BRIDGE
Addition of split SPMT trailers lowers axle loads, allowing safe andfast passage
After sailing from the Spanish Port of Algeciras,seven reactors needed to be unloaded and carefully transported upon their arrivalat the Port of Houston in Texas. Global transport company Noatum Project Cargocontracted Mammoet to move the seven vessels over the road from the port to thefinal project site - an ethylene to alkylate plant located in Pasadena, Texas
.The six smaller reactors were discharged from the ship directly to Mammoettrailers, and then transported over the road approximately 11 kilometers (sevenmiles) from the port to the project site. The largest piece, a deisobutanizerweighing 441.3t (972,912 lbs.) and measuring 60.5m (198 ft.), was offloadedfrom the ship by Big John and Big T (two specialized heavy lifting bargecranes)
During the planning process, the team came to realize that the preferredbolstered load trailer configuration for over-the-road transport would not beapproved by the Texas Department of Transportation. This configuration wouldoverload two bridges encountered along the route, as the heaviest vessel madethe crossing using a relatively small number of axles.
The standard solution for increasing the footprint of the trailers would be to add dollies that extend out from the sides of the trailers and push down to increase the trailer’s overall footprint, spreading the load more evenly over a larger area, when engaged. Unfortunately, the width of the bridges in question would not accommodate the addition of traditional dollies.
After thorough collaboration, Mammoet and Noatum’sengineering teams proposed a solution to add a third trailer underneath theload at the belly of the vessel, which would expand the trailer footprint whilenot overloading the two bridges, and also not expand the width of the transportoverall.
The use of Mammoet’s split trailers would allow the traditional transport to travel free and clear of any additional
equipment for most of the route and for installation and removal of the additional trailer before and after the shorter bridge section of the route to take place quickly. This solution was approved by the state and the transport was given the green light.
Just another day for Mammoet's transportation
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(20min delay)