Heavy Transport Company Baumann Receives Major Contract from Linde

The specialist for heavy transports, Viktor Baumann GmbH & Co. KG, receives a major contract from Linde Engineering. Two massive heat exchangers, measuring 33.65 and 29.5 meters in length, as well as exceeding height and width, had to be transported from the Tacherting plant to the Danube port in Passau. Baumann utilized the THP/SL-L heavy load modules from Goldhofer for this task.

(Bornheim/Memmingen/Tacherting) This is almost bordering on a record transport: Baumann took over two gigantic heat exchangers with enormous dimensions of 33.65 m in length, 6.05 m in width, 6.14 m in height, and 29.5 m in length, 6.7 m in width, 6.5 m in height from Linde Engineering in Tacherting, with the task of transporting them to the Danube port in Passau.

The heavy load professionals at Baumann, who have been working as the in-house freight forwarder for Linde for many years, specifically acquired new axle lines of the THP/SL-L type and 200 t turntables from Goldhofer for such massive transports.

Using Goldhofer Heavy Load Modules for Years

“We have been using Goldhofer heavy load modules for years, which have now been gradually replaced by the new THP/SL-L series from Goldhofer to meet the increasing demands regarding axle loads,” reported Matthias Kirschner, fleet manager at Baumann. “The new lightweight modules are significantly more powerful and, due to their reinforced frame construction and proven pendulum axle technology with ball swivel connection, very robust,” added Kirschner.

Indeed, the new THP/SL-L series from Goldhofer achieves 26 t axle load per axle line at a speed of 20 km/h. Its robust construction and high bending moment, combined with a very low dead weight, allow for a high frequency of use, especially in road transport.The transport of the two spiral-wound heat exchangers, weighing 274 t and 278 t, had to be carried out during the day for safety reasons. Due to the immense dimensions of the two vehicle combinations, it was necessary for the convoy to primarily use secondary roads. For the 274 t heat exchanger, a trailing train consisting of 18 + 10 axle lines of the THP/SL-L type was used. This resulted in a length of 69 m and a total weight of 433 t.
The 278 t heavy heat exchanger consisted of a trailing train made up of 16 axle lines of the THP/ST type and 14 axle lines of the THP/SL-L type, achieving a length of 72 m and a total weight of 450 t.

Insurance Team with Multiple Vehicles

Throughout the transport, in addition to police escort, a traffic safety team with several vehicles was on site to remove and then rebuild obstacles such as traffic signs and traffic lights. Steel plates were laid out at exposed locations for crossing, and road junctions were secured. The transport team from Baumann had their hands full managing the numerous traffic islands and 90° turns. The vehicles had to be constantly reconfigured to navigate these tight turns. The team was also continuously occupied with compensating for the sometimes extreme side inclinations of the road. An operator was stationed at each vehicle to intervene as necessary. “The new 200 t turntables from Goldhofer, in conjunction with our new tilt indicator including warning messages, were a great help here. This kept us informed and allowed us to intervene when needed,” reports Reinhard Treutler, project manager at Baumann.

6 Tractor Units in Use

In total, the Baumann team was on site with 6 tractor units, which also served as pull and push machines on the upcoming gradients of up to 12%.

Thus, the two heavy load combinations, measuring 72 m in length, 6.7 m in width, and 8 m in height, as well as 69 m in length, 6.1 m in width, and 7.6 m in height, wound their way through the mountainous landscape of Upper Bavaria in convoy and reached the port in Passau on the 4th day as planned. “It’s a wonderful feeling when you can rely 100% on your team and the transport technology used, and everything works smoothly,” summarizes Reinhard Treutler after the completion of the transport.

From Passau, the heat exchangers will be shipped to Canada, where they will be used in a natural gas liquefaction plant.

Photos: Goldhofer

www.baumann-move.com     www.linde-engineering.com     www.goldhofer.com