'Huge abnormal load' on M53

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jackal
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'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by jackal »

One of the largest objects ever moved on a British road, the 'hydrogen-ready furnace' for Stanlow refinery is some 26.5 metres long, 18.5 metres tall and 14.2 metres wide. It will enter the M53 at the J8 southbound slip and travel to J10 at walking speed, straddling both carriageways. Lighting, signage, barriers and fencing will be removed for the move, then restored. Apparently they can do this all with a single night's closure, which is pretty good going. There are of course no overbridges on this section. The thing that is most surprising to me is that they can get something 14.2 metres wide along the slip roads as well as the local roads linking with the canal and refinery.


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https://www.birkenhead.news/m53-to-be-p ... rmal-load/
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Bryn666
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Bryn666 »

They're going to remove several kilometres of steel barrier and planted foundation streetlights overnight and the reinstate them overnight again??? The electrical cabling will all need to be disconnected and isolated, the equipment moved and stored somewhere, and then all brought back in usable condition?

The risk assessment for this doesn't sound very robust.
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KeithW
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by KeithW »

Bryn666 wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 14:03 They're going to remove several kilometres of steel barrier and planted foundation streetlights overnight and the reinstate them overnight again??? The electrical cabling will all need to be disconnected and isolated, the equipment moved and stored somewhere, and then all brought back in usable condition?

The risk assessment for this doesn't sound very robust.
Since its a slow moving load they can probably remove and reinstate the barriers with crews ahead and behind but I would wager that at a minimum at least one or more partial closure would be needed for reinstating the lighting.
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by djw1981 »

They say that the move is on Sat 12th; separately it says that the M53 will be closed overnight one night next week (ie week before the move).
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KeithW
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by KeithW »

The Highways England site says a number of sliproads are closed tonight !

The reason given is the usual uninformative 'Roadworks are Planned'
https://www.trafficdelays.co.uk/m53-traffic-delays/
Last edited by KeithW on Thu Aug 04, 2022 19:50, edited 1 time in total.
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Enceladus
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Enceladus »

Wow...that looks like it takes the term "oversize" load to the extreme. :o :shock:

Notwithstanding the need to remove and reinstate lighting, barriers, signs etc. - would the pressure this huge load will place on the surface of the M53 cause significant issues?
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Chris5156
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Chris5156 »

This is incredible. Thanks for sharing!

I can’t see an obvious or direct route from any dock on the canal to M53 J8. Possibly a track or roadbed is being laid specifically for it? It may join the M53 through an opening in the barriers created specifically where the motorway is alongside Merseyton Road. I wonder also if temporary widening will be done to make space where it exits at J10.
Last edited by Chris5156 on Thu Aug 04, 2022 20:01, edited 1 time in total.
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Gav
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Gav »

Enceladus wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 19:50 Wow...that looks like it takes the term "oversize" load to the extreme. :o :shock:

Notwithstanding the need to remove and reinstate lighting, barriers, signs etc. - would the pressure this huge load will place on the surface of the M53 cause significant issues?
multi axels to spread the load, actually it would be relatively light, if its a furnace its empty inside so to speak....
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RichardA35
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by RichardA35 »

Bryn666 wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 14:03 They're going to remove several kilometres of steel barrier and planted foundation streetlights overnight and the reinstate them overnight again??? The electrical cabling will all need to be disconnected and isolated, the equipment moved and stored somewhere, and then all brought back in usable condition?

The risk assessment for this doesn't sound very robust.
A very quick look on GSV suggests concrete barrier with bolt down columns for one section and steel barrier with verge lighting for the other.
It is impractical for the load to "straddle" both carriageways given the configuration of the wheels and the unit in the picture shown.
The unit would plough out the central reserve barrier which would then need months of reinstatement.
From the picture the load appears to be about 1.4m above the ground compared to the humans adjacent.
I would suggest that the load could however safely oversail the central reserve barrier with the columns taken down and then reinstated on the concrete barrier section.
Obviously this will have been planned in meticulous detail and these sort of details worked out well in advance.
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by KeithW »

Enceladus wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 19:50 Wow...that looks like it takes the term "oversize" load to the extreme. :o :shock:

Notwithstanding the need to remove and reinstate lighting, barriers, signs etc. - would the pressure this huge load will place on the surface of the M53 cause significant issues?
Probably not those bogies will have enough axles to spread the load and its a high and heavy route, you may recall Highways England moved the Bar Hill bridge into position.

M56phil
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by M56phil »

Out of interest - a lot of the main line M53 lighting has been removed between J8-J9. I drove down that way about a month ago and lots have been removed.

Sign saying ‘intermittent street lighting’ was put up.

I’m not sure how much more they have removed, but I reckon it is linked to the above. I doubt they will put them back to be honest though.
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by SteelCamel »

Chris5156 wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 19:55 I can’t see an obvious or direct route from any dock on the canal to M53 J8. Possibly a track or roadbed is being laid specifically for it? It may join the M53 through an opening in the barriers created specifically where the motorway is alongside Merseyton Road. I wonder also if temporary widening will be done to make space where it exits at J10.
There seems a pretty direct route from "Quality Freight Docks" just off J8. The gate looks a bit narrow, but could easily be taken down. And the level crossing could be interesting, but it's on a private line. I think they will need to go up to J8 - there's a gap between the Merseyton Road and M53 bridges, so no possibility of crossing over there. There's also a slight difference in level, and that load won't cope with tilting sideways.
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Rambo »

I believe this move is tonight. I’d have liked to get some pics of it but am unable to sadly. I drove under jct 10 of the M53 from Stanlow yesterday and noticed some of the lighting on the roundabout had been taken down along with the direction sign (one i posted before with a mixed bag of 5/6 flag signs) which was possibly lay down on the grass.
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Hdeng16 »

https://twitter.com/escortvehicle/statu ... 0hFawSXcrQ

Plenty of photos on that feed but

https://twitter.com/escortvehicle/statu ... AHN0MppMww

Says 3 platforms on one carriageway and 1 on the other straddling the CR
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Big L »

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Barkstar
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Barkstar »

Big L wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:47 Some pics here.
I wonder what the driver of the car made of going under the bridge with that on top of it. :yikes:
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Sabrista »

I went through on the M53 just before they closed it yesterday. I did notice a lot of the lighting had disappeared and the cones by the side of the road preparing for the closure.

It's amazing they got it through.

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RichardA35
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by RichardA35 »

Big L wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:47 Some pics here.
I wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 19:58 I would suggest that the load could however safely oversail the central reserve barrier with the columns taken down and then reinstated on the concrete barrier section.
:wink:
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skiddaw05
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by skiddaw05 »

I like the picture of the load going across the bridge. It's just a trick of the light but it almost looks like the deck is sagging!
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Re: 'Huge abnormal load' on M53

Post by Chris5156 »

RichardA35 wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 21:38
Big L wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:47 Some pics here.
I wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 19:58 I would suggest that the load could however safely oversail the central reserve barrier with the columns taken down and then reinstated on the concrete barrier section.
:wink:
Some pictures show the load travelling comfortably on a two-lane sliproad, so I'd be interested to know why it was necessary to span the whole width of the M53 when it could clearly have fitted onto one carriageway. Maybe this was for reasons of stability - a broader base for the longest part of the journey - or maybe to sit in the middle of the formation to avoid a camber?
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