Large modules come with their own unique set of challenges when it comes to shipping. Careful coordination and planning is needed for successful and seamless transportation.

We have come up with a guide to help you choose the right time to ship your large module and avoid literal and figurative bumps along the way.

Road ban season

Road ban season is one of the main challenges when it comes to shipping large modules. Every spring, the weight for commercial vehicles and the goods they are carrying is restricted on many provincial and municipal roads. This restriction helps to protect roads from damage caused by heavy-weight traffic.

This is very important to take into consideration during the project planning phase, as the delivery date will usually have to be planned around road ban season. It is also important to remember that if your shipping routes cross multiple provinces or states, each province or state has its own set of regulations and road ban restrictions may differ from province to province/state to state.

Planning in advance and communicating with regulatory bodies is essential. This includes the Ministry of Transportation, freight providers, any Rural Municipalities (RMs), provincial highways and other regulator bodies as needed.

Ideally, the bare minimum to begin transport management plans and route studies for large modules is six months ahead of the projected shipping date.

With spring being a common time for road bans, a project’s schedule may need to be altered to get around shipping during the road ban season.

Just-in-time delivery

Just-in-time delivery is exactly what it sounds like. Multiple project sections or modules can be built off-site simultaneously, or in sequence, then shipped to the site for just-in-time delivery and installation.

One of the main benefits of just-in-time delivery is delivering a large module and its components at the exact point in the project’s schedule when it’s ready for installation, which minimizes or eliminates double handling and site laydown congestion.

Meanwhile, up until the installation time, other construction work can be completed or prepared on location concurrently, such as foundational or site infrastructure work.

To ensure just-in-time delivery, it’s essential to communicate any change in timelines with your assembly/modularization company and other contractors. If issues arise delaying when the large module will need to be installed, this can affect the delivery schedule.

Choosing to ship your large module for just-in-time delivery, helps to maintain a project’s schedule as efficiently as possible, while keeping costs low through minimizing double-handling and site congestion.

Pictured above, this module was designed with supports for transportation. The darker steel will be removed prior to installation on-site. These massive modules were 45’ wide x 50’ long x 20’ tall.

Transport equipment and logistics

When it comes to shipping, big modules have big checklists in terms of logistics. Here are some considerations to take into account:

• Type of equipment needed to move the module and booking of equipment, if needed
• Weight and centre of gravity for the module
• Checkpoints along the delivery route
• Route study performed and permits in place
• Necessary pilot vehicles and police escorts (if required) arranged
• Equipment needed for loading and unloading
• Suitable shipping frames and temporary shipping bracing designed and installed
• Weight allowances for roadways on delivery route as well as to site.

In addition, total dimensions need to fit over roadways or under power lines, and the components have to be robust enough to withstand the journey. As well, access roads to final laydown locations must be ready to sustain the extreme weight of the modules and trucks

Saskarc has over 25 years of experience providing superior steel fabrication solutions achieved by combining project analysis, stakeholder communications and design innovation for large scale modularization. Due to the versatility of Saskarc’s custom steel fabrication capabilities and project management expertise, we are equipped to fabricate and assemble oversized modules limited only by transportation regulations.

When it comes to large projects, Saskarc is your turnkey professional fabrication solution. See what our customers have to say about working with us and contact us today to learn more about how we can make your fabrication project a success by utilizing our expertise and modularization.