September 26 - A one-of-a-kind cargo shipment moved across JAXPORT's newly rebuilt heavy lift cargo berth at Blount Island Marine Terminal this week.
Eight plates of curved steel that make up a massive sculpture, "Passage of Time," by world-renowned American minimalist sculptor Richard Serra arrived by ship from Qatar and were unloaded by master riggers employed by JAXPORT partner, Portus.
Serra is best known for his large-scale steel sculptures which sell for millions of dollars. Portus boasts a global reputation as an industry leader for handling over-dimensional and unusual cargo.
The weather proof steel components of the sculpture are impressive in size, each weighing more than 80,000 lbs (36.2 tonnes), measuring up to 57 ft (17.4 m) in length and standing more than 14 ft (4.2 m) high. The sculpture's final destination is in South Florida.
A recent multi-million dollar upgrade increased the capability of JAXPORT's specialised ship's berth dedicated to moving heavy and oversized cargo. The berth now ranks as one of the nation's highest weight-bearing capacity docks.
It offers a load capacity of up to 1,800 lbs per sq ft (8.8 tonnes per sq m); increased rail capability to 78 kips per axle; plus high and wide cargo clearance for rail access.
"Our diversified cargo base gives us the know-how to cater to the unique needs of heavy lift customers," said Roy Schleicher, JAXPORT executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "With berth space easily available and accessible, cargo gets in and out quickly, without delay, saving our customers time and money," Schleicher claims.
"When moving something this irreplaceable, trust is a critical factor," said John Mullins, Portus director of customer service and business development. "Not every port team has our level of experience and reputation and not every port terminal has the capability to handle such unique cargo."
Watch a video of the project here:
