Innovative transport solution for Terminal 5

RMC, in conjunction with inBulk Technologies, have become the first UK company to develop and use an innovative intermodal and environmentally friendly bulk transport system for their Rugby Cement operations.

Built specifically to carry cement and pulverized fuel ash (PFA), the new system can be used on rail or sea as well as by road, thereby creating immediate environmental benefits. RMC have already taken delivery of 40 units, which are capable of carrying heavier loads than traditional transportation options, for use across their Rugby Cement operations throughout the UK.

The new units are currently being used to supply PFA to the Heathrow Terminal 5 development, a contract that requires Rugby Cement to supply in excess of 130,000 tonnes of PFA over the next five years.

Consisting of a 34m3 capacity cylinder-shaped container, the ISO Veyor unit has been constructed within the frame dimensions of a standard 30ft commercial container and can be easily transferred between road-going flat-bed trucks, rail-based rolling stock and a variety of ships. The containers are filled at source and remain sealed and watertight until the point of delivery, removing the need for intermediate handling or storage of the contents.

Steven Grublys, project manager at Rugby, said: ‘We are constantly looking for ways to transport our products that are not only cost-effective for the customer, but also environmentally sound. Although the movement of PFA requires extensive logistical planning, we are able to carry far larger loads over greater distances in less time with this system.’

Peter McColm, Laing O’Rourke’s bulk material manager for Terminal 5, added: ‘The planning permission for the T5 project requires all of the bulk materials, including PFA, to be transported to site by rail. The intermodal solution that Rugby have developed allows us to transport the tanks by rail to our logistics centre and then transfer them by road to the construction site two miles away.’