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Gantry girders are used to provide support for overhead traveling cranes
in environments such as warehouses and construction workshops,
according to The Constructor. Gantry girder cranes are used in these
environments to move heavy equipment and supplies around the work
area by means of a hand-operated or electronically controlled crane.

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Design
A gantry girder is the piece of a crane that contains the equipment
allowing the crane to roll over during its operation. The girder is designed
to support the crane and the loads inflicted on the crane throughout its
life. A gantry girder is supported by columns, with little or no support
between the columns to avert the twisting and bending of the girder
metal. Supports are often only provided over the span of a crane where a
walkway is included in the crane design. To support a gantry girder, civil
engineers design support columns as either stepped columns or central
columns -- depending on the loads the crane will move.

Applications
Gantry girders are used in the construction of cranes for use in
manufacturing facilities -- such as shipbuilding yards, where large
equipment and materials are used, according to EMH Cranes. In power
 plants, gantry girders are used on cranes that act as hoists for the
movement of equipment during installation and maintenance procedures.
Industrial applications include the installation of gantry girders for use in
facilities that include steel production plants.

Loads
Gantry girders are used to provide support for cranes because of the
various directions loads are exerted on the cranes during the moving
process for loads. Movement of heavy loads via girder cranes exerts
vertical and horizontal loads on the gantry girder, with the vertical load
applied to the girder by the crane itself. Horizontal movement is exerted
on the gantry girder by the surge, or acceleration and braking of the crane
operation, and the swinging of loads throughout the movement of loads.

Operation
The operation of gantry cranes using girders for strength and
stability is completed by an operator in a covered or uncovered cab.
Covered cabs are often used in applications open to weather changes and
dangerous environments. The gantry girder is attached to a bridge that
spans the area the crane is operated over, The Constructor reports. The
operating cab is located close to the bridge to provide the operator a full
view of the operating area. The crane is attached to rollers that roll over
the gantry girder, allowing the crane to move goods around the area