+1 (713) 257-9200
About
Ballast Plans LLC is able to support and satisfy technical needs for heavy lift engineering scopes. Conceptual studies, feasibility studies, and front end engineering design (FEED) to assist big or small heavy lift projects are all strong capabilities. Ballast Plans is available to support insurance/underwriters’ technical requests, 3rd party review of existing technical plans issued for execution, and to serve as a liaison for project operations. In addition to satisfying technical and direct engineering heavy lift needs, many project drawings, reports, calculations and photos become relevant marketing content for your company to document closed out projects.
Services
Barge Ballasting
Ballast Plans offers ballasting procedures focused on efficiency and safety. Ballast Plans uses years of professional experience working with deck barges to offer ballasting procedures, which focus on simplifying overall operations. Saving time and reducing project costs is done by decreasing the number of tanks being used, minimizing pump movement on deck and overall reducing complexity for the project.
Lashing & Securing Plans
Ballast Plans is familiar with various types of securing. Some of the more common methods and materials include the following: Nylon/synthetic, wire rope, chains, welded D-rings, stoppers and clips. Depending on the project, any of these solutions—or even a combination—could serve as the answer to lashing and securing valuable cargo for rail, road, or ocean transport. Many factors go into securing such as item placement, available lashing points, safe working load (SWL) of materials, protection of cargo and motions forces. Strategically evaluating some of the previously mentioned factors can help to reduce required lashing material, labor and operations time.
Lifting & Rigging Calculations
Quality lift planning and rigging design goes beyond simply selecting equipment and rigging. Thorough execution drawings inclusive of all equipment, calculations, dimensions and applicable certificates allow seamless integration of technical, operational and third-party efforts. Understanding details of the working site, drawings, available equipment, schedule, project schedule and even unknowns help to mitigate last minute issues and surprises in the field.
SPMT & Trailer Loadings
Over-the-road (OTR) transports or on-site transports are commonly part of every heavy lift project. Often hydraulic trailers are the primary solution for many operations. SPMTs and towable trailers are great solutions that offer controlled movement of cargo without needing to mobilize larger equipment. Ballast Plans is familiar with creating and utilizing 3rd party OTR and SPMT drawings for barge operations, site moves and OTR transports.
Engineering Capabilities
Ballast Plans is a Texas Licensed Professional Engineering firm. Many heavy lift operations often call for detailed technical analyses to be proven by computational methods. Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) such as finite element analysis, motions analysis, stability analysis or even detailed analyses of proprietary equipment (I.e. beams, stands, ramps and spreader bars) can be used to solve complex problems.
Additional engineering capabilities:
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Ground Bearing Analysis
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Barge Deck / Structural Analysis
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Barge Bending
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Beam / Ramp Bending
Additional Services
Ballast Plans is available to assist with other areas outside of providing technical engineering solutions:
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Project bids, proposals and presentations
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3D layouts
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Feasibility studies
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Project support to satisfy insurance/underwriters technical needs,
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Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) planning & studies
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3rd party review
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Site representative
Additional engineering capabilities:
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Ground Bearing Analysis
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Barge Deck / Structural Analysis
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Barge Bending
-
Beam / Ramp Bending
+1 (713) 257-9200
