I suppose the difference between windmill shipment and distillation column shipment are the destinations.
A petro chemical plant is situated near highways. And same probably for the distillation column manufacturer.

But windmill destinations are way out in the boonies through small towns and smaller roads.

Thanks,
Jim

Yes, I suppose those help a little bit. Especially those guys carrying something that juts up like the elbow of a digging machine screeching to a stop.

That hit yesterday was physics to the max powerful. Somewhere amongst the road litter of cement chunks there is a bow shaped piece of that armor strip.

Have a great weekend,
Jim

In the USA (here TX only), I have not seen much construction like you describe. Especially the height warning signs. Most highways here have two height signs and a fairly generous clearance. But no specialized IR light interruption warning signs. And certainly no sacrificial beams. In lieu of sacrificial beams, TXDOT found that the pillars were vulnerable so care was put in directing wayward trucks away from the support pillars.

Thanks,
Jim

Your picture and description is excellent. But I suspect that the largest wind turbines might easily the width of a railroad track (something like 12 feet).

I think your suggestion to air lift might be interesting. If weight is not exceeded. If a heavy lift helicopter can lift about 45,000 kg /99,208 lbs /49.6 tons.
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/helicopters/q0284.shtml

Thanks,
Jim

Observations,

These are very special hauling requirements, so they require a much more specialized design. I am uneasy about that generic hauling truck trailer shown in the picture.

1. If the blades are 50 yards long, then designing a hauling truck like an old fire engine ladder truck might be better. Those had a rear cab and movable wheel carriages in the back.
2. Also the trailer design in the picture is horrible regarding height. Design a trailer with lengthwise side support that allows blades to travel four or five feet lower. This could also incorporate hydraulic lifting to raise the trailer over bumps and low spots. Think lowrider cars that jump up.
3. Additional tires on the truck and trailers to distribute weight and save the roadways. Heavy equipment haulers here in TX once in a while have as many as 50 wheels per tractor\trailer(s). For max wheels see this site (the bottom picture).
http://www.goodtransportationinc.com/
4. I hope for low interstate overpasses that trucks could exit, then take the service road up, over (and adjacent) to the interstate then return to the interstate.
5. And a lead car with laser height and side measurement device to alert the hauling convoy of incorrect, changed, or terrain shifted height/side measurements.

I know this is blitheringly obvious. But plan and triple check. Just yesterday in Dallas a large fork lift plowed into a 14 foot 5 inch clearance underpass and thoroughly shattered the first cement beam.
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa090722_wz_tootall.6696c458.html

Thanks,
Jim

Excellent observation! Its classical wacky EXACTLY like a Rube Goldberg invention.

Thanks for the comparison,
Jim

I agree with others here that the MLAS appears to be overly
complex. Too many things need to happen. I prefer the "KISS"
philosophy.

As a backup system this is good.

I liked the earlier Apollo escape system. Fire rockets, drop the
rockets, deploy parachute. They did the same type tests viewable
in "The Mighty Saturns" (see web link below). However This
system might not be practical with the larger and heavier module
being used today.

"The Mighty Saturns" Spacecraft Films
http://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Saturns-Saturn-Extended-Collectors/dp/B0001NBM5I

Here in Dallas TX laughable GPS directions always had fancy cars turning RIGHT onto a non usable non road bridge with a road block in the middle. Viewable on GoogleEarth at 32.92185 -96.7644 They would zoom along confidently, signal the turn, then stop. Time after time!

I have not seen cars doing this in the past six months, so GPS directions have improved.

Good luck,
Jim

Nothing so exotic. And this was Dallas TX. We were guys. Guys don't and never did use maps. Just keep on driving.

It was no doubt extremely valuable. A geographical seismic map. Probably of some area they were thinking of leasing. Oil drilling is serious money. Money to drill but much more money comes out of the ground.

Thanks

Way back when I graduated college and started work for a major USA oil company.

The IT department had a neat graphics printer. Oil companies generally have a lot of money resulting in great toys. One of the experienced IT developers said; "Watch, this graphics printer prints the coolest maps!". That map had printed just an interesting six inches on its way to 30". Then security showed up. Confiscated the map. Shut down the terminal and printer. And wrote everyone up. Security said about ten words. Then left. We looked at each other mystified and shrugged.

Oh yes, the oil company could and did hire all sorts of experts. Those security folks likely had serious experience.

Thanks,
The J

This article details what happened. What burned and how the handling mistake was made.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/January/23010903.asp

What happened to common sense? Can you train for this? Its -4F at UIUC with a 20mph wind. Huge wind chill. How safe were lightly dressed people who parked their cars then ran into the school building? This was during Christmas break; no one was around. They could have slipped and fallen and incapacitated themselves. In that weather, exposure was a hazard.

Oh well that was the only one I could relate that was not actually hazardous. The bees were just in the top part of my little bee outfit. They wanted to find that queen!

Thanks for all the replies. Sorry I could not mode some of you up!

So if we happen to wind up sleep deprived on a project or something. Lets all take a quick nap. I had a college graduate instructor who went five days without sleep. You know who you are Dr G! That's what comes of loving computer science more than sleep. I tried that, two days was my max. Operating machinery or driving or thinking deeply just doesn't happen if you are sleep deprived. And your life might not happen either if you do this. So take time out for sleep.

SLEEP MUSIC By the way SIRIUS/XP Channel 116 AFTER 11PM CT, Kids Channel has a nice "sleepytime" sleep songs. Again after 11pm and that might be a little different in Mountain and Pacific time zones.

Jim

I had a night job at a factory one time. 11pm to 7am. This meant that I slept about every two days.

I had a beekeeping hobby during the off factory hours. Can't put those little critters off. Once I was so sleepy I gathered a swarm into a box on the top of a 10' ladder. Then took a good nap up there with the idea or waiting for the bees to move to my box. Woke up a couple of hours later to an unpleasant dream which turned out to be reality. I had slept through a few bee stings. The swarm had moved, not into the box, but over and into my bee netting, clothes, hair, face, etc.

It was just annoying because swarms are fairly placid. So I carefully pulled my bee covered bee netting off and put that in the box. Went and took a proper nap in a bed.

You folks do anything interesting while sleep deprived? Leave out anything that could get you into trouble.