"Cocooning" or barrier packaging – What is the right packaging?
If power plant components are being shipped to tropical latitudes, they may be exposed to extreme climatic conditions. They have to be protected against corrosion depending on the location of the construction site and the time taken for shipment. A possible post-storage period (plus a safety margin) at the destination also has to be taken into account. Two methods of packaging may be considered, depending on the types of components involved:
1. "Cocooning" (which is for self-contained components like turbine casings): all openings in the component are hermetically sealed.
2. Waterproof packaging (barrier packaging combined with desiccants): used for components such as casing parts, for example. The components are packaged in a laminate of polyethylene and aluminium foil, which is almost completely impervious to water vapour, and with desiccant in order to reduce the humidity inside the packaging and thus prevent corrosion. Whether the sealed packaging really remains airtight can be continuously monitored by humidity indicators fitted into the laminate.
Transport frame – How is the packed cargo conveyed?
Heavyweight components cannot simply be put into a wooden crate and transported nowadays. The strength needed to carry heavy cargo – especially the strength of the crate floor – is difficult to achieve with wood. Only customised steel transport frames are capable of coping with the enormous forces generated during transportation. How is this type of packaging constructed? The component lies in a moulded wooden bed – with the frame surrounding the component and the wooden bed – strapped to the frame as inner security. To prevent the straps from damaging the barrier packaging laminate, rubber mats are placed between the packaging and the straps. The wooden box is then completed in such a way that the lifting and lashing points of the transport frame are accessible from the outside. The component is now protected against virtually all potential exterior influences.
Weight log and handling instructions – What (travel) documents does the component need?
The preparations for shipping a power plant component are not complete until all the required papers, including the weight log and the handling instructions, are available and the package is marked and labelled accordingly.
The weight log includes information on the contents, gross weight and dimensions. The handling instructions are detailed directions for the entire transport, handling and storage process. These directions are binding on all parties concerned and should be the subject of a contractual agreement with the transport services providers involved. Non-compliance with the instructions is only permissible with the approval of the manufacturer’s official in charge of transportation. As soon as the consignment has been marked and labelled properly and all the information regarding the destination, dimensions, weight, project designation and emergency phone number is complete, transit can finally begin.
Conclusion
The prerequisites for the successful and, above all, loss-free shipment of power plant components are established by the manufacturer. The requirements and special features of transportation must be considered when the components are designed and manufactured and when planning the entire project. Ideally, all parties concerned should work together as early as possible so that risks can be identified, avoided, or at least minimised well in advance. If, in spite of all the precautions and planning, a loss in transit does occur, however, it is not only the cargo cover that attaches but also the marine business interruption cover as part of the business interruption insurance of a construction project.
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