TRIMOTRANS - Development of New Intermodal Loading Units and Dedicated Adaptors for the Trimodal Transport of Bulk Materials in Europe
Overview
Background & policy context:
Road transportation is facing rapidly increasing congestion. On the other hand, the available capacity on railways and inland waterways is underutilised. A redistribution of the carriage of goods is urgently needed. Up until now the most important obstacles have been the incompatible interfaces between the various carriers and the diversity of loading devices being used in the EU.
In this context, the lack of harmonisation and standardisation of loading units is a great barrier against utilising the development potential of inter-modality.
By applying new loading units, the logistics chain can be set up without changing the loading unit during the complete door-to-door transport process. Transshipping would not require crane technology anymore so the costs will be reduced substantially. In compliance with the ISO container dimensions, the new characteristics of the loading units will lead to a harmonisation of handling.
The development, design and testing of the new inter-modal loading units and their later introduction into the market will strongly contribute to the policy objectives of European transport.
New developments and a growing complexity in transshipping technologies, which are aimed at cost reduction, do not allow for the universal use of the existing ISO and roll-off containers in the transport chains of combined traffic systems anymore.
Objectives:
The main objective of the project was the development of new technical solutions for intermodal loading units including containers, dedicated adaptors and mobile internal fixtures in order to shift the main transportation route for goods from road onto rail and inland waterways, in a sustainable way.
By the development and integration of tailored adaptors for the necessary lifting and shifting operations, the loading units will lead to an optimum for intermodal transportability and compatibility to existing systems, i.e. hook-lifting or spreader technology and/or horizontal transshipping via devices such as MOBILER, ACTS, etc.
The technical activities will be focused on the development and design of large ISO containers and ISO compatible roll-off containers with the dimensions: 2 550 x 2 900 x 7 450 mm. These dimensions comply with the recommended Directive of the European Commission for inter-modal loading units.
Technical solutions for the transport of selected gases and liquids were also developed within the project. Furthermore, it was intended to equip the containers with optional exchangeable fixtures and movable walls in such a way that they can accommodate bulk goods as well as packaged goods.
Considering these requirements and specifications, two types of loading units were designed and tested within the project in agreement with the recommendations of the European Commission.
Methodology:
The following technical solutions were developed and designed:
- intermodal loading units for the formation of a multi-handling process under intermodal transport conditions with the necessary characteristics of the interoperability for trimodal traffic carriers;
- appropriate modular adaptor systems for the efficient adaptation of the loading units to the main intermodal transportation and loading demands for bulk and packaged goods;
- container modules for gases and liquids;
- adapter systems for transport on trimodal traffic carriers;
- fixing modules for receptacle connection with the trimodal adapter system.
The design of the new loading unit prototypes included the following sub-tasks:
- ISO-compatible bulk material/packaged goods container;
- ISO-compatible roll-off container;
- frame systems and the required mobile built-in equipment;
- adaptation of the frame systems to the types of goods, norms and other legal regulations (e.g. EN, ISO, UIC, UIT, TSI and GOST) and to the means of transportation.
In addition, suitable measuring and testing techniques were developed and constructed:
- discharging tests for selected groups of bulk goods and municipal waste;
- examination of the goods (or loading units) with respect to the design of the inner walls and the transfer equipment system will be executed.
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