---
title: "Overhead Crane vs Gantry Crane: Which Fits Your Site? — Ervan Cranes"
description: "Overhead crane vs gantry crane: building loads, floor space, foundations, power supply, wind and cost drivers compared, plus questions to decide. Read on."
url: https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/overhead-crane-vs-gantry-crane/
language: en
---

Overhead crane vs gantry crane comes down to where the loads go. An overhead crane runs on a runway carried by the building structure and leaves the floor free; a gantry crane stands on legs travelling on ground rails and needs no building. Halls with a load-bearing structure suit overhead cranes; open yards suit gantries.

## What is the difference between an overhead crane and a gantry crane?

An overhead crane, also called a bridge crane or overhead travelling crane, has one or two bridge girders that run on rails at height. The rails sit on runway beams, which rest on brackets or columns. Wheel loads and the horizontal forces from braking and skewing go into the building structure and its foundations, while the floor underneath stays completely free.

A gantry crane carries its girder on legs that travel on rails at ground level. The wheel loads go straight into a rail foundation, so no building is needed. Gantry cranes with long spans often combine one rigid leg with one hinged leg, which lets the structure follow thermal expansion and small deviations in rail spacing without restraint forces. Many gantries also have cantilevers: the girder extends beyond the legs, for example to reach a truck lane next to the rails.

Hoisting works the same way on both: a trolley with a hoist travels along the girder, and the crane travels along its rails. EN 15011 covers bridge and gantry cranes alike; the difference lies in the supporting structure. This article deals with rail-mounted gantry cranes; rubber-tyred gantries in container terminals are a separate category.

## The semi-gantry crane: a middle way

A semi-gantry crane has a leg on one side only. That side runs on a ground rail, while the other end runs on an elevated runway, usually fixed to the building's columns or wall. It is the answer when only one side offers a structure that can carry crane loads: along an outside wall, at a loading bay, or in a hall where one row of columns is too weak.

Semi-gantries also work below a main overhead crane, serving workstations along the wall without blocking the larger crane. The wall-side runway carries a share of the wheel loads and horizontal forces, so it needs the same structural check as any overhead crane runway.

## Overhead crane vs gantry crane: comparison table

| Criterion | Overhead crane | Gantry crane |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporting structure | Building columns or a separate runway | Its own legs on ground rails |
| Floor space | Floor stays free | Legs and rails occupy lanes |
| Indoor or outdoor | Mainly indoors; outdoor runways possible | Outdoors and indoors |
| Foundations | Column foundations carry the crane loads | Strip foundation along each rail |
| Power supply | Conductor bar along the runway | Cable reel or low-level conductor bar |
| Wind | No issue indoors | In-service limit and storm securing |
| Extending the travel path | Limited by the building | Rails can be extended along the yard |

### Foundations and rails

Each rail of a gantry crane sits on a foundation, typically a reinforced concrete strip, designed for the wheel loads supplied by the crane manufacturer and for the soil on site. Settlement must not push the rail out of its tolerances. With an overhead crane, the loads pass through the building instead, so the existing columns and footings have to be checked. Our article on [crane runway requirements](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/crane-runway-requirements/) explains who checks what.

### Floor space and traffic

Ground rails cut across the yard. To let forklifts and trucks drive over them, rails are often set flush in concrete, and the moving legs need a safe clearance from stacks, buildings and walkways.

### Power supply

Overhead cranes are usually fed by an enclosed conductor bar along the runway. On gantry cranes, especially outdoors and on long travel paths, a motorized cable reel on the crane is common; a conductor bar at low level is possible but must be protected against vehicle impact and weather.

### Wind

Indoors, wind plays no role. Outdoors it is a design load: it affects the steel structure, the travel drives and the brakes, and it calls for an in-service wind limit and storm securing with rail clamps or storm anchors. Coatings, outdoor electrics and storm protection are covered in our guide to [outdoor crane corrosion protection](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/outdoor-crane-corrosion-protection/).

## Where each type is typically used

- **Overhead cranes:** production and assembly halls, machining workshops, steel service centres, warehouses and maintenance shops, wherever the floor must stay free for machines, vehicles and people.
- **Gantry cranes:** open stock yards for steel, pipes and profiles, precast concrete plants, ports and quays, stone and timber yards, and outdoor assembly areas.
- **Gantry cranes indoors:** halls whose structure cannot take crane loads, rented buildings, or cases where only part of a hall needs a crane.
- **Semi-gantry cranes:** along hall walls and loading bays, or as a second crane level below a main crane.

## What drives the cost of each solution?

Comparing crane prices alone is misleading, because the two concepts put cost in different places. Compare complete solutions: crane, supporting structure, foundations, power supply and site work.

- **Overhead crane:** without legs, the crane itself needs less steel, but it requires runway beams, rails and brackets. In a new hall these are designed in from the start; in an existing hall, the structural check may show that columns, brackets or foundations need strengthening.
- **Gantry crane:** legs and a stiffer structure add steel, and outdoor use adds wind design, storm securing, a cable reel and a more robust coating system. In return, there is no building to strengthen and no elevated runway, only rail foundations.
- **Length of the travel path:** the longer the yard, the more an elevated runway on columns costs compared with ground rails. That is one reason why long open yards are usually served by gantry cranes.

## Questions that settle the choice

1. Where will loads be handled: in an existing hall, a new building or an open yard?
2. Can the building's columns, brackets and foundations carry crane loads, or be strengthened at reasonable effort?
3. Is there floor space for legs and rails, and which vehicles must cross the rails?
4. Will the crane be exposed to wind, rain, salt air or dust?
5. Must loads reach beyond the rail span, for example onto trucks? Then cantilevers and the clear opening between the legs matter.
6. Could the travel path need to grow later?
7. What do the ground conditions allow for rail foundations?

Whichever type you choose, the crane itself is defined by its capacity, span, lifting height and duty class. Have these values ready before you ask for offers.

## Overhead and gantry cranes from Ervan Cranes

Ervan Cranes manufactures both product groups: [single and double girder overhead cranes](https://ervancranes.com/en/products/overhead-cranes/) from 1 to 100 t and [rail-mounted gantry cranes](https://ervancranes.com/en/products/gantry-cranes/) for open yards and ports. Because each crane is designed for its specific load, span, lifting height and duty class, the overhead-or-gantry question is answered in the needs analysis, before technical design begins.

Fabrication takes place at our Torbalı facility, and design and commissioning are handled by the same team. Our gantry crane exports include a 30 t crane for Iraq and a 40 t crane for Egypt, shipped in parts and erected on site; see the [Egypt project](https://ervancranes.com/en/projects/egypt-gantry-crane-40-t/) and the story of its [shipping and erection](https://ervancranes.com/en/blog/egypt-40-t-gantry-crane-shipping-and-erection/).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can a gantry crane be used indoors?

Yes. Indoor gantry cranes are used where the building cannot take crane loads, where the hall is rented, or where only part of the hall needs a crane. The trade-off is floor space: legs and rails occupy lanes, which is why the rails are usually set flush with the floor.

### Which is cheaper, an overhead crane or a gantry crane?

That depends on what is already there. Inside a hall with a suitable structure, an overhead crane is usually the more economical choice, because the building carries the loads. In an open yard, or where a building would need major strengthening, a gantry crane often costs less overall. Compare complete solutions, including foundations and power supply, rather than crane prices alone.

### Can an overhead crane work outdoors?

It can, on a runway carried by its own columns, for example to extend a hall crane into the yard. It then needs the same outdoor measures as a gantry crane: wind design, storm securing, corrosion protection and suitable electrics. For long outdoor travel paths, a gantry crane on ground rails is usually the simpler solution.

### Does a gantry crane need special foundations?

Each ground rail needs a foundation, typically a reinforced concrete strip, that carries the wheel loads and keeps the rail within its tolerances. It is designed from the wheel loads given by the crane manufacturer and from soil data, so ground conditions belong in the planning from day one.

A sketch of the area is often enough to narrow the choice down. Send it through our [request a quote](https://ervancranes.com/en/request-a-quote/) page together with the loads, the required span and lifting height, and whether the crane will work indoors or outdoors; we will assess both options for your application.

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