Two years of

preparation
for a
fifteenminute
crossing.
Tennet transformers,
the netherlands

sept 16 Preparing for

2009
the big crossing

Sept 17
2009

Crossing the tracks

sept 17 Fifteen minutes to get

2009
to the other side

Sept 17
2009

Mission completed in
the early morning

crossing six traffic lanes and two railway tracks in only fifteen minutes.
For the expansion of the Dutch
power grid, Mammoet was asked
to transport three 330-ton
transformers to a new substation.
To save time and costs, the
150-kilometer journey from
factory to foundation took place
over water and land. The overland
route in particular posed some
tough logistic challenges.
Through meticulous planning and
coordination, Mammoet managed
to cross roads, railways and one
of the countrys busiest motorways with minimal delay in traffic.

Discover more on www.mammoet.com

The transformers were transported

in three installments. Once each
transformer had completed its trip
over water, it was loaded onto
SPMTs for the journey over land.
En route it would have to cross
roads, a railway and the busy A12
motorway. The railway could only
be crossed between 01:00 and
06:00 a.m. and without touching
the tracks. The maximum allowed
time to close the A12 motorway
was only fifteen minutes. Mammoet
had to find a way to safely move the
transformers across in a seemingly
impossible short time span.

The railway and motorway were

located right beside each other, but
at different elevation levels. In order
to swiftly move the transformers
over both, a solution was needed to
overcome the difference. Mammoet
engineers came up with a plan to
place the SPMT carrying the
transformer on top of a second
SPMT. The stacked trailers crossed
the highway until they reached an
especially created bridge over the
railway tracks. The upper trailer
rolled off the lower trailer onto the
bridge, after which the empty lower
trailer was backed up to clear the
motorway. Each transformer made
it across in less than fifteen minutes.

Two years of preparation made the

move a big success. Apart from the
logistics, a great deal of time was
spent on safety precautions.
The transport attracted a crowd of
thousands of spectators that had to
be controlled. Bringing six lanes of
highway traffic to a complete
standstill posed another safety
issue, as did lifting the overhead
railway power lines. In close
coordination with local authorities,
railway operator ProRail and
emergency response units
Mammoet was able to safely deliver
the transformers while minimizing
disruption to well within the
allowable limits.

Resources
cranes
1 hydraulic crane
transport
216 axle lines of SPMT
crew
30 Mammoet professionals