Somerscales Transport of Immingham were recently contracted to transport a Coke Silo measuring 9m diameter x 25m high and weighing 90t from its manufacturers in Immingham to the Conoco Phillips Oil Refinery at Killingholme.

 

After months of planning the movement took place without incident on the evening of 24^th May 2011 with the route of approximately two miles being covered in two and a half hours. 

The Silo was transported using two of Sarens 12 line Kamag SPMT’s coupled to give a 5.8m wide load bed.

 

The design of this rather strange load was partially brought about due to the layout of the site in Norway, and the installation procedure.

 

The Hot Oil Heater, with a length of width of approximately 13 metres, but with a height of over 24 metres and weighing in at 197 tonnes, is basically a tall column with peripheral equipment fore & aft.  As the load could not be installed by a mobile crane and had to be placed by transport equipment, the design team came up with the idea of a transport frame which allowed trailer support at either side of the load; albeit nearly 9 metres apart.

 

 

If the move at the fabricators' had been just straight & level, there would have been no problem. However, although the assembly area was only half a mile from the quay edge, there were four 90 degree turns, plus a 2 degree slops to contend with.

 

In total, it took just under 3 hours to make the journey, constantly trimming and adjusting both trailer in all three planes. Finally seating the assembly onto pre-prepared shims set on the quay to within 10mm on the first attempt!