Mankind has been building with concrete for 4,000 years, since the age of Mesopotamia. The material gained popularity in ancient Rome. To this day, the dome of the Pantheon remains the largest structure in the world made of unreinforced
concrete.

Today, concrete is used to manufacture structural walls and flooring, monolithic foundations, and walkways. Concrete stairs, fences, wells, and pipes are also common. Modern cement-based concrete is obtained by mixing cement, sand, gravel, water and a small amount of other additives.

For one long-term client, the AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG team delivered oversized structural components to a concrete plant in the first quarter of 2020.

“The client requested the delivery of oversized equipment from Italy to Belgium. The cargo needed to be unloaded at two points: the municipalities of Seraing and Engis. The customer confirmed the transportation with very short notice. In addition to the tight project timeline, the job was also challenging due to the lack of an established loading plan. The client provided only the dimensions and weight of the individual cargo components,” says Ekaterina Trotsko, Sales Department Specialist at AsstrA.

 

The oversized cargo consisted of a belt conveyor and 22 grids. The conveyor length was 7.5 m, the height at the maximum point was 2.45 m, and the weight was 2,800 kg. The dimensions of each net were 3.2 x 1.7 x 0.13m with a total weight of 8,000 kg.

“Because of the dimensions and characteristics of the cargo, the decision was made to deliver the cargo with an open platform semi-trailer. Thanks to our established relationships with carriers, we were able to source the necessary vehicle within one day. The cargo was placed on the platform according to the order with which it would be unloaded. The key to success in organizing this type of transportation project is experience. Thanks to the team’s accumulated knowledge and know-how, we were able to get the cargo onto the vehicle without an established loading plan. The client received the goods on time with complete safety,” adds Aneta Tomczak, Oversized Freight Division Forwarder at AsstrA.