REMOTE SITES
the west coast . Upon arrival in Vancouver for each transformer , the local team lead took over and coordinated multiple subcontractors to cut the load free from its lashings , weigh it , hoist it , and transfer the transformer from the rail car to the cargo barge . The load was then secured for the 1,000 km journey up the west coast of British Columbia .
While each transformer was heading up the west coast on the cargo barge , Edmonton-based transport crews travelled to the barge landing in Stewart , BC . When the barge arrived , the deck ramp was lowered and the trailer backed directly under the waiting load . The crew secured and readied the load , drove it off the barge , and prepared for the final 325 km journey to the mine site . A partial jacking crew mobilised from Edmonton to meet the transport team directly at the mine site . The team worked together to safely offload and place the transformer onto the concrete foundations .
“ The project was full of challenges and complications such as the changing weight and dimensions , permit approvals with the 30 engineered bridge crossings , and the fabricator ' s sliding schedule . Mammoet was able to overcome these obstacles utilising crews from MCE , MCW and third parties to meet the client ' s schedule and react on short notice . Due to the changes in schedule for the first transformer , availability of the planned crane and berth in Vancouver was put in jeopardy . However , through diligent work from the team , we were able to find suitable , alternate equipment and work with the docks in an extremely short window of opportunity between ocean vessels . We saved the client time , energy and money simply by being able to deal with just one provider for the entire scope of work and sharing the effects of the delays over multiple modes / stages of the job , reducing their overall impact . Finally , not enough can be said of the crews that worked on this project . Their flexibility and ability to work together meant that we were able to support the client fully while , being a cost effective , safe solution .” Equipment used included a 9 Line Goldhofer
PST 8 axle rail car Jack & Slide system ; Manitowoc 4600 ( operating from Spud Barge ); plus a Cargo Barge 12 Line Scheuerle inter-combi ( with 3 prime movers ).
Another job saw Peabody Energy needing to move a 3,500 t dragline over a distance of 22 miles through the New Mexico desert to the El Segundo coal mine . Though the dragline was designed to ' walk ' at a maximum speed of one tenth of a mile per hour it would have taken the machine over a month to reach its destination at this speed . In order to speed up the journey , Mammoet loaded the dragline onto SPMTs and transported it it through the desert . Delivering the dragline in just 12 days , Mammoet reduced travel time by as much as 60 %, while eliminating the need for expensive power generators in the process . An additional job in the coal industry at the beginning of June 2016 saw Mammoet contracted to relocate a 1,000 t rock crusher at a major coal mine near Wright , Wyoming ( see photo ).
Another key logistics player in the mining market is Nuna Logistics in Canada . Vice President , Business Development , Grant Pearson told IM of the specific challenges in solution provision for mines in Arctic Canada : “ The primary challenges are due to a lack of infrastructure to connect northern mines to southern Canada . Several mines have only two
Mammoet was recently contracted to relocate a 1,000 t rock crusher at a major coal mine near Wright , Wyoming
options – winter only access via ice road and summer access in some locations by sea freight . If neither of these two options are available , freight must be flown in . Large equipment must be disassembled to accommodate either weight restrictions on the ice road – or the capacity of the ships ’ cranes that will be unloading them from a sea lift . General consumable needs must be planned accurately to accommodate a once per year resupply if they are goods that are coming via ice road or sea lift .”
In either case , there is a limited window of time – roughly two months for the ice road and
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Mining Intelligence & Technology
SEPTEMBER 2016 | International Mining 147