Soleplates (Rail Chairs)

The Soleplate Solution for Crane & Transfer Car Runways

Soleplates, also known as chairplates, baseplates or support plates, are the uppermost component of a crane rail or track support system. The primary function of a soleplate or chairplate is to provide the rail with a flat, smooth resting surface while allowing for vertical alignment of the rail system. Sole Plates are secured by Anchor Bolts, also known as Holding Down Bolts. Chairplates /Soleplates are typically installed with a layer of grout cast beneath, which fills the void between the soleplate and the concrete foundation.

Soleplate

The two most widely used Crane Rail support designs are shown below:

Continuous Soleplates (CSB), as the name implies, support the rail almost completely, with only a small gap between them for expansion purposes. They are typically about 10 feet or 3 meters long and as wide and thick as needed for the application. Often supplied with holes for anchor bolts, boltable rail clips and/or leveling bolts, soleplates can also be provided with the lower components pre-welded for weldable rail clips.

Discontinuous Soleplates (DSB) are short in length and rest upon platforms, chairs or pedestals secured with anchor bolts and grout beneath. When the application warrants, this design allows the rail to be unsupported between the platforms/chairs. On some applications grout is poured between adjacent platforms to add support to the rail system. This hybrid of the 2 designs is used to reduce the cost of steel for the soleplates and is faster to pour than the pure discontinuous support because individual forms are not needed for each platform. See diagrams below for a view of both support types.

Soleplates Soleplates

Click on the links for individual soleplate data sheets and technical information in pdf format: