Portal Cranes

Heavy-duty lifting with maximum flexibility – indoors or outdoors.

At Granada Cranes, we supply, manufacture, install, and service full Portal (Goliath) and Semi-Portal cranes for a wide range of industries. Whether you need a crane spanning a factory floor, working across a yard, or running beneath an overhead crane system, our portal cranes are engineered for power, safety, and long-term reliability.

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What is a Portal Crane?

Goliath Crane

Portal cranes, often known as Goliath cranes, run on rails at floor level instead of overhead runways.

They are ideal when:

  • Overhead steelwork isn’t practical
  • Cranes need to operate outdoors
  • Loads need to be lifted across large work areas or yards
  • A freestanding system is preferable to building modifications

They function just like a traditional overhead crane, but the entire structure stands on legs that run along ground rails.

What is a Semi-Portal Crane?

Semi Goliath Crane

Semi-portal cranes feature one floor rail and one high-level rail, usually mounted to an existing building structure or columns.

This makes them a great alternative where full Goliath cranes aren’t possible.

  • Uses only one ground rail
  • No full gantry required
  • Can work beneath an overhead crane
  • Provides localised hook service in a dedicated work zone

Some systems can even be supplied rail-free, using polyurethane wheels to avoid floor track installation and remove trip hazards.

Typical Lifting Capacities

5–15t: workshops, machining, fabrication lines
50t+: shipbuilding, heavy engineering, marine, and offshore yards
20–50t: steel production, precast concrete, energy sector.
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Why use Portal Cranes?

Benefit Why It Matters
No overhead steelwork Perfect for outdoor yards or buildings without runway beams
Freestanding structure No reliance on building strength or modification
Works indoors or outdoors Ideal for workshops, fabrication yards, or open spaces
Huge hook coverage Especially suited for long loads, steel sections, or multiple work zones
Can run beneath overhead cranes (semi-portal) Provides dedicated lifting where it’s needed most

Industries Using Portal Cranes

Industry Common Use
Steel fabrication Moving beams, columns, plate sections
Precast concrete Handling moulds, concrete blocks, wall panels
Marine & Shipbuilding Hull sections, engines, propulsion units
Engineering workshops Large machining centres, tooling, fixtures
Rail industry Bogies, power units, carriage assemblies
Outdoor yards Heavy loads where overhead cranes are impractical

Built With World-Leading Components

As the UK’s largest independent crane supplier, we’re not tied to a single manufacturer.

We build portal cranes using parts from trusted brands:

  • OMIS – portal & semi-portal crane specialists
  • SWF Krantechnik – advanced hoists & drives
  • Stahl, Liftket, and others on request

This means every crane is built to suit your environment, not whatever a manufacturer wants to sell.

Semi-Portal Crane Benefits

  • Works under existing overhead cranes
  • Perfect for production cells & localised hook service
  • Frees up main crane for large-area lifting
  • Optional rail-free polyurethane wheels
  • Reduces floor obstructions & trip hazards

Technical Highlights (Typical Specs)

  • Safe Working Load: 1–100+ tonnes
  • Span: 5–30m (single or double girder)
  • Indoor or outdoor specification
  • Radio remote or pendant control
  • Anti-collision sensors & inverter drives
  • High-level or floor-mounted rails
  • Optional weather protection, special paint, heaters, stainless electrics for coastal sites

Portal Crane Crane Servicing & Maintenance

Granada provides ongoing support for all portal cranes, including those manufactured by other brands.

Our national team of engineers services all makes, models, and lifting capacities, keeping your crane and runway safe, legal, and reliable.

Crane Servicing & Maintenance

Need a Quote or Site Survey?

We design, build, install and maintain portal cranes across the UK — from small workshops to heavy industrial yards.