Types of Overhead Cranes

What is an overhead crane?

An overhead crane is a lifting machine that moves loads through three-dimensional space within a fixed area, with the hoist travelling along an elevated beam (the bridge) that itself travels along raised runway rails. Because the lifting path runs overhead rather than through the floor, the working area below stays clear for people, vehicles and process equipment. Understanding the types of overhead cranes — and which capacity, span and headroom each one suits — is the first step in specifying the right lifting solution for a workshop or industrial bay.

Sorian designs, manufactures and installs the steel crane structures across these types — jib, gantry and overhead bridge cranes — engineered to AS 1418, with the hoist and radio remote supplied to suit the duty. Installation is carried out nationally through Sorian's network of installation partners. The summaries below give the one-line definition and the best-fit application for each main type, followed by a comparison table and a short "how to choose" section.

The main types of overhead cranes

Overhead lifting equipment divides into bridge cranes (which run on a fixed overhead runway), self-supporting cranes that carry their own runway or column, and fixed-path handling systems. The configurations below cover the great majority of industrial applications.

Single girder bridge crane

What it is: an electric overhead travelling (EOT) bridge crane built around one bridge beam — commonly a fabricated box girder, sometimes a rolled I-beam or H-beam — with the hoist trolley running along its lower flange. Best for: workshop and light-to-medium industrial lifting up to around 20 tonnes MRC, where lower crane and runway weight keeps cost and structural loading down.

Double girder bridge crane

What it is: an EOT bridge crane with two parallel bridge beams and the hoist trolley running on rails along the top of them. Best for: higher capacities (typically above ~20 tonnes), longer spans, heavier duty cycles, maximum under-hook height, and applications needing an auxiliary hoist or a maintenance walkway between the girders.

Top-running overhead crane

What it is: a bridge crane whose end trucks run on top of rails fixed to the runway beams, which in turn sit on the building columns or dedicated crane columns. Best for: the majority of new installations and higher capacities — it carries load efficiently, supports long spans, and gives good hook coverage where the building can take the wheel loads through its columns.

Underslung (under-running) overhead crane

What it is: a bridge crane whose end trucks run on the lower flange of the runway beams, so the bridge hangs beneath the runway rather than riding on top. Best for: lighter capacities (commonly up to ~10 tonnes) where headroom is tight — suspending the runway from the roof structure recovers height and allows close-to-wall coverage and side-by-side bays.

Gantry crane

What it is: a bridge crane that carries its own structure — the bridge spans two supporting legs that run on rails (or wheels) at floor level, so no overhead runway is needed. Best for: yards, laydown areas and bays with no suitable overhead steel, where a self-supporting crane is more practical than building a runway and columns.

Semi-gantry crane

What it is: a hybrid where one side of the bridge runs on a floor-mounted leg and the other on an elevated wall or column runway. Best for: situations where one side of the bay has supporting structure and the other does not — it keeps floor space clearer than a full gantry while avoiding a second elevated runway.

Jib crane

What it is: a slewing crane with a horizontal boom (jib) that rotates around a wall bracket or a floor-mounted pillar, with the hoist running in and out along the boom. Best for: workstation-level lifting and repetitive point-to-point handling within a circular or semi-circular area — often used to feed or serve an overhead bridge crane covering the whole bay.

Monorail crane

What it is: a single fixed beam — straight or curved — along which a hoist trolley travels, with no cross-travel bridge. Best for: moving loads repeatedly along one defined path, such as a production line or between two fixed stations, where full-area coverage isn't needed.

Workstation and light-crane systems

What it is: a light, low-headroom bridge or monorail system, usually built from steel or aluminium track suspended from the roof, designed for fast, low-effort manual movement. Best for: ergonomic handling of lighter loads (commonly up to ~2 tonnes) at assembly and packing stations, where free movement and operator effort matter more than capacity.

Types of overhead cranes compared

The ranges below are typical across the industry, not fixed product limits. Final configuration is always confirmed by engineering calculation against AS 1418.

How to choose between the types of overhead cranes

Selecting the right configuration comes down to a handful of inputs, weighed together rather than in isolation:

• Capacity (MRC) — the heaviest load including lifting attachments. Light duties favour single girder, jib or workstation systems; heavy loads push toward double girder or top-running.
• Span and area to be covered — a full rectangular bay calls for a bridge crane; a single line suits a monorail; a circular zone around a workstation suits a jib.
• Headroom and hook height — tight overhead clearance favours underslung or single girder; where maximum lift height matters, double girder and top-running win.
• Supporting structure — if the building can carry crane loads through its columns, a top-running bridge is efficient; if there is no usable overhead steel, a gantry or semi-gantry carries its own structure.
• Duty class — how hard and how often the crane works, classified to AS 1418. A crane worked near rated load all day needs a higher duty class and heavier configuration than one making occasional lifts; under-specifying duty is a false economy.

In practice, duty class and available structure are what most often decide the configuration once capacity and coverage are fixed. The same lifting task can point to very different cranes depending on the building it goes into.

Standards and compliance

All of these types of overhead cranes are designed and manufactured to AS 1418 (the cranes, hoists and winches series), with the duty class selected to match the expected load spectrum and operating cycles. Once installed, in-service inspection and maintenance follow AS 2550. Sorian engineers the crane structure; the hoist and radio remote are supplied to suit the duty and integrated into the crane, and installation is carried out through Sorian's network of installation partners.

Talk to an engineer

Not sure which of these types of overhead cranes fits your bay? Sorian designs, manufactures and installs the structure to AS 1418 and will recommend the right configuration honestly. Send through your capacity (MRC), span, available headroom and duty cycle and we'll come back with a recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main types of overhead cranes?

The main types of overhead cranes are single girder and double girder bridge cranes, which can be either top-running or underslung; gantry and semi-gantry cranes that carry their own structure; jib cranes for slewing workstation lifting; monorail cranes for fixed-path travel; and light workstation crane systems for ergonomic handling.

What is the difference between single girder and double girder overhead cranes?

A single girder overhead crane uses one bridge beam with the hoist hanging below it, which is lighter and lower cost and suits capacities up to around 20 tonnes. A double girder crane uses two beams with the hoist running on top, giving higher capacity, greater hook height and heavier duty capability.

What is the difference between top-running and underslung overhead cranes?

A top-running crane's end trucks run on top of rails fixed to the runway beams, which efficiently carries higher loads and longer spans through the building columns. An underslung crane's end trucks run on the lower flange of the runway beams, so the bridge hangs beneath it — recovering headroom and allowing coverage close to walls, but at lighter capacities.

How do I choose the right type of overhead crane?

Weigh capacity (MRC), the span and area to be covered, available headroom and hook height, the supporting structure, and the duty class to AS 1418. Capacity and coverage usually narrow the field, then headroom, structure and duty class decide the final configuration; the same lifting task can point to different cranes depending on the building.

Which type of overhead crane is best for low headroom?

An underslung (under-running) overhead crane is usually best where headroom is tight, because the bridge hangs beneath the runway and the runway can be suspended from the roof structure to recover height. A single girder configuration also helps, and for light loads a low-headroom workstation system can be used.

Related

• Single Girder Overhead Crane — economical light-to-medium duty bridge
• Double Girder Overhead Crane — higher capacity, hook height and duty
• Top Running Overhead Crane — end trucks on top of the runway rails
• Underslung Overhead Crane — bridge under the runway for headroom
• Overhead Bridge Cranes — the bridge-crane product hub
• Gantry Cranes — self-supporting where there is no runway
• Jib Cranes — workstation-level slewing lifting
• Monorail Crane — fixed-path point-to-point handling