Trailers that wont steer you wrong

Loading and hauling long bridge girders with steerable trailers

By Timothy S. Fisher
s beam sections have become more structurally efficient, they also have become more slender. Reducing their bulk has reduced their weight, so much longer spans can be designed. In fact, 130- to 140foot bulb-T beams and I-girders are being used frequently. The length of bridge beams now is limited mainly by the mode of transportation and allowable gross weight rather than by span restrictions. To transport these long girders over roads and position them around the jobsite, producers often are turning to steerable trailers. These trailers increase maneuverability, with some having a turning radius as low as 20 degrees. Steerable trailers offer many configurations depending on the size and the weight of the load. A typical configuration includes a lowboy or flatbed trailer attached to the tractor. This trailer holds the front bunk, a detachable piece of the steerable trailer system on which the front of the beam is mounted. A kingpin attaches the front bunk to a riser

which holds a fifth wheel. This connection allows the front bunk to swivel and the end of the beam to rotate during a turn, just as a trailer rotates when a tractor-trailer makes a turn. The riser must distribute the weight over the trailer properly. The riser normally is attached to the trailer by chaining and bolting it to the trailer bed. On the back end, the beam is supported by the steerable trailer, which may have two, three, or as many as five axles. For shorter loads the front bunk can mount directly on the fifth wheel of the tractor, eliminating the need for the lowboy or flatbed and riser. Producers commonly haul beams as long as 155 feet using the first configuration, and as long as 125 feet with the bunk mounted directly on the fifth wheel of the tractor. Mounting the bunk directly on the tractors fifth wheel is beneficial since you are able to shorten the overall length of the transporter. Design considerations for shipping During shipping, a member may be subjected to the most severe stress conditions expected throughout its life. Long, slender sections even have collapsed when shipped without the proper precautions. A beams lateral stability is of more concern during construction than in the finished structure when the beam is integrated into the deck. But because many designers consider only the stability in the finished structure, evaluating loads on the member during shipment and construction is left to the producers and contractors. Most lateral stability problems with long concrete I-beams are caused by the beams rolling sideways when lifted or transported. Extensive research into lateral stability was reported by Robert Mast [Ref. 1 and 2]. Mast concluded that when beams are transported, superelevation of the road and flexibility of the vehicles springs cause lateral deflection of the beam. When lifted, long beams roll due to tolerances in sweep and lifting loop

Figure 1. When lifting or supporting a beam from each end, it is able to roll and deflect laterally.

In this photo, the main parts of the steerable trailer system are identified; the bunk, riser, lowboy trailer, and steerable trailer. A fifth wheel mounted on the riser allows the front bunk to swivel when making turns.

When loading prestressed concrete girders onto trailers, locate the support points on the bunk beneath or as close as possible to the lifting loops.

placement (See Figure 1). These tolerances cause the center of gravity of the beam to be slightly to one side of the roll axisan imaginary line connecting the lifting points. Some producers and transporters assume that a beam should be supported at each end

during transporting, as it will be in the finished structure. However, locating the lifting loops and the support points on the truck and trailer even a small distance in from the ends of the beam serves to counteract rolling and can dramatically improve the lateral bending stability. Another benefit of moving the support points in from the ends of the beam when trailering is the reduction in overall length. Mast offers equations to calculate the factor of safety against failure when lifting and transporting. Up to a point, this factor of safety increases as the supports move farther from the ends. When loading the beam onto the trailers, you should place the support points on the trailer below the lifting loops. However, some deviation in location of support points is permissible. As a rule of thumb, one transporter uses one to two times the depth of the member to determine how far from the beam ends to locate the support points. When supporting the beams in from the ends, evaluate the member to confirm that the top fiber stresses of the cantilevered ends remain in compression. Fortunately, long concrete girders normally have top compression and can tolerate short cantilevers. To prevent cracking, tensile stresses in the top flange can be counteracted by mild steel reinforcement or prestressing steel. Imper and Laszlo (Ref. 3) recommend temporarily post-tensioning the top flange during handling and shipment, if it is found that the top flange will be in tension. To do so, run strands through greased plastic tubes in the top flange and anchor them with steel plates at each end. Once the beam is put in place, release the stress in the strands with hydraulic jacks or burn the strand through a small

hole provided near one end. Once relaxed, the strand can be removed manually from either end. Conventional reinforcing steel can also be placed at each end to resist the tension caused by the overhang. Mast and also many producers who have evaluated their beams found that sections of ordinary proportions have sufficient strength to resist the bending and tilting caused by most transporting equipment (as depicted in Figure 1). When a failure occurred, it was most likely preceded by something else such as breaking chains or pins, or the vehicles rolling over. Many producers brace long prestressed beams with systems such as the king post truss system to stiffen the beam during transport (See Figure 2). Mast suggests that members benefit little from such systems. The steel area of the prestressing strands is too small to add to the lateral stiffness of the beam. Produc ers have also braced sections with horizontal steel trusses, pipe frames, or rolled steel sections to help protect the beams from cracking when the member deflects laterally. Route planning Planning the route from the plant to the job is an important consideration when hauling any large or heavy load. The heavier the member, the more axles required to support it without damaging the pavement and bridges in route. The number of axles required depends on the state and federal bridge and highway load limits, but federal, state, and county regulations almost always differ. Part of the haulers responsibility is to acquire the necessary permits to travel the route to the jobsite. This requires a working knowledge of the laws in the area the shipment will be travelling through. The permitting process often requires the hauler to submit sketches of the rig used to transport the member, detailing the spacing and the loads on all of the axles. States will use this information to check the pavements and bridges along the route to ensure

Steerable trailers i ncrease the mobility of the hauler on and off the road.

Figure 2. This typical king post truss system is used by many to brace long-span bridge beams during shipping.

they are capable of handling the load. When hauling overweight or overlength members, there are often restrictions for: Time of yearMany highways have reduced load limits in the spring and fall when the ground is saturated with water. Time of day Haulers are not

permitted to haul during busy travel times. Amount of traffic on bridgesHeavier loads require the truck to travel down the centerline of the bridge; thus the bridge must be closed to oncoming traffic. S p e e d Trucks hauling over-

weight loads must travel at a slower speed, especially over bridges. Operating trailers Many drivers say that operating the trailer becomes second-nature after some experience. The steerable trailer normally houses its own hydraulic power source separate from that of the tractor. Heavy-duty hydraulic cylinders mounted ahead of the swivel point turn the axle assembly. The driver controls the trailer from the tractor cab. One steering system is controlled by a two-button control box. Pressing one button extends the hydraulic cylinder to swivel the trailer; the other button turns the trailer in the opposite direction. To straighten out the trailer after completing a turn, the driver depresses the opposite button until the trailer is running true. Drivers can tell when the trailer is not running parallel with the tractor because the trailer will pull to one side. A quick tap of the control button will return the trailer to running straight. Once unloaded, the steerable

trailer unit can be loaded on the flatbed or attached to the tractor if a flatbed is not being used for the haul back to the yard. With attention to details, steerable trailers can be used to safely transport long concrete members from the point of production to their final resting spot. 2 For more information on steerable trailers, circle 101 on the reader service card. References 1. Mast, R. F., Lateral Stability of Long Prestressed Concrete Beams Part 1, PCI Journal, V. 34, No. 1, January-February, 1989, pp. 3453. 2. Mast, R. F., Lateral Stability of Long Prestressed Concrete Beams Part 2, PCI Journal, V. 38, No. 1, January-February, 1993, pp. 7088. 3. Imper, Richard R., and George Laszlo, Handling and Shipping of Long Span Bridge Beams, P C I Journal, V. 32, No. 6, NovemberDecember 1987, pp. 86-101.

PUBLICATION #J960298
Copyright 1996, The Aberdeen Group All rights reserved