June 9 - A Nicolas SMDEL 4-67 five-axle semi-trailer was utilised by Mammoet Wind Brande to transport a 73 m long wind turbine blade from Lunderskov to Copenhagen in Denmark.
According to Nicolas - a part of the TII Group - Mammoet Wind Brande was the only company in the region capable of executing the project without using two cranes to lift the turbine blade. The trailer and blade was delivered to Copenhagen in order to be exhibited at the EWEA Offshore Wind trade show, which took place during March 2015.
The SMDEL 4-67 combination measured more than 100 m long, as the rotor blade overhung the end of the vehicle by almost 30 m during transit. In order to minimise this overhang, the SMDEL 4-67 has a flattened gooseneck on which the front end of the blade rests.
The trailer also has a high axle compensation, a large steering angle and a strongly pre-loaded centre beam that was extended further by means of two spacers. As a result, Mammoet Wind Brande was able to use the trailer's high ground clearance to clear obstacles such as roundabouts that other vehicles could not negotiate. In addition, the blade was positioned directly on the extra-low gooseneck in order to save space.
After the EWEA exhibition, due to a lack of a suitable turning area, the truck driver was forced to drive the combination several kilometres in reverse gear, before returning to Lunderskov.
