Boeing’s new Delta 4 rocket, designed for launching satellites, has yet to make its maiden voyage but the launch pad has already had its own magnificent journey. While the rocket will take less than 15 minutes to reach an altitude of 190km, the launch platform was moved at a rather more sedate pace when it was brought to the Cape Canaveral space centre in Florida, USA from Brunswick in the state of Georgia.
Heavy haulage company Beyel Bros. Crane & Rigging manoeuvred two 16-axle Goldhofer heavy duty combinations, coupled side by side, under the platform and lifted it using hydraulic axle suspension. The 600t launch platform measured 40m long, 10m high and 11m wide. The whole load, which had to negotiate its way past various obstacles, weighed a total of 920t. The centre of gravity stood at a height of 7m, which meant that the trailer’s level adjustment feature was an important asset in overcoming the crossfall in the roads.
From Brunswick the load was taken 16km by road to be loaded onto a barge to Cocoa in Florida, 320km away. After the barge had been lifted and a ramp loaded, the ‘roll off’ could start. As the trailer moved off the barge, just as when it had been loaded on to it, the hydraulic axle suspension had to cope with height differences and keep the load horizontal.
During the final 40km road journey to Cape Canaveral obstacles that included trees and other vegetation had to be cleared away to pave the way for the 11m-wide convoy.
Because this was the first time that Beyel had used Goldhofer heavy-duty axle lines, a Goldhofer engineer was brought in for technical support. He trained and instructed all the operating personnel in advance, checked and inspected the transport route and gave advice on any changes that needed making.
