Typical maximum shop storage tank size that can be shipped by truck? 2

[stewbaby]

Know this question is a little open ended, but from a pracitcality / economical standpoint, what are we seeing typically for the maximum reasonable size of API650 shop built tanks? Seems like anything over 16' to 18' diameter would be getting beyond what a typical shop could handle or that a truck could transport / permit and still fit under bridges, powerlines and traffic signals (without special routing surveys and utility relocation).

 

[bimr]

The Interstate Highway bridges are 15' - 6" inches clearance.

Generally, you are limited to 12' to 13' diameter tanks. If you are going long distances, probably 12'. That would also be a wide load.

In the United States an oversize load is a vehicle and/or load that is wider than 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m). Each individual state has different requirements regarding height and length (most states are 13 ft 6 in or 4.11 m tall), and a driver must purchase a permit for each state he/she will be traveling through. In many states, a load must be considered "nondivisible" to qualify for a permit (e.g., an object which cannot be broken down into smaller pieces), although some states allow divisible loads to be granted permits.

 

[JStephen]

It depends on where the shop is, where the destination is, what the route is, what equipment is available, etc. As the load gets bigger, it doesn't become impossible to move it, it just gets more and more expensive. If you're specifying tanks, consider letting vendors pick the most economical size for given dimensions. If dimensions are already fixed, let vendors choose whether to shop or field fabricate.

I think the biggest load I've personally seen was maybe 20' wide and 20' high. But that was in the Texas panhandle, and the parade with that load included a half-dozen or more bucket trucks for lifting wires along the way.

 

[fegenbush]

For reference, API 12F, a shop fabricated standard for production tanks, has a maximum diameter of 15'-6". I have shipped an API 650 Annex J tank which was 15'-6" in diameter. It was quite expensive to do so.

 

[marty007]

Our shop has shipped some pretty large diameter pieces of equipment, and our limit for road transport is somewhere around 16'-17' tall. I think width is often less of a concern, but you'll certainly pay a pretty penny if you're taking up two lanes on the highway for long distances.

For reference, last year we shipped a vessel from Western Canada to Louisiana that was 14'ID with shipping dimensions 16' wide x 15'-8" tall (nozzles/anchorage). This required a very special truck, and pole pushers in some states. It was not cheap to ship.

We are currently building another large vessel that is 17'ID with overall shipping dimensions of 19'-4" wide/tall, that is destined for California. This is too big for a truck, and instead will go down the coast by barge/ship

 

[stewbaby]

Sounds like to keep cost from being escalated quickly for special haul equipment, escorts and such, 12' or so is about the limit.

 

[SNORGY]

In terms of capacity, I think a "standard" 3000 bbl tank is the biggest shop-fab tank that I have dealt with.

 

[LittleInch]

When I started work I asked a similar question and was told the reason there were so many "30 x 9" tanks was that that was the biggest that could be transported with ease.


this is a 30ft long horizontal cylindrical tank, 9 feet in diameter, with dished ends, so the 30 refers to tan to tan length.

You can get this on the back of a standard flatbed truck with its support legs - usable capacity 10 to 11,000 gals, 45 to 50,000 litres

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