English - Nooteboom Giants on the Road Magazine English - Nr. 4 - 2017 | Page 47

HISTORY THE 100-TONNE NETWORK MANOOVR BALLAST TRAILER In the Netherlands until 2016 the maximum legal axle loads allowed on the motorways and the rest of the road network was diff erent. Aft er several years of negotiations a new regulation came into force. Th e axle load was reduced to 10 tonnes but at the same time the road network for abnormal transport up to 100 tonnes gross weight was expanded signifi cantly. Transport operators can check on the Digital Road Map Exemptions (Wegenkaart Ontheffi ngen - DWO) which roads are approved for transports with a GVW of 100 tonnes. Based on the new regulation the OVB-95-07(CS) was developed. Th e aim was to achieve maximum load capacity with a GVW of 100 tonnes. Th e load capacity of the new 7-axle ballast trailer is with approx. 71 tonnes – due to clever calculations – almost similar to the old 6-axle version. Quite an achievement because, in spite of the axle load being reduced from 12 to 10 tonnes per axle, the new ballast trailer still off ers the same load capacity. And as for complying with the German regulations: here too this 7-axle ballast trailer is the perfect transport solution. Th e latest addition to the ballast trailer programme is the MPL-97-06 with pendle axles. Th is Manoovr semi low-loader with fi xed load fl oor has a rated load capacity of 12 tonnes/axle and is therefore interna- tionally an important alternative for the transport of crane ballast on the 100-tonne road network. Th e Manoovr is shorter than the 7-axle ballast trailer and the load fl oor is with 780 mm quite a bit lower. In the crane business the height of the load fl oor is becoming more and more important. With a view to safely work at height various crane companies have already invested in the latest Manoovr ballast trailer. Modern mobile telescopic cranes, depending on their confi guration, can need up to 9 trailers to carry all the ballast and boom sections. When using the Manoovr the number of transport movements can be brought down. ■ COUNTERSTEERING With the arrival of the 7-axle ballast trailer countersteering was introduced. Only for the 7-axle trailers at fi rst, but by now also introduced for 5-axle and 6-axle ballast trailers. In order to improve the manoeuvrability when reversing, on versions with more than 4 axles the front axle steers in the opposite direction to the rear axles. With this countersteering it is easy to drive the ballast trailer up to the crane on the lift ing loca