The job, for construction and engineering contractor Fluor Corp, began when Emmert’s own dolly-beam transporter was assembled underneath the vessel inside the shop of Thompson Metal Fabrication, where the column was built. Once assembly was completed, the vessel rolled out of the shop to a nearby barge slip and on to the 132ft (40m) barge Seattle, owned by Foss Maritime. The barge sailed up the Columbia River to Pasco, Washington, where the Snake River flows into the Columbia.

Once the barge had reached Tidewater Barge’s facility in Pasco, Washington, Emmert pulled the TCS hydrogenator column off the barge for road transport. The configuration of the dolly-beam system took up two standard traffic lanes, so flagger cars drove in front and behind the load for safety.

Part of the route was a two-lane highway, and the transporter’s width combined with a low transport speed blocked traffic. Where the highway widened, the convoy pulled over to let traffic pass. Other parts of the move took place on smaller two-lane roads and streets, requiring the flagger cars in front of the load to get oncoming traffic to pull over and stop on the side of the road until the load had passed.

To minimise traffic disruptions, Emmert took a detour on a farm road on the last leg of the journey. Two bridges along the road had a weight limit of 40 US tons, only about a fifth of the 191.5 US ton gross weight of the convoy. Emmert laid barge ramps that spanned the distance from one bridge abutment to the other, and crossed over without touching the bridge.

At 1:30am, the load finally rolled into its final location, REC Silicone’s plant near Moses Lake. From there, it would be raised upright and placed in its final location within the plant.


Emmert moves a vessel with its buggies Emmert moves a vessel with its buggies Emmert used its barge ramps to span a low-weight bridge Emmert spans a bridge