Marine Load-Out

Background
To reduce shipping and receiving costs, a leading provider of biodiesel and renewable energy products aimed to expand its use of cost-effective river barge transportation by adding an on-site barge load-out facility.

Constraint 
Creating this facility required installing piping over water, which presented some logistical and safety challenges. While waterways are owned by the public, multiple local, state, and federal regulations apply to their usage; the design had to be coordinated with and approved by several agencies. To access the load-out facility, workers were required to have Terminal Worker Identification Cards (TWIC).

Solution 
Planning how grain and other product would be loaded and unloaded from barges began with building information modeling (BIM), which Baker Group designers and process-design engineers used to design, prefabricate, and install four systems with precision accuracy:

1. 500 GPM load-out system
2. Process piping
3. Pipe rack
4. Barge load-out area piping

Additionally, Baker Group worked with marine subject matter experts, civil engineers, controls systems manufacturers and government agencies to ensure the project’s success. Baker Group construction personnel, many of whom are TWIC cardholders, coordinated construction activities onsite and installed all piping and supplemental steel within the pipe rack. Baker Group’s Safety team was heavily involved throughout the project.

Results 
Since the project was completed in October 2013, shipping via barge has saved the customer significantly in transportation costs and provided an alternative to shipping via truck and railway.