November 3 - Heavy lift and plant relocation specialist, Vanguard, has successfully completed the transportation of three crystallisers from Metso's manufacturing yard to the Durban harbour quayside using a brand new trailer configuration.
Manufactured in steel lattice structures, the two 200 tonne tanks and one 180 tonne tank are ten sq m at their base and 18 m in height, presenting a substantial load with a high centre of gravity.
"In order to increase the steadiness of the load, we designed a unique trailer configuration used for the first time on this project," says Vanguard engineer, Roland Cumings. The equipment selected was a self-propelled modular trailer (SPMT) plus three axles, as well as another nine axles in a side-by-side configuration. The two axle rows were separated by a bracing structure and a modified steering arm was included on the back end to ensure all the equipment moved as one unit, remotely operated by the SPMT and three attached axles.
"The combination of the axle formation, the bracing structure and the steering arm created a much wider transport base for us to work with, which ensured a higher stability under load," explains Cumings.
When handling the tanks, Vanguard utilised steel supports for the trailer. The suspension drive was lowered to slide in underneath the tank and then raised, lifting the tank a couple of inches off the ground. It is in this position that each tank was manoeuvred to the quayside, at which point the process was reversed and the tank lowered onto its legs.
