Factors To Consider When Transporting Cement In Bulk
Cement shipments are an example of a dry bulk trade that is particularly difficult to transport when big amounts are in need. This is particularly true when the only mode of transportation available is a traditional bulk carrier.
As a result, ensuring secure and safe transportation of bulk cement would necessitate the deployment of specialized cement trailers that can comfortably transport enormous volumes of cement in properly sealed compartments.
If this process is not complete, the carriage may incur additional cleaning fees as well as delays between transportation sessions.
Concrete transportation must be well-planned and properly coordinated. For modest jobs, thirty minutes of traveling time are usually sufficient. Concrete from agitated carrying equipment shall unload from a central or portable facility.
To avoid honeycombing or cold joints, it’s better to avoid any delays.
Things to notice when transporting
Bulk products necessitate a great deal of attention to ensure safe delivery without causing any damage or incurring additional costs that you could avoid.
It should transfer from its production plant to ready-mix facilities to maintain its quality and value.
Cement is typically transported several times between the production, terminal, and ready-mix facilities. Because cement is such a fine product, many considerations must be made both before and during shipment.
Here are a few things that you should consider:
Solidification
Cement’s fine nature causes it to harden if it comes into contact with water, making it moist. If cement gets wet during the handling and transportation process, it will become hard and ineffective.
As a result, it’s critical to make sure that all vehicles and containers utilized for transportation are completely clean and completely dry before you use them. As a result, make sure your truck, barge, or train is dry and clear of the water.
It’s also a good idea to look for any symptoms of leakage, especially if the transfer is through a barge.
Contamination
During the transportation of cement, you should exercise extreme caution to guarantee that the product’s purity and quality are not compromised.
There’s a good risk your cement will become contaminated if your carrier has residue from a previously loaded product.
Powder tank trailers, in particular, transport a wide range of goods other than cement. As a result, it’s crucial to double-check it before loading a new product after the previous one.
In that situation, you should check the container that you use to transport cement and clean it before the cement is placed in it.
Procedure checks
The most common issues that could jeopardize cement transportation safety are listed above. As a result, check regularly at each stage of loading and transportation to ensure that it is in protection.
Keeping track of each of the loading phases will aid in determining where difficulties may have arisen in the event of a problem. In that situation, perform the following procedural checks:
Checks before loading
It’s important to check the state of the cement before loading it. The most prevalent problems with cement cargo occur when the cement holds are dirty, wet, and leaky.
To avoid solidification and contamination by other products, verify this before loading on any transportation vessel. Before loading, make sure the load is within the specified temperature range.
Packaging
All packaging materials should be water-resistant. As carbon dioxide and moisture absorption from the air can have a significant impact on the product’s quality over time.
Cement can deteriorate without noticing it, although this harms its performance. As a result, carry out these checks properly to guarantee that the transportation procedure runs well.
Loading surfaces’ purity
It is critical to ensure that the cargo holds are devoid of any odors and, most importantly, that they are clean to avoid infection.
The level of cleanliness required for loading cement for transportation has established definitions. To guarantee that the vehicle is in good enough condition to load the cement, employ an independent surveyor.
To avoid contamination from prior cargo residues, clean them carefully.
Loading and transportation conditions
The ambient air cools when the temperature of the incoming air is lower than the temperature of the cargo in the vessels and cement holds. Perhaps, resulting in a vapor that will condense at some time.
This creates a new scenario in which cement solidification could occur in the holds. Before reaching the desired destination, the wet cement will dry and harden inside the holds.
This will result in not just losses but also cleaning challenges as the vessels prepare for the next load. As a result, it is critical to ensure the following:
- There is enough ventilation. Vapor will be less likely to form inside the cargo chambers as a result of this. This is only acceptable when the weather is not very humid.
- As a result of the heat transmission between the vessel and the fuel oil tanks, the temperature of the cement load can rise and end up harming it.
- Highly viscous and low-quality dense fuel oil cannot easily pump at low temperatures, perhaps you must heat the oil at such times.
Checks at various stages and locations
Cement transportation is dependent on a lot of factors. Thus each stage contributes to its safe arrival at the desired location.
The mode of conveyance also necessitates additional scrutiny. Some cement delivery methods will necessitate more stringent controls than others.
Conclusion
To conclude, when it comes to carrying cement from one site to another, there are numerous factors to consider. Before deciding on a specific type of vehicle for your transportation needs, you must first determine the amounts required.
There are a variety of cargo vessels available, each with its own set of features. If you’re dealing with a lot of cement, the powder tank trailer is a good option. It can transport a lot of cement in one trip.
You will save a significant amount of time and money on such operations. Transporting your cement cargo safely and securely is critical, especially when dealing with huge quantities of cement.
Other than cement, you can transport other commodities as well through different trucks. Such as box trucks, hydraulic lift trucks, or container trucks.