January 19 - A Goldhofer modular trailer, supplemented by additional axles and a 4.5 m deck in the middle, was required by South African project cargo handler Vanguard to manage the transportation and rigging of three transformers from Richards Bay harbou
With a total of 24 axles, the customised trailer configuration was 60 m in length with a width of 4.9 m. The trailer was pulled by two 8×4 prime movers and pushed by one 8×8 mover for client Sumitomo Corporation.
Vanguard had to follow the Swaziland route as the direct route was blocked by road works and the move required the installation of an abnormal gate at the upgraded Swaziland border post, which will benefit many future projects.
"Further road works between Ermelo and Bethal forced us to explore alternatives for that stretch of road as well and, as a result, we cleared a brand new route, which has never before seen loads this heavy," says Vanguard engineerRoland Cumings.
The route passed through Middelburg, Stoffberg, Groblersdal, Dennilton, Bronkhorstspruit and Bapsfontein and then joined up with the existing route. All together, the detours more than doubled the mileage to site.
The trailer did not exceed a speed of 30km/h and was driven much slower over bridges and rough terrain. Once on site, Vanguard utilised its new 800-tonne gantries to offload the transformers and safely turn them 90° with the help of its custom-designed and built turntable.
