Seismic Retrofit of Container Cranes

Erik Soderberg, S.E.

Liftech Consultants Inc.
www.liftech.net

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Historic Seismic Performance

Kobe - Liquefaction

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Crane Evolution

Circa 1970 Modern Jumbo

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50’ Gage Crane CLE Response

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50’ Gage - Close-up

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100’ Gage Crane CLE Response

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100’ Gage Close-up

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Wheel Uplift

2.5
50' Landside
50' Waterside WHEEL
2 100' Landside DISENGAGES
100' Waterside FROM RAIL
U p lift, in

1.5

1
WHEEL
ENGAGED ON
0.5 RAIL

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Time, s

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Lateral Force on Rail

400
50' Landside
300 50' Waterside
100' Landside
200 100' Waterside
Lateral force, kips / side

100

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
-100

-200

-300

-400
Time, s

Note: Wheels engaged with rail. If one side disengages, the shown
forces may be up to double at the engaged wheels.

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Tipping Forces

300k 1360k

1000k 3000k

Circa 1970 Modern Jumbo

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Tipping Leg Moments

680 k
27,200 k-ft

150 k 4,500 k-ft

Moment
Moment

40'
30'

150 k 680 k

Circa 1970 Jumbo

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Recent Liftech Design Criteria Changes

Pre 2006 – Force-based design –

elastic response for 0.2g lateral loading

2006 to present – Performance-based

design – consistent with current wharf
design practices

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New Crane Design Criteria

Operating Level Earthquake:

Elastic strains – no damage
Contingency Level Earthquake:
Tipping load – no damage
Ductile yielding – some damage
Isolation – no damage

Reference:
http://www.liftech.net/LiftechDesignNotebook/designcriteria.pdf

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Design for Tipping

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Design for Ductile Yielding

A B

A B
AISC
SEISMICALLY A-A B-B
COMPACT

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Design For Isolation
Isolation Between Main Equalizer and Sill Beam

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

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Design For Isolation
Isolation Between Lower Leg and Portal Beam

Liftech

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Isolation Detail
Isolation Between Lower Leg and Portal Beam

Liftech

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 What about Existing Cranes?

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Some Retrofit Questions

1. How will the existing crane perform?

2. Is significant damage acceptable in
an operating level earthquake?
3. At what magnitude earthquake is
collapse acceptable?
4. Should different criteria be used for
different cranes?
5. Should cranes be upgraded when the
wharf is upgraded?
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Cost vs. Performance
New Construction and Retrofit

Retrofit + Damage

New + Damage
Cost

Retrofit
Damage
New

Performance
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 Factors Affecting Seismic Risk

Location – Seismicity
Rail Gage
Ductility of the Portal Frame
Mass
Portal Strength
Portal Stiffness
Trolley Mass

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 Rail Gage

300k
1360k
1000k
3000k

50’ Gage 100’ Gage or Larger

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Ductility

Connection strength > member strength

Close stiffener spacing to limit local
buckling.
FILLET
Ductile weld details SIZE t/4
BUT AT
LEAST
AWS MIN.

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 Mass, Portal Strength, and Stiffness

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 Evaluating Existing Cranes
Suggested Steps

Check if the portal structure can

support the tipped crane
Check if the portal structure can deflect
laterally 30” without collapse
considering secondary effects and
multiple load cycles.
Perform time history analysis

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Retrofit Options
Option Pro Con
Strengthen Reduces May reduce
structure probability of portal clearance
damage or be expensive
Improve Least costly, Probability of
ductility and avoids damage
strength by collapse unchanged
adding
stiffeners
Add isolation No damage Expensive
mechanism

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Strengthen Portal to Carry Tipped Crane

Temporary
Jacking
Frame

Pipe
Braces

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Add Plate Stiffeners to Improve Ductility

External
Angle
Stiffeners

Original Reinforced

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Add Isolation Mechanism
Isolation Between Lower Leg and Portal Beam

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Other Gantry Structures

Bulk Loader

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Loader Damage
Aticu, Peru 2001

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Time History Analysis

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Summary

Be aware of seismic risk.

Use state-of-the-art
performance criteria when
purchasing new cranes.

It is practical to evaluate
seismic risk.

Retrofit is an option and is

most practical when making
other modifications.

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Thank You
This presentation with speaker notes will be
available for download on our website:
www.liftech.net

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 Liftech Consultants Inc. file data:
N:\Papers & Presentations\!Working\2007_AAPA_Seismic_ES\Seismic_Retrofit_Cranes_06_AD.ppt

Copyright 2007 by Liftech Consultants Inc. All rights reserved.

This material may not be duplicated without the written consent of Liftech Consultants Inc., except in the form
of excerpts or quotations for the purposes of review.

The information included in this presentation may not be altered, copied, or used for any other project without
written authorization from Liftech Consultants Inc. Anyone making use of the information assumes all liability
arising from such use.

Quality Assurance Review:

Author: Erik Soderberg
Editor: Michael Jordan

Principal: Erik Soderberg

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