Gantrail resilient crane rail pads are designed to allow the rail to move and rotate by small amounts. When rails are on pad - called soft mounting - this helps to ensure a more even stress distribution between the crane wheel and rail and also between the rail and the surface on which it is fixed. Gantrail sell two pad types for continuously supported rail and discontinuous mounting.
Resilient Crane Rail Pads
Gantrail Mark II elastomers pad is used under rails that are discontinuously supported.
The Pad is positioned between the Rail and Sole Plate
Gantrail Mark VII steel reinforced continuous pad is used under rails which are continuously supported.
Mark VII Gantrail Pad showing Steel and Rubber Encapsulation
A 'soft mounted' rail has many distinct advantages, not least a reduction in noise levels and vibration. Moreover, the resilient pad compensates for any uneven surfaces in the rail or steel support and thereby distributes the wheel load over a larger area. This reduces load concentrations and fatigue in the support structure. The Mark VII pad has a grooved surface that results in a non linear load deflection characteristic thereby controlling rail bending stresses.
Mark II Pad Section
Mark VII Pad Section
A further advantage is the prevention of fretting corrosion between the rail and the supporting nominal steelwork. The standard resilient pad is 7 mm thick and is normally supplied in widths less than the rail base width.
Gantrail pad can be supplied for any crane or railway rail. It is supplied at just under the width of the foot of the rail so that the adjustable Gantrail clips can fit tightly to the foot of the rail.
Pad can reduce by a significant amount the stress on the crane runway beam or girder
Using pad reduces the risk of fatigue failure in the support structure
Pad can allow the rail to rotate by small amounts and this means that the crane wheel can force the rail into a position where there is good contact across the whole width of the head of the rail
In Steelworks the Pad offers oil resistance and reduces fatigue in Girders
Pad eliminates the metal to metal contact between the steel rails and is its steel support. Thus it substantially reduces the wear, fretting and corrosion between the rail and the support. This is particularly valuable in outdoor applications or places where oil grease and moisture are to be found.
The elastomer Mark II pad and the steel reinforced Mark VII pad have been tested and are approximately five times stronger in compression than needed for the highest crane wheel load.
