Barnhart Conveys Good Work

Here is an interesting job we recently completed. This was one of those jigsaw type projects that everything had to fit together perfectly or it wasn't going to work. We were asked to help install a truss/conveyor system that will be used to bring material from a harbor into a plant.

The puzzle was put together something like this:

• The conveyors truss was staged atop a 195’x35’ deck barge using (2) 6-line PST-e steer Goldhofer trailers as support. One trailer was placed in front of the truss and another at the rear.

• A secondary barge was placed perpendicular to the mooring dolphins that the truss rests between in its final position.

• The transport barge carrying the truss and Goldhofer trailers was then maneuvered from its staging position near the pier (see pics) to the north end of the harbor. This was a very delicate maneuver considering the north end of the truss had to be positioned directly between the mooring dolphins. Clearance between the dolphins was approximately 5” on one side, 1” on the other…very tight.

• The Goldhofer trailers then moved the truss further northward with the front trailer rolling off from the transport barge the secondary barge. 20’x8’x1” steel plate was used to bridge the gap for all roll-offs.

• Once the front Goldhofer was on the secondary barge, a Manitowoc 2250 (with Max-er) positioned on the bank grabbed the front end of the truss, freeing the frontGoldhofer.

• The truss continued to move northward with the front end supported by the crane and the rear end still on trailer. As the truss started "uphill" the rear Goldhofer hydraulics stroked to tilt the truss at the proper angle. Maximum tilt angle never exceeded 8 degrees.

• The rear Goldhofer then rolled-off from the transport barge to the secondary barge. The transport barge was then removed from the work vicinity.

• Our final step was to lower the rear end of the truss to the final working barge. This was done by tilting the conveyor as to lower the rear end, and by ballasting down the secondary barge. The permanent working barge was equipped with rails that supported the roller assembly of the truss. Once the end of the conveyor was on the rails we walked our trailer out from beneath the conveyor and were finished.