Mammoet, the world’s leader in solutions for lifting, transportation, installation and decommissioning of large and heavy structures, carried an 8 million pound Peabody Energy dragline over 22 miles of New Mexican desert to its El Segundo Mine. It took the 3,500-ton dragline only 12 days to cross the desert on a specialized self-propelled transport vehicle.
The dragline, the size of a ship on dry land, is designed to “walk” by using shoes that lift and advance the machine, at a speed of one-tenth of a mile per hour. However, using this method would have required generators, and road and power line construction support 24 hours a day for at least a month. Mammoet reduced that travel time by two thirds, even despite factors like steep inclines, exceptional rainfall and width restrictions due to an archaelogical site on the way.
A total of 150 axle lines of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT), five trains wide by 30 long, were used to move the dragline to its destination.
“Transporting a machine of this size required precision and planning,” said Brad Brown, Peabody Energy Senior Vice President of Southwest operations.
For more information, contact Theo Kroese at theo.kroese@mammoet.com.
