Single‑Girder Bridge Crane for a Warehouse - Budget, Capabilities, and Coordination

Summary

Plan a single-girder bridge crane with confidence. The article maps the key capability trade-offs (capacity, duty class, span/hook height, controls, environment) and the biggest budget drivers (crane/hoist architecture, runway support, reroutes, special conditions).

It highlights what MEP must lock early—envelopes and keep-outs, feeders with a lockable disconnect, electrification path, and tolerances—so other trades can route cleanly. A concise plan-through-turnover sequence and acceptance checklist define “done” and help you commission a safe, compliant crane on schedule.

1) Single girder crane add-ons and capabilities

Single‑girder bridges handle light‑to‑medium duty work with efficient use of steel and headroom. They shine in moderate spans and everyday lifts (assembly, maintenance, shipping/receiving, mold change, die set, fixture moves).

If your program involves heavier loads, longer spans, or continuous cycles, take note: duty class, runway stiffness, and hoist selection may prompt you to consider a heavier single girder specification or a double girder alternative.

Crane add‑ons and features

• Variable‑frequency drives (VFDs): smoother starts/stops, better load control, less wear.
• Radio remote (keep a pendant backup): flexible operation and better sight lines for the operator.
• Anti‑sway / slow‑speed zones: steadier loads and more accurate placements.
• Load limiting/weighing: prevents overloads and provides traceable weight records for quality and receiving.
• Travel limits and zoning: keep the crane out of conveyors, mezzanines, and maintenance areas.
• Task lights & warning signals: light where the work happens; audible/visual alerts when the crane moves.
• Serviceability features: plug‑and‑play electrification sections, accessible drives, clear labels—maintenance goes faster and safer.

Early decisions & considerations

• Capacity & duty: target load, typical load, and cycles/hour. Choose a duty class that matches real use.
• Below the Hook Coverage: consider hook height, end/side approaches, and bay layout to ensure your crane can actually reach the work.
• Controls & speed: pendant or radio; two‑speed or VFD; any creep/precision needs.
• Environment: heat, dust, humidity, washdown, or hazardous locations—these conditions can affect equipment and wiring.

These are decisions you don't need to make by yourself. Any crane engineer can help you determine what would be necessary for your location and what you can do without.

2) The top 5 largest factors that affect crane budgets

Costs vary by market and vendor, so focus on the big movers.

First is capacity, span, and duty class—as these increase, steel, hoist size, and runway stiffness rise quickly, which in turn increases costs even faster.

Second is crane/hoist architecture, single vs. double girder, top-running vs. under-running, wire-rope vs. chain; tight headroom or approach often favors a double-girder or a low-profile hoist.

Third is the runway support concept. Building‑supported trims floor columns but loads the frame and foundations; freestanding adds columns, footings, and slab work.

Fourth, retrofit reroutes, such as relocating sprinklers, ducts, lights, and trays out of the crane's operating space, can cost as much as the crane itself.

Fifth, environments and codes (seismic, washdown/corrosive, hazardous) require additional engineering and specialty hardware.

Manage these by verifying actual loads and cycles, then right-sizing the duty. Lock the hook height early so a single‑girder stays viable. Obtain structural reactions, select the support method that minimizes reinforcement, and display the crane's operating space in Design Development so that reroutes are drawn, not improvised.

Confirm environmental and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) requirements up front. Other factors still influence the budget amounts, such as electrification choice, controls/features (radio, VFDs, anti-sway), below-the-hook gear, access platforms, logistics, and expedites. Still, they usually have less impact than the big five.

3) What does engineering need to do

Keep it simple and decide on the essentials. Coordinate the model and write detailed instructions for building.

Confirm the capacity, span, hook height, coverage, runway support (building-supported or freestanding), and the electrification approach, including a sensible feeder path. Show the crane's operating space and clearances in plan and section so other trades can route around it.

Next, coordinate the model by providing structural reactions and basic runway details, sizing feeders and protective devices, placing disconnects and E-stops, choosing control voltage and grounding, and relocating sprinklers, ducts, and lighting out of the crane's path while aiming light fixtures to minimize shadows.

Finally, publish tolerances the field can measure, and detail anchors, embeds, slab reinforcement, and supports for conductor bar or festoon—including expansion allowances, drip loops, and flex to moving parts. Ensure clear schedules for labels, radio/pendant locations, and lockout points to make commissioning straightforward.

4) Code and safety, kept simple

You don't need every clause, but design and operations should align with the core standards. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179 requires rated-load marking, safe operation and maintenance, qualified operators, and the maintenance of inspection/test records.

ASME B30.2/B30.16 guide crane and hoist selection, limits, and inspection cadence. 

Add owner policies and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) expectations to the specs early. Build compliance by including pre-shift checks, periodic inspections, and load-test records in the turnover and maintenance plan.

5) Planning and timeline

Every project is different, but the sequence is consistent:

1. Planning & coordination. Define lifts and coverage, choose support and electrification, model the crane space, coordinate reroutes, freeze hook height/runway/hoist, and approve shop drawings fast.
2. Procurement & fabrication. Order hoist, bridge/runway steel, drives, electrification, and controls; fabricate and pre‑assemble to match the delivery window.
3. Site prep. Install embeds/pedestals, pull feeders, complete sprinkler/duct/lighting reroutes, and set temporary power/lighting if operations continue.
4. Installation. Erect runways, install electrification, set bridge and hoist, connect controls, and verify rail straightness, elevation, and parallelism as you go.
5. Commissioning & turnover. Run pre‑functional, functional, and load tests; label and train; hand over O&M, inspection schedule, and as‑builts.

Scheduling tips

• Sequence reroutes are made before crane installation to preserve headroom.
• Confirm door sizes and laydown routes for long girders.
• Lock shutdown windows with operations early; night/weekend windows reduce surprises.

6) Acceptance checklist (what "done" looks like)

"Done" means the crane and building systems match the drawings and pass measurable checks. Rails meet straightness, elevation, and parallelism tolerances. Electrification (bar or festoon) is supported with correct expansion joints, drip loops, and flex connections.

Clearances to sprinklers, ducts, lights, and tray meet the modeled operating space, and access to valves and panels is open. E‑stops, pendants/radios, labels, and lockout points match schedules.

Pre‑functional, functional, and load tests are complete, and the turnover package includes O&M, as‑builts, an inspection schedule, and training records.

7) Conclusion

A single‑girder bridge crane is straightforward when you make a few early calls and coordinate the envelope and utilities in the model. Focus the budget on the right duty class, clean electrification, and controls that match how your team actually works. The field will thank you, and so will your schedule.

Author Name: Jeremy Barth

Author Bio: Jeremy Barth manages paid ads and SEO at HOJ Innovations and develops tailored planning resources for warehouse projects. He collaborates with engineers, sales reps, and customers to turn real project needs into clear coordination guides. HOJ has delivered single girder crane solutions for over 60 years.