Transportation, barge forces

The transportation of a pressure vessel by ship, barge, road, or rail will subject the vessel to one-time-only stresses that can bend or permanently deform the vessel if it is not adequately supported or tied down in the right locations. The shipping forces must be accounted for to ensure that the vessel arrives at its destination without damage. 

Often vessels are transported by multiple means. Thus there will be handling operations between each successive mode of transportation. Often a vessel must be moved by road to the harbor and then transferred to a barge or ship. Once it reaches its destination, it must be reloaded onto road or rail transport to the job site. There it will be offloaded and either stored or immediately erected. A final transport may be necessar) to move the vessel to the location where it will be finally erected. At each handling and transport phase there are different sets of forces e.xerted on the vessel that must be accounted for. 

Yuan, R, and Harik, I. E. 2008. Equivalent Barge and Flotilla Impact Forces on Bridge Piers , Kentucky Transportation Center research report No. KTC-08-12/SPR261-03-1F, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. 

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