OXBO delivers two transformers from the Port of Vancouver in Vancouver, WA to the Facebook Data center in Prineville, OR.
The 252-mile route forced the load to move across several older bridges with substandard weight capacities. The route also required the load to navigate two tunnels that were less than 17’ in height. The identical transformers measured 10’10” wide x 31’6” long x 14’6” tall and weighed approximately 400,000 pounds each. The challenge for the OXBO team was to provide a transport system that could spread the load over multiple axles to safely cross the bridges, while also keeping the overall height low enough to maintain clearance under the many overhead obstacles.
The transport system consisted of 1 Prime mover, 12 axles of Goldhofer dual lane trailers to support the front half of the load. OXBO’s high girder beam system. Another 12 lines of Goldhofer trailers that is equipped with a custom cabin for the rear steering operators. The load was pushed by two more fully ballasted 600hp Prime movers
The overall dimensions of the transport system are 309’6” long x 18’ wide x 16’2” tall x 1.1 million pounds. To maintain legal DOT approved weights the load was evenly spread out onto 35 total axles with 230 tires on the ground.
The project took months of planning, route studies, coordination with DOT’s from 2 states and approvals from each city the load needed to pass through. The OXBO team consisted of 4 escorts in the front of the load, 3 truck drivers, 4 trailer operators, and 4 more escorts behind the load.
The permit required the first 100 miles of the move to take place at night, then the crew had to switch to daylight hours for the second 100 miles and then switch back to night moves for the final 52 miles of the route.
Over the first 251 miles OXBO guided the cargo across 2 states, 38 bridge crossings, passed through 2 narrow tunnels, crossed multiple sets of railroad tracks and navigated several tight areas in the cities along the route.
The OXBO crew saved their best performance for the final mile of the journey as it contained the most difficult set of obstacles. To access the substation the load would need to leave the state highway and turn two extremely tight, back to back 90 degree corners to access a narrow two lane frontage road. If that wasn’t difficult enough, it had to be done in the middle of the night and there was a 5’ tall landscaping feature on private property. This landscaping feature was quoted at over $20,000 to remove and replace. Our client was told by others that to make this move possible, the entire irrigated mound would need to be removed and rebuilt to make the corner. They were wrong.
The 3 truck drivers worked in perfect unison with the 4 operators to manually steer the trailers around the corner while utilizing the remote control hydraulic system contained in the suspension beams to lift the cargo 72” above the road surface. This feature allowed the 400,000 pound transformers to simply float over the top of the mound while the front and rear trailers were 90 degrees from each other. It took the OXBO team less than 15 minutes to save our client over $20,000 by getting the entire 309’ long transport system around the 2 corners and re-open the state highway, while avoiding all obstacles.
OXBO saved our client tens of thousands of dollars all along the route. The ability to hydraulically lower the transformer to within inches of the pavement kept the load low enough that not a single utility wire or traffic signal needed to be lifted or moved. The ability to hydraulically lift the cargo up 72” allowed the load to cruise through tight corners and construction areas that were lined with 3’ tall concrete Jersey barriers. 1800 horsepower from three combined prime movers allowed the 1.1 million pound load to climb the steep grades of the cascade mountain range with ease. 118 total sets of brakes installed on every axle allowed the load to ease down the steep grades of the mountain passes and safely maintain control at all times.
The final obstacles standing between the load and the final destination was to navigate through a 19’ wide opening at the security guard station placed at the entrance to the site. Then the load would need to travel through the new construction site’s uncompact dirt and gravel roads then through another gate measuring 18’6” at the substation. Once inside the fully operating and live substation the loads would be pulled adjacent to their corresponding pads for placement. The hydraulics in the suspension beams were then used again to set the transformers on OXBO’s jack and slide system.
This combination has been put together again and again over the last 30 years to allow OXBO to confidently take on the most challenging projects and continually be the industry leader.
Video Shot & Produced By: @oxbomega
@goldhofertransport6176
#heavyhaul #trucking #goldhofer #cdldriver #logistics #oversizeload #spmt #primemover
6 сен 2024
