ArcelorMittal Jumbo Beams Set to Make Record-Breaking Journey to Germany
03/11/2013 - Tonight, 14 jumbo steel beams made by ArcelorMittal in Luxembourg will begin a unique journey to Dresden that could result in a Guinness World Record for steel.
Tonight, 14 jumbo steel beams made by ArcelorMittal in Luxembourg will begin a unique journey to Dresden that could result in a Guinness World Record for steel.
With each beam measuring more than 60 meters and all 14 beams weighing 380 tonnes in total, transportation from ArcelorMittal Differdange to the customer had to be carefully planned. Beams of this length have never been transported by rail, so ArcelorMittal and CFL cargo — a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Luxembourg’s national rail company, Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois or CFL — in cooperation with an engineering firm, had to work out a detailed logistics plan. To add to the challenge, the beams — which are being used to build a Deutsche Bahn railway bridge in Germany — have to be delivered ‘just-in-time’, precisely when they are needed for the construction.
The beams are being transported in pairs, on groups of three wagons, secured by means of custom-made pivoting, which uses pivoting and sliding crosspieces. "This ensures that the beams remain straight during the transport, while the wagons underneath can follow the curve of the railroad tracks," explains Fritz Crelo, CFL cargo loading expert and head wagon inspector, who is accompanying the beams to Dresden.
Such long beams have never been transported over such a long distance, from a production site to a construction site. The rail wagons have been customized by CFL cargo specifically for this journey, while CFL cargo is transporting them along specific railway lines to avoid very tight curves.
"This job has been very challenging and exciting, and is a world-first. We have therefore decided to enter this project as a Guinness World Record," said Fred Weissenburger, the ArcelorMittal engineer in charge of this project. "Our application is already in."
The beams’ departure from Differdange marks the culmination of a year’s work. Having received the order in January 2012, the customer requirements proved to be a real challenge. Up until last year, HEA 800 profile steel beams (rolled beams encased in concrete) had never been made to the length needed in this case: 60.6 meters. In order to achieve the required length, two beams — one measuring 37 meters and the other 23 meters — were welded together at ArcelorMittal's C3P finishing center in Differdange, before being loaded onto the wagons.
Orders for Deutsche Bahn must meet the highest quality standards. "The welds must be just so, in order to satisfy the demands made by Deutsche Bahn. Prior to being transported, all the beams were inspected three times for production defects and potential irregularities," said Jean-François Liesch, general manager of ArcelorMittal’s Differdange steelworks. "This project also demonstrates our flexibility and capability to adapt to the needs and plans of our customers and turn them into reality. It is a fantastic example of how steel is part of the fabric of life."
"Such an extraordinary project requires the seamless cooperation of many different teams, all working towards the same goal: providing the customer with high-quality products and services", said Fernand Rippinger, CEO of CFL cargo.
Tonight, the train will depart from Differdange with the first 14 beams for the bridge; a second delivery is scheduled for 2014. The 14 beams — bolted together into seven pairs — and the 21 wagons plus the locomotive will bring a total load of around 790 tonnes onto the railroad tracks.
