Crap happens

[flyingfrizzle]

I work at a biomass power plant and we burn scrap waist wood (mainly wood chips) to make steam to run out turbine that drives our generator. So we get about a 100 trucks full of wood chips a day. To empty them in a timely manner we stand them up about 60 degrees up in the air and let the chips slide out in to a hopper under the truck. The truck rest up against a big heavy built back rest that lines up with the trailers bumper. Well yesterday we were having problems with a weight scale and I had to work on it so it put me out there with the trucks (electrical controls and PLC tech) I heard something strange and looked up at the truck and saw it starting to give way. The bumper broke and the trailer slid back 3 feet up against the trailers tires. I looked at it thinking "ol crap" and about that time while the truck was full up in the air the trailers axel mounts gave away and the whole truck and trailer slid all the way down into the hopper. 89,300 lbs of truck and chips went in. It was a mess to say the least. Here are some pics, gotta love smart phones and cameras!

This is what a truck looks like during dumping:


This is the one that went in the dump after lowered down some:


Took a crane to lift it out:


What's left of it:

[NoBones]

Yikes Frizz......

So was the driver still in the truck when it was sliding in?
If so, I bet he was thinking Oh-chit !!

Hopefully it does not put you out of commission while the
bin is repaired...

[DonV]

Hey Frizz, in that last picture, that's a very short wheel base for an 18 wheeler.

[flyingfrizzle]

Originally Posted by DonV

Hey Frizz, in that last picture, that's a very short wheel base for an 18 wheeler.

Yea, she got a bit shorter. lol

Originally Posted by Lordwrench

funny shit since thank god no one was hurt.We haven't always been so lucky at my facility.I would like to have one of those friggin' HOSS hydraulic lift rams.....
B

That was the good part, no one got hurt.

Originally Posted by NoBones

Yikes Frizz......

So was the driver still in the truck when it was sliding in?
If so, I bet he was thinking Oh-chit !!

Hopefully it does not put you out of commission while the
bin is repaired...

The drivers don't stay in the trucks. They are standing about 25 yards in front of them at a control station pressing a button to lift the rams.

We worked on it yesterday till 9pm last night and all day today and put it back in service shortly after lunch. Most of the time was spent getting it out and all getting all the metal out of the hopper that was under the chip load. It actually did not hurt the bin much at all.

[NoBones]

I assume the driver owns the truck... Who owns the trailer?

Bet he/she was still saying ooohh chit watching this happen as the
rig was being turned into mulch!!!

[flyingfrizzle]

Originally Posted by NoBones

I assume the driver owns the truck... Who owns the trailer?

Bet he/she was still saying ooohh chit watching this happen as the
rig was being turned into mulch!!!

This outfit was a incorporated metal recyclers who also got into hauling scrap wood grindings. They own a small truck fleet a few trailers and a few metal scrap yards. The trailer was an old shipping box trailer that had been modified to haul wood chips. The top was cut out making it weaker. Then the oak slat floor was rotted out badly and patched over with osb. This was thier first trip with this trailer after installing 8 new tires on it, patching over the holes in the floor and some new tail lights. The big time haulers have custom built trailers with heavy rear bumpers. Others that pull to us are a good ol boys driving private owned stuff that has been back yard en engineered modified and beefed up. We pay by the ton for chips and have over a hundred different vendors pulling to us. We don't own any trucks but sometimes contract others to pull wood we may buy in lots.

[martin]

Thanks I have always wanted to know what that looked like after something gave way... I used to work at smur-fit stone , rock ten. During shut downs and they have a lift like yours there as well.. Every time I drove by I would wonder how bad it would be it the trailer went down.. Now I know.. Thanks...now if you have ever seen a boxcar full of chips be kicked into the bay.. That , from what I hear was pretty funny...the guys never missed a beat.. He simply said ...kick me another.