Load Regulations
All drivers and loading bay personnel must have training in tie-down selection, use and inspection.
Types of tie downs include a direct( anchor) that attaches directly from the trailer to the load, an indirect( no anchor) that threads over or through and connects back to the trailer, and a transverse tie down that stretches over or through the load from one side of the trailer to the other.
Proper load securement guarantees the safe immobilization and transport of heavy cargo, including cranes and other machines, as well as products used on jobsites. Failure to comply with cargo securement regulations can result in damage to vehicles and cargo, in addition to putting drivers and other motorists in danger.
NessCampbell Crane + Rigging follows DOT tie-down requirements based on the standards and expectations for every heavy machine it hauls.
Omega Morgan Receives Top Honors for a Unique Heavy-Haul Project
It was a considerable heavy haul transportation challenge, even for Omega Morgan, a Hillsboro, Oregon-based specialized transportation, heavy lift and rigging company. For the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Fort St. John, British Columbia, the company was called on to haul massive turbine runners in loads weighing about 770,000 pounds more than 700 miles from Port of Prince Rupert where the dam components arrived by ship.
If the size and scale of the loads wasn’ t enough of a challenge, there were numerous others. Over two years of meticulous planning, Omega Morgan’ s Canada-based specialized transportation team addressed how to navigate narrow, single lane
A barge-mounted 350- by 110-foot derrick with a 600-ton ringer crane was used to lift the turbine runners to transport units on shore.
roads with steep rock walls on one side and a drop off on the other and roundabouts in small towns. That approach required precision laser measuring of rock faces and corners for safely positioning dual lane trailers.
A traffic management plan was also developed so local communities would experience as little impact as possible by required road closures during the nighttime moves. Crews also needed to be prepared for wind, rain and snow because the trips could only happen in winter when the roads were frozen enough to bear the weight of the loads. In addition, due to the size and length of the trailer configurations predetermined stopping points were put in place along with contingency plans for inclement weather, breakdowns or other emergencies.
The carefully mapped out and precisely timed fiveday, four-night hauls began at the port where a derrick crane barge offloaded the turbine runners from the ship. Crews then used the 350- by 110-foot derrick with a 600-ton ringer crane to lift the runners to transport units on shore. Engineering and planning also involved precise timing to account for significant tidal swings in the area that can range more than 26 feet from low to high tide.
To safely accommodate the turbine runner’ s shape and weight, the Omega Morgan engineering team came up with a custom design to expand the required trailer’ s structural support and reduce the amount of stress on the trailer by 30 % to 40 %. The team also designed bat wings to secure
To handle the massive turbine runners, a custom design expanded the required trailer’ s structural support and reduced the amount of stress on the trailer by 30 to 40 percent.
the torpedo tubes on the outside of the colossal loads to solve the capacity issue.
Another challenge was securing the runners to the trailer without contacting the delicate outer surface of the turbine. The solution was to loop chains underneath and through the center of the turbine and secure them to the lifting trunnions. The chains were also padded with firehose tubing against the inside surface, which was not a sensitive part of the turbine’ s construction.
Planned to the minute, from shipment to delivery and taking into account disruptions from winter weather, the heavy haul project took six years to complete. In the end, Omega Morgan delivered all six turbine runners to the dam site without incident or injury. In 2024, the company received a Hauling Job of the Year award from the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association for its work on the large-scale move.
www. cranehotline. com • August 2024 CRANE HOT LINE ® 25