300-Tonne Fractionator Transport to Petrobrazi Refinery: From Route Engineering to Final Positioning

Jul 31
5 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Transporting oversized industrial equipment is rarely defined by distance alone. The complexity lies in the engineering required to move the cargo safely through existing infrastructure and deliver it to its final installation area.

This was the case with the transportation of a 300-tonne fractionator manufactured by Walter Tosto WTB and delivered from Bucharest to the Petrobrazi Refinery in Romania.

The road journey covered approximately 210 kilometres, but the project required considerably more than a heavy transport configuration. Eastship Projects & Logistics managed the logistics scope from route surveys and transport engineering through permits, infrastructure modifications, transport execution and the development of a bespoke solution for final refinery access.

The fractionator was one of several oversized process units transported as part of a broader refinery project, with each component requiring a dedicated transport configuration and delivery strategy.

Managing several heavy transports within a single project required coordinated engineering, planning and execution, with each movement aligned with the refinery construction schedule.

Scope of Work

Route surveys and transport planning — detailed route assessments and transport simulations covering bridge capacities, pavement conditions, turning radii and overhead clearances.
Permit management and authority coordination — obtaining the required permits and coordinating with relevant authorities.
Temporary infrastructure modifications — implementing modifications required to accommodate the transport configuration along critical sections of the route.
Escort coordination — coordinating the required escort services and traffic management measures.
Heavy transport execution — managing the physical movement of the oversized equipment.
Final refinery access & On-Site Logistics — engineering and executing the technical solution required to transfer the fractionator from the road transport configuration, navigate the restricted access section and deliver it to its final installation area, including coordination of the required equipment and temporary infrastructure.

Purpose-Engineered Transport Configuration

The fractionator had a transport weight approaching 400 tonnes, requiring a configuration designed to distribute axle loads while maintaining the manoeuvrability required along the route.

The fractionator, together with a stripper unit, travelled approximately 210 kilometres. The transport configuration consisted of 14- and 16-axle modular trailers with turntables, pulled by two MAN 8×4 tractor units.

The loaded convoy measured:

84.7 metres in length

4.57 metres in width

5.88 metres in height

Route Engineering and Infrastructure Constraints

The project involved the transportation of several oversized refinery components, with each movement requiring a dedicated assessment based on the cargo dimensions, weight and destination.

The fractionator and stripper travelled approximately 210 kilometres, while the remaining process equipment was transported over a separate 95-kilometre route.

For each movement, Eastship carried out route surveys, transport simulations and engineering assessments covering bridge structures, pavement conditions, turning radii, overhead clearances and temporary infrastructure requirements.

Temporary Road Modification at a Highway Construction Area

One of the first critical sections was located within an active highway construction area, where the existing road geometry did not provide sufficient vertical clearance for the 5.88-metre-high transport.

Eastship coordinated with the relevant authorities and project stakeholders to implement a temporary modification to the road level beneath the structure. The section was excavated to create the required additional clearance and equipped with temporary track panels, providing a controlled passage for the convoy.

This temporary modification allowed the transport to pass through the construction area without altering the transport configuration.

Crossing Two Parallel Bridge Structures

Further along the route, one of the most technically demanding sections required the transport configuration to span two parallel bridge structures simultaneously.

Rather than loading a single structure with the full effect of the transport configuration, the convoy was positioned so that the axle loads were distributed across both structures. The solution was developed based on the geometry of the transport configuration and the characteristics of the bridge section, allowing the convoy to negotiate the constraint within the approved transport parameters.

Both sections were identified and addressed during the route engineering phase, allowing the required infrastructure measures to be completed before the convoy reached each constraint.

Eastship also coordinated all permits, authority approvals, escort services and temporary route modifications required for the project.

The Final Challenge

Reaching the Petrobrazi Refinery did not mark the end of the transport operation. The route to the designated installation area included two permanent structures with restricted clearances of approximately 4.8 metres and 4.5 metres.

At 5.88 metres high in its transport configuration, the fractionator could not pass beneath either structure on the modular trailers. Eastship therefore developed a dedicated technical solution for the on-site transfer and movement of the fractionator, combining modular transport, hydraulic jacking, temporary rails and controlled skidding.

Hydraulic Jacking

At the first transfer point, the fractionator was lifted from the modular trailers using hydraulic jacking equipment.

The jacking operation allowed the cargo to be safely transferred from the road transport configuration to the temporary rail system required for the first restricted section.

Transfer to Temporary Rails

Once lifted clear of the trailers, the fractionator was transferred onto a specially installed temporary rail system.

The rails provided a controlled path beneath the first structure and were configured to accommodate the movement of the cargo through the restricted section.

Controlled Skidding

The fractionator was then moved by controlled skidding beneath the first structure, where the available clearance was approximately 4.8 metres.

After clearing the obstacle, the fractionator was transferred back onto the modular trailers and transported to the next transfer point.

Second Hydraulic Jacking and Rail Transfer

At the second restricted section, the fractionator was again lifted from the modular trailers using hydraulic jacking equipment.

It was transferred onto a second temporary rail arrangement prepared for the next section of the route.

Controlled Skidding — Second Obstacle

The fractionator was then skidded beneath the second structure, where the available clearance was approximately 4.5 metres.

Once the second obstacle had been cleared, the fractionator was transferred back onto the modular trailers for the final movement to the designated installation area.

Final Positioning by Crane

At the installation area, the fractionator was removed from the transport configuration and positioned using cranes.

The complete on-site sequence therefore involved multiple transitions between transport and skidding configurations:

Modular trailers → hydraulic jacking → temporary rails → skidding → modular trailers → hydraulic jacking → temporary rails → skidding → modular trailers → crane positioning.

This approach allowed the fractionator to negotiate two separate low-clearance structures without modifying the permanent refinery infrastructure, while maintaining controlled movement throughout the internal delivery route.

Final Positioning

After clearing the obstruction, the fractionator was transferred back into the required transport or positioning configuration and moved towards its designated installation location within the refinery.

The final access operation therefore required a combination of heavy transport, hydraulic jacking, temporary rail installation and controlled skidding, extending the project beyond conventional road transport.

A Project Beyond a Single Transport

The 300-tonne fractionator was the largest component within a broader refinery project involving multiple oversized process units.

For Eastship, the scope extended beyond transporting the equipment over 210 kilometres. It included route engineering, infrastructure coordination, heavy transport and the technical execution required to reach the final installation area within the refinery.

From route survey to final positioning, every stage was engineered around the cargo and the infrastructure.