry cranes

1. When lifting heavy objects, the hook wire rope should be kept vertical, and the lifted object is not allowed to be dragged diagonally.

2. The center of gravity of the lifted heavy objects should be found accurately and tied firmly. Sharp angles should be padded with wooden skids.

3. The crane is not allowed to rotate before the heavy object is lifted off the ground.

4. When lifting or lowering heavy objects, the speed should be even and steady to avoid sudden changes in speed, which may cause the heavy objects to swing in the air and cause danger. When dropping heavy objects, the speed should not be too fast to avoid breaking the heavy objects when they hit the ground.

5. When the crane is lifting a heavy load, try to avoid the lifting arm. When the boom must be lifted while lifting, the lifting weight shall not exceed 50% of the specified weight.

6. When the crane is rotating while lifting a heavy load, you should pay close attention to whether there are any obstacles around it. If there are any obstacles, try to avoid or remove them.

7. No one should stay under the crane boom, and try to avoid people passing through.

8. When two cranes operate on the same track, the distance between the two cranes should be greater than 3m.

9. When two cranes lift an object together, the lifting capacity shall not exceed 75% of the total lifting capacity of the two cranes, and the walking and lifting movements of the two cranes must be consistent.

10. Lifting and luffing wire ropes need to be inspected once a week and records should be kept. Specific requirements must be implemented in accordance with relevant regulations on lifting wire ropes.

11. When the truck is traveling or turning without an empty vehicle, the hook should be at least 2m above the ground.

12. When the wind strength exceeds Level 6, work should be stopped immediately. TMK should turn the boom to the downwind direction and lower it appropriately, and hang the hook firmly. The goliath crane must have an iron wedge (rail stop) and raise the hook to the upper limit. At the same time, close the doors and windows, cut off the power supply, and pull the wind rope. This should also be done after work is completed.

13. It is strictly forbidden to stack miscellaneous objects on the crane platform to prevent them from falling and injuring people during operation. Frequently used tools should be placed in a special tool box in the operating room.

14. During operation, it is not allowed to change speed suddenly or reverse the vehicle to avoid causing heavy objects to swing in the air. It is also not allowed to operate more than two operating mechanisms (including auxiliary hooks) at the same time.

15. When driving, the operator's hands must not leave the controller. If a malfunction occurs suddenly during operation, measures should be taken to safely lower the heavy object, then cut off the power supply and carry out repairs.

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