Arch Beam should also be replaced with Tarca® versus ANY repair due to age and many years of fatigue.As of this date (March 2, 1992), all Arch Beam should be replaced with Tarca® due to its age, and De-Rating of capacity is no longer advised.Loading Tables in old catalogs were calculated for new beam as built at that time.If even one weld weakens to a point where it gives way, the top beam actually peels away from the bottom of the beam-creating a “zipper effect” that occurs all of the way down the length of the bridge or runway.Īs you can imagine, this can result in a catastrophic failure of the entire overhead crane system, which could potentially injure or kill workers below, and also cause unimaginable damage to the building, raw materials or inventory, and any nearby equipment or machinery.Īround 1992, Gorbel/Cleveland Tramrail made this recommendation stating:

As the metal fatigues, the welds begin to weaken where the window portion of the beam attaches to the lower track. These types of arch beams were perfectly safe and acceptable for a long time, but as they age, the metal begins to fatigue from the stresses of decades of use. If you’re keeping track at home, this means that any type of overhead crane system still utilizing arch beams, is relying on material that could be over 60 years old to support the full dead weight of the crane and its load!

Unfortunately, these types of track systems are still prevalent in older manufacturing facilities today. The reason they were so popular is that they were strong enough to support higher duty cycle cranes, but also fairly inexpensive because they used less material.ĭuring the 1960’s, overhead crane beam manufacturers ceased production arch beam/window track for their runway and bridge beams and have not made this style beam or track since. The lower section consists of a hardened metal flange designed for an under running crane to run on. The design of an arch beam consists of an inverted “T” shaped section welded to a separate “T” shaped top section, which then creates multiple “arches” or “windows” throughout the length of the beam. In the early to mid-1900’s, arch beams were a popular style of support beam used for a crane’s runway track and bridge. Image courtesy of Gorbel/Cleveland Tramrail.

Over time, the material has fatigued and the welds have weakened, which can cause the upper portion of the beam to peel away from the bottom portion. Arch beam and window track systems haven’t been manufactured since the 1960s.

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