Gantry Crane vs. Davit Crane: When to Use Each
A gantry crane is a two-legged A-frame structure that supports a hoist on a main beam and rolls on casters — good for workshop-style lifts that need to travel across a workspace, with capacities from 1,100 lb to 22,000 lb portable. A davit crane is a single vertical mast or arm mounted to a base socket, with the hoist at the end of the arm, rotating around its base — good for confined spaces, rooftops, and manhole pump lifts, with capacities up to about 2,200 lb in portable aluminum.
Each crane type wins in different applications. This guide walks through what each is, when each is the right choice, and how to match the crane type to the lift.
Quick answer
| Factor | Gantry Crane | Davit Crane |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Two-legged A-frame with main beam | Single mast or arm |
| Mobility | Rolls on casters (portable) or rails (fixed) | Mounts into a base socket; socket can be permanent or portable |
| Typical capacity (aluminum portable) | 1,100 to 22,000 lb | Up to 2,200 lb |
| Footprint | Wider — needs floor space for both legs | Compact — single mount point |
| Travel pattern | Hoist travels along the main beam; whole crane can roll across the workspace | Hoist rotates around the davit mast; no horizontal travel along a beam |
| Setup | 1-2 people (low capacity) or forklift (higher capacity) | One person can typically handle the davit arm; socket is pre-installed |
| Best for | Workshop lifts, mechanical contracting, industrial maintenance, rigging, multi-point travel across a workspace | Manhole/well pump lifts, rooftop service, confined-space lifts, fixed-location single-point work |
| Covered by | ASME B30.17 (top-running single-girder crane) | Jib-type crane — design factor on yield stress well in excess of the proof-test load |
If the lift needs to travel across a workspace, use a gantry. If the lift is from a fixed point (a manhole, a rooftop socket, a boat dock) and rotates around that point, use a davit.
What is a gantry crane?
A gantry crane is a freestanding lifting structure with two legs, a main beam across the top, and a hoist that travels along the beam. The whole crane rolls on casters (or runs on rails in permanent installations), and the hoist typically has a trolley that moves along the beam length.
A portable aluminum gantry is sized for a workspace — the main beam’s clear span defines the horizontal work area between the legs, the lift height defines the vertical work area, and the trolley plus hoist define the load’s travel along the beam. The crane can also be rolled with or without a load (on models rated for roll-while-loaded), so the entire crane can be repositioned to a different workspace or across a jobsite.
Portable aluminum gantry cranes typically cover 1,100 lb (500 kg) through 22,000 lb (10 metric tons) rated capacity. Steel gantries extend higher but are rarely portable at significant capacity.
eme’s portable aluminum gantry cranes are top-running, single-girder, box-beam cranes — the surround-beam trolley rides on top of the box beam. eme designs its gantry cranes to ASME B30.17 (comprehensive single-girder crane provisions), alongside similar Canadian and OSHA standards.
What is a davit crane?
A davit crane is a single vertical mast (or curved arm) mounted to a base socket. The hoist is typically positioned at the end of a horizontal arm extending from the top of the mast. The whole arm rotates around the davit’s vertical axis, so the load moves in an arc rather than along a straight beam.
The base socket can be:
- Permanent: cast or bolted into the structure at the lift location (common on rooftops, wastewater facilities, marine applications, vessels)
- Portable: a movable base the davit is inserted into on site (for temporary lift setups)
The davit itself is typically lightweight and installed or removed from the socket by one person. For portable aluminum davits, rated capacity is typically up to 2,200 lb — lower than a gantry’s range because the structural geometry (cantilevered arm) imposes different loading and support requirements than a two-legged A-frame.
Davit cranes are jib-type cranes — a single mast with a rotating arm — engineered with a design factor on yield stress well in excess of the proof-test load. Every eme davit is qualified at 150% of rated capacity on the P.Eng-stamped drawing, with meaningful margin remaining before yield.
When to choose a davit crane
Davits win when the lift is fixed-location, from-a-point, and rotation is the required motion.
Wastewater plant pump and valve service
The classic davit application. Wastewater treatment plants have submersible pumps at the bottom of wells, with the well opening at ground or deck level. The davit socket is permanently mounted at the well opening; a maintenance crew inserts the davit into the socket, rotates the arm over the well, drops the chain or cable, hooks the pump, and lifts. Rotation carries the pump out of the well and positions it over a truck bed or service area.
A gantry crane cannot straddle a well opening effectively — the legs have nowhere to stand. A davit has a single mount point at the well’s edge, which is the only place a crane can actually be based. For manhole and wet-well pump lifts, davit is almost always the right choice.
Rooftop service (HVAC units, exhaust fans, rooftop equipment)
Rooftops often have space constraints, structural load limits on localized areas, and existing equipment that makes a gantry’s two-leg footprint impractical. A davit socket can be permanently mounted to a structural support point on the rooftop, and the davit arm folds or lifts out of the socket between uses. The arm can rotate over the edge of a parapet to lower removed equipment to ground level.
Many rooftop HVAC service plans are built around permanent davit sockets for this reason.
Confined-space lifts
Tight equipment rooms, vessel compartments, and below-deck installations often cannot accommodate a gantry’s clear span. A davit arm occupies much less horizontal footprint and can work in spaces a gantry cannot enter.
Single-operator lifts
Portable aluminum davits can typically be handled by a single operator — install the arm into the socket, operate the hoist, rotate, lower, retract. Gantries (especially higher-capacity models) generally require 1-2 people for setup. For a lone-worker maintenance technician making periodic lifts, a davit may be the better tool.
Marine and dockside applications
Aluminum davits resist corrosion in saltwater, brackish, and humid environments. Sockets can be permanently installed on piers, dock edges, or boat transom mounts. The rotation motion is a natural fit for moving loads between the water and a deck or truck.
When to choose a gantry crane
Gantries win when the lift needs to travel across a workspace or when capacity requirements exceed davit ranges.
Workshop and facility maintenance
Industrial shops, maintenance bays, and assembly areas typically need lifts that travel along a beam — pick up an assembly at one end, move it down the shop, set it down at another point. Gantries are designed for this pattern; davits are not.
Mechanical contracting and construction
HVAC install, piping, mechanical-room build-out, and jobsite work often require lifting a load to a point the crane itself can’t be anchored to. A gantry can roll to where the lift is needed; a davit requires a pre-installed socket.
Higher-capacity lifts
Above 2,200 lb in portable aluminum, gantries are the available option. Davits are structurally limited by the cantilevered arm geometry — extending a davit’s capacity requires significantly more mast and arm structure, usually beyond what portable aluminum can practically support.
Multi-point or multi-directional travel
Lifts that need to span a room, a bay, or a workspace — traveling along a beam rather than rotating around a single point — are gantry applications.
Specialized rigging and equipment moves
Plant relocations, machinery installs, and heavy equipment positioning often combine multiple gantries or use a gantry’s clear-span dimension to straddle the load. Davits don’t fit these use patterns.
The overlap — when either could work
Some applications can be handled by either crane type, and the choice depends on secondary factors.
Small rooftop installs. A lightweight portable gantry can sometimes handle what a davit would handle, and vice versa. The choice comes down to mounting constraints (permanent socket available?) and how frequent the work is.
Single-point shop lifts. A light davit mounted to a column or wall socket can serve some small-shop applications that might otherwise use a small gantry. For a dedicated single-station operation, the davit may be simpler; for work that moves across the shop, the gantry is better.
Confined mechanical rooms. A compact gantry can sometimes fit where a davit would otherwise be specified, particularly if the gantry is rolled in empty and the clear span accommodates the equipment.
Resolution: when the lift pattern is “from a fixed point, rotating into position,” davit is usually right. When the lift pattern is “along a beam, potentially across a workspace,” gantry is right. The structural logic of each crane matches a different motion profile.
Can a davit do what a gantry does, or vice versa?
A davit cannot effectively replicate a gantry’s beam-travel pattern — the davit’s rotation around a fixed mast means the load travels in an arc, not along a straight line. Attempting to use a davit for shop-style beam travel adds complexity and time to each lift.
A gantry cannot effectively replicate a davit’s mount-point access — the gantry’s two legs need floor space, which is exactly what’s unavailable at a manhole, a rooftop edge, or a confined mechanical compartment. Attempting to use a gantry for davit-style well access typically doesn’t work at all.
Each crane type is shaped by its motion profile. Matching the lift’s motion profile to the crane type is the most reliable way to avoid specifying the wrong equipment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between a gantry crane and a davit crane?
A gantry crane has two legs and a main beam, with the hoist traveling along the beam — the whole crane rolls across the workspace. A davit crane has a single mast or arm mounted to a base socket, with the hoist rotating around the mast. Gantries handle beam-travel lifting; davits handle rotation-around-a-point lifting.
When should I use a davit crane instead of a gantry?
Use a davit when the lift is from a fixed point (a manhole, a well, a rooftop socket, a marine mount) and the motion is rotation around that point. Use a gantry when the lift needs to travel across a workspace or when capacity exceeds the davit range (generally above 2,200 lb for portable aluminum).
Can a davit crane replace a gantry crane?
Not effectively. A davit rotates around a fixed mast, while a gantry travels along a beam. A davit cannot perform beam-travel lifts, and a gantry cannot set up at a manhole or confined mount point. Each crane type matches a different lift motion.
What is the typical capacity of an aluminum davit crane?
Portable aluminum davit cranes typically cover up to 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) rated capacity. Capacities above that generally require fixed or higher-specification davit configurations.
Are davit cranes used in wastewater treatment?
Yes — this is one of the most common davit applications. Wastewater treatment plants use portable aluminum davit cranes to lift submersible pumps and valves from wells. The davit socket mounts at the well edge; the davit is inserted into the socket for each service event and removed afterward. eme davits are designed for this application and are used across wastewater facilities in North America.
Can I use a davit crane on a rooftop?
Yes, with the right mounting. Rooftop davits typically use permanently installed structural sockets designed to handle the davit’s loading. The davit arm is installed into the socket for each use and removed afterward. Rooftop applications benefit from the davit’s compact footprint and ability to reach over a parapet.
Do both gantry and davit cranes follow the same safety standard?
Not exactly — the configurations differ. eme’s portable aluminum gantries are top-running, single-girder, box-beam cranes designed to ASME B30.17. Davit cranes are jib-type cranes engineered with a design factor on yield stress well in excess of the proof-test load — every davit is qualified at 150% of rated capacity on the P.Eng-stamped drawing, with meaningful margin remaining before yield. Both also fall under OSHA requirements in the United States, and CSA B167 applies to both in Canada.
Is a davit crane portable?
Yes, in the aluminum davit class. The davit arm itself is lightweight enough for one person to install into the socket. The socket can be permanent (installed once at the lift location) or portable (a movable base unit). The davit + socket combination gives you both fixed-location access and portability across jobsites.
What are the main applications of a davit crane?
Wastewater well and pump lifting, rooftop HVAC service, confined-space and below-deck lifts, marine dockside applications, and single-operator fixed-location work. Applications with a single lift point and rotation-based motion.
Explore eme’s davit and gantry lines
eme manufactures both aluminum gantry cranes (1,100 to 22,000 lb) and aluminum davit cranes (up to 2,200 lb). The gantries are top-running single-girder box-beam cranes designed to ASME B30.17; the davits are jib-type cranes engineered with a design factor on yield stress well in excess of the proof-test load. Every structural weld on an eme crane is produced under CSA W47.2 certification by qualified aluminum welders, certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau.
Related resources
- How to Choose a Portable Gantry Crane — detailed buyer’s guide for gantries
- Aluminum vs. Steel Gantry Cranes — material choice in depth
- What is ASME B30.17? — a crane safety standard eme evaluates its gantries against
- What is CSA W47.2? — the aluminum welding certification
Last reviewed April 2026. Content reviewed by eme engineering for technical accuracy. For application-specific questions, contact eme: 1-888-679-5283.