Don’t very-large-load transporters have data on overpass/powerline clearances for given routes? I doubt the Endeavour had a little truck with a measuring pole driving around Los Angeles in front of it. I suppose clearances could change slightly with the weather, or if the road was recently resurfaced, but the margin for error really shouldn’t be that slim.
Besides, what do they do if they find a too-low overpass? Stop the caravan and… ?
They’re going to be taking these blades through rural areas, so they’d also have to watch for overhanging tree limbs.
There would also be areas where a hump in the road would lift the tip of the blade higher, and they’d have to be alert for that.
The tricky part of these deliveries would be the last couple miles of county road up to the top the ridge where nothing that large has ever driven before.
Today I drove by a stopped train which was transporting probably a hundred of these. Each blade appeared to be mounted to two cars and they needed special brackets so the train could go around curves.
Trucking companies ship oversized loads all the time, or have oversized trailers. There are route-planning companies to ensure a safe route for any given load or equipment. I knew someone who worked for one of these companies, and it’s an everyday part of the shipping business.
When I was young I used to go there at night with my friends and steal turbines just for fun.
I still keep one of those in my bedroom. Unfortunaly it doesn’t work as well as before, but it’s still nice to see it moving a bit when the wind blows.
I see these coming through all the time here in northern Indiana on U.S. 30. I see blades go by regularly (in groups of 3, about 10 minutes apart) but almost never see the poles. Wonder why that is?
Probably a validated route.
Seeing these is a regular occurrence on the highways in Michigan. There’s a car dealership in suburban Detroit that gets power from two small turbines.
The blades are doubtless one-piece affairs, while the masts can be assembled from parts on-site like any other tower.
Really could be damage to the bridge the blade could do…https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=skagit%20valley%20bridge%20collapse&sm=1
I remember reading a fairly long piece about someone who tagged along with a turbine delivery truck as they traversed the US on their way to a wind farm. I think it was from 2-3 years ago and involved going through the Rockies, but I haven’t been able to find it. Anyway, it was interesting because it talked a lot about logistics, and if I remember correctly some of the components are so long that the blade/pole forms part of the trailer and individual wheel sets/bogies simply fit underneath them. Well, not so simply because these wheels are computer controlled because they have to play a role in steering the trailer.
Haven’t seen one of those, but I was stuck on the beltway behind this: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/14/12220049-military-clears-up-beltway-ufo-mystery?lite
There are lot of the main bodies of the towers being transported in the Midwest lately. Seeing the blades trying to get on/off the highway is intriguing at the least. The rear wheel section under the blade can be steered by a crewman walking alongside the running gear, by a wired in controller. That crewman steers the unit until they can get back into a straight line to run down the highway. Still cool to see going down the highway.
I see these fairly frequently on I-95 between Wilmington and Newark, DE. No pole trucks, though, the northeast corridor is pretty well understood at this point.
I’m from Iowa and see these things on a near weekly basis…they are incredibly large. You are correct that the they use all kinds of planning for the routes. It works well for the majority of the trip. The pole trucks are mostly for when they get off main highways and interstates…onto smaller roads and towns where stop lights can be bent by wind or accidents, power lines can hang at varying heights due to ice, or towns can erect signs or decorations.
The clearance on some of the overpasses and old bridges is VERY close for these items (a couple inches). I don’t think it was a wind turbine, but another piece of large equipment hit a nearby bridge a few weeks ago due to snow and ice buildup on the road.
Knowing people in the industries of both the manufacture of and transportation side…consensus seems to be that paying someone $8 an hour to “just to make sure” on a million dollar piece of equipment is worth it. They also help block traffic at intersections when these trucks need to make very wide turns (it can take 10-15 minutes for them to turn through intersections because the turns need to be so precise).
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