Today’s increasingly competitive market challenges global construction firms to reduce costs in every area possible on each of their projects. Every project presents unique challenges. On large projects, the cost of transportation and mobilization of the equipment becomes a significant consideration. Massive projects need specific equipment to complete the project efficiently and correctly. Contractors could be faced with using an inferior piece of equipment simply because of the cost to transport the best equipment for the job.
WHEN TRANSPORT IS A FACTOR
Portable Sectional Barges have also been subject to this scrutiny. Many styles require overwidth permits in order to ship over the road, and weight becomes a factor impacting the number of trucks required. More trucks on the road means more cost and more of an impact on the environment. Shipping standard Portable Sectional Barges via rail has proven to be costly in securing them to standard rail cars due to their incompatibility. Then, for the truly global contractor, shipping standard Portable Sectional Barges via container ship has not been without special circumstances. Standard Portable Sectionals don’t seamlessly fit in with the other containers, making them a “break bulk” item. These items are forced to be stowed in an area of the ship that accommodates odd shape/size freight. This results in a higher shipping cost.
POSEIDON ADDRESSES THE ISSUE
At ConExpo 2017 in Las Vegas this past March, Poseidon Barge LTD addressed this very need. They unveiled their new P4-9 ISO Container Barge. “It’s a sectional barge designed specifically to fit within the dimensions and shipping requirements that an ISO High Cube Container is held to,” says Scott Sprunger, Poseidon sales. “It’s a very unique product that had to be very standard when it came to shipping. Intermodal transportation was the answer.”
The Poseidon P4-9 can be loaded and transported using standard equipment already in the industry such as rail, road, or shipping lanes.
Standard ISO container corner fittings allow the Poseidon P4-9 to be loaded and transported using standard equipment already in the industry. “It allows the global customer to take advantage of existing rail, road, or shipping lanes already being utilized by everyday consumer goods. This means overall less cost for shipping. Especially overseas,” Sprunger says. “The P4-9 ISO Container Barge is designed so that it doesn’t require special instructions for shipping on container ships. To the carrier it appears to be just like all the shipping containers surrounding it.”
POSEIDON P4-9 ISO CONTAINER BARGE
The Poseidon P4-9 ISO Container Barge has removable male connectors to allow it to ship within the dimensional requirements set forth for ISO Containers. The contractor would install them on the jobsite prior to putting the deck together. Without the male connectors installed, the P4-9 measures 40 ft x 8 ft x 9.5 ft. Each 40 ft section will float 38 tons at a 60 percent draft. “It’s a heavy-duty barge that allows the contractor to use bigger pieces of equipment reducing the overall footprint on the jobsite, and reducing the number of barges that must be shipped for a project,” Sprunger says. “The P4-9 is an economic and environmental win for the global construction contractor.” ■
For More Information: Poseidon Barge LTD rents and sells portable sectional barges that are used to float heavy construction equipment or materials during civil or industrial projects over water. Its portable sectional barges are designed and manufactured in the United States at its Berne, Indiana, manufacturing plant. For more information, visit www.poseidonbarge.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, June 2017
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