What was failing
BHI Coatings performs Crane Rail and Runway Support Grouting for industrial plants in Alvin and across the Texas Gulf Coast.
A crane runway rail had lost full contact under the soleplate where the grout beneath it had broken down. With the support gone, the rail rocked under load and pounded against the bearing steel and the concrete below.
That movement spreads the damage, loosens the fasteners, and lets the rail work out of alignment, so the crane rides rough and the runway keeps deteriorating every time the load passes. Left alone, the pounding only widens the gap and puts the whole runway at risk.
How BHI Coatings approaches Crane Rail and Runway Support Grouting
We lift the rail and bring it back into alignment, then clear out all of the broken-down grout so we are working to sound material. We rebuild any of the bearing steel that the pounding has chewed up and patch the supporting concrete so the new bed has something solid to sit on. Then we cast a fresh, full-contact grout bed under the soleplate so the load is carried evenly along the rail instead of riding on high spots. With the rail aligned and fully supported, it runs without working loose again.
Assess and align
We check the rail against the runway, find where contact has been lost, and lift the rail back into proper alignment before any grout work begins.
Clear the failed grout
We break out and remove all of the deteriorated grout under the soleplate so the new bed sits on sound, clean material.
Rebuild bearing steel
We rebuild the bearing steel that the rocking has pounded out so the soleplate has a true surface to seat against.
Patch the concrete and cast the bed
We patch the damaged supporting concrete and cast a fresh, full-contact grout bed under the soleplate so the load is carried evenly along the rail.
Set and return to service
We let the bed cure, confirm the rail is aligned and fully supported, and hand the runway back so the crane runs smoothly.
The result
What Crane Rail and Runway Support Grouting looks like
Repair and protection work of this kind, performed by BHI Coatings crews across the Texas Gulf Coast.
