The Middle East has become an enormous growth market for the haulage industry, with customer trust and preference for ‘Made in Germany’ transport modules, according to Goldhofer, the Germany-based manufacturer of heavy-duty and special transport vehicles and modules operating in 160 countries.
Dean Exner, regional director of sales – transport technology, Middle East, Goldhofer, says: “The Middle East remains one of the world’s most active construction, petroleum industry and infrastructure markets, and Goldhofer has been a part of the success story in this region for about fifty years. Goldhofer’s heavy-duty modules are currently the vehicles of choice for major projects in the Middle East. We’re excited by the rate of growth we seen in this region, especially during the last few years. As governments continue to invest heavily in these various sectors, there will be increasing demand for heavy-duty vehicles and special transport solutions.”
Goldhofer transport solutions that are employed regularly in the Middle East include low loader semitrailers, heavy-duty modules, self-propelled vehicles and lateral beam bridges.
The STZ-P series (ARCUS family) of low loader semitrailers with pendular axle technology is becoming increasingly popular for handling items with payloads of up to 150 tons.
The THP/SL series of heavy-duty modules are designed to move payloads of several thousand tons with high bending torque. The tried and tested Goldhofer pendulur axle technology for the THP/SL family is based on components from premium manufacturers and enables axle loads of up to 45 tons and a hydraulic axle compensation of 600 mm. The low-maintenance and robust slewing ring bearing unit is bolted directly to the frame and is therefore particularly advantageous in use on hard terrain. The THP modules can be combined with Goldhofer components such as goosenecks, turntable, lowloader, excavator bridges, ADDRIVE heavy-duty modules, as well as PST/SL and PST/SL-E self-propelled vehicles. This flexibility makes it possible to create combinations that are most economical for transport tasks.
Goldhofer’s THP/SL heavy-duty modules.
A Goldhofer PST/SL-E in operation.
The ADDRIVE is a heavy-duty module with switchable drive for heavy-duty axles that combines the characteristics of a towed module and those of a self-propelled modular transporter in terms of tractive force, speed, flexibility and economics. The ADDRIVE provides the option to connect and disconnect the drive as required, with disconnection of the drive unit when maximum speed is reached and continued travel as a normal heavy duty module. The disconnection of the unit separates the motor from the wheel and thus prevents the drive from overheating. To handle gradients, the ADDRIVE is activated again to obtain full tractive power from the system. That avoids the need for an additional towing tractor or pusher.
The PST/SL series of self-propelled vehicles complements the THP heavy-duty modules with a hydrostatic drive that provides smooth travel at variable speeds, under challenging conditions. The PST/ES-E 285 has a hydraulic track width adjustment that increases the lateral stability by up to 25%; the PST/ES-E 385 model enables an axle load of up to 60 tons with the optimum payload/axle load ratio.
The Faktor 5 is a multifunctional high girder bridge has a 5:1 payload to deadweight ratio and can be used to transport loads of up to 500 tons. Applications include the moving of heavy and abnormal loads like generators and transformers, including operations on challenging routes such as across bridges and other load-sensitive structures and surfaces.
