When the Portuguese special transport company LASO Transportes SA was awarded the contract to transport a 28,8m long and almost 165 t heavy metal component from Vale de Cambra to the port of Leça da Palmeira (about 60 km away) for shipment to the port, it became clear that it would be possible only with the THP/SL heavy-duty modules by Goldhofer.
A distance of about 60 km separates the small town of Vale di Cambra and Leça da Palmeira. Considering the route conditions, a driver would be at the port in just over an hour. The heavy transport of a power plant component weighing almost 300 t over this distance, on the other hand, presents far greater challenges. Not only do narrow curves, crossings, and roundabouts have to be driven through, but also bridges and tunnels with weight and height limits.
To ensure that the huge component (approx 29m x 5.6 m x 5.3 m) could be delivered to the port without any major detours, the transport solution had to offer maximum flexibility as well as the lowest possible dead weight and minimum overall construction height of the loading deck. LASO’s transport experts therefore used two six-axle THP/SL heavy-duty modules. Thanks to their high bending moment and many possible variations, these were best suited for transporting the heavy metal colossus smoothly to its destination.
Engineers had already prepared road studies accurate to the millimeter so that an optimum route could be planned without gaps. This made it possible not only to prepare individual road sections in good time for the nightly transport – for example, by removing traffic lights – but also to implement escort convoys and police barriers on schedule. The result was precise organization and ideal transport solutions and within two nights, the power plant component was on time for further shipment at the pier.
LASO Transportes SA specializes in the transport of special, heavy and normal goods and has a fleet of about 1,800 vehicles; it offers a wide range of solutions for special transports. It has a broad network in Portugal, Spain, Mozambique, Morocco, Senegal, and the Netherlands, and has recently established branches in Germany and Italy.
