Traportadora FretÌ£o’s sideboom arm, which also goes by its trade name the Side-Eficas, was developed to comply with the safety and environment requirements of Brazilian company Petrobras. Until recently, sidebooms used in Brazil were mounted on traditional bulldozers CAT-D8.
Traportadora FretÌ£o Executive Manager Rafael C. Arnaldi says “We used 30 years of experience of Carrier FretÌ£o, the oldest and biggest company of our group, to develop equipment used today in Brazil for the construction of pipelines.
“We have over 20 traditional sidebooms in our fleet, however we have to evolve as a company and seek more efficient solutions for our customers.
“It is our vision to see the evolution of technology in pipeline construction,” says Mr Arnaldi.
Easy to operate
During the project, one of the company’s concerns was to maintain the functionality and safety of the equipment, while maintaining a competitive cost.
The accessory can be used on any excavator of any size or brand; however, some minor adjustments are needed for the project so that the fittings are perfect. This occurs due to changes in the dimensions of different equipment.
“The operation is extremely simple, it is an accessory built for use in a common excavator with some minor changes in the control settings,” Mr Arnaldi says.
One of the key advantages of the Side-Eficas over the traditional sideboom is that it can be mounted on the front or the side of an excavator.
“Depending on the type of activity that is run, we have the flexibility to place the Side-Eficas frontways or sideways. For example, for loading or unloading pipe lengths, a front position is best suited because it facilitates operation and increases safety on the construction site. If used for lowering a pipe, the lateral position is most appropriate as it allows the operator greater visibility and agility in movement along the ditch,” Mr Arnaldi explains.
Advantages to pipeline construction
Mr Arnaldi says that the main advantages of the Side-Eficas compared to traditional sidebooms are:
- Increased reliability
- Lower fuel consumption
- Lower emissions rate
- Lower operating costs
- Provides greater comfort and safety for the operator
- More accurate commands
- Versatility to operate on the side or the front of the excavator
- Load and tilt sensors for the boom
- Safer and faster winches
- Easy and fast transportation.
“This last advantage is considered one of the most important characteristics. The sideboom is able to self-load onto on a trailer without the need for disassembly of the boom or counterweight, dispensing the aid of a team. This translates into greater savings and productivity for the contractor,” Mr Arnaldi says.
Working on all terrains
The Side-Eficas can be used in any type of terrain. Mr Arnaldi says that the tests performed and the projects that the Side-Eficas has been used on have indicated that the equipment can work in any type of terrain without restrictions.
The Side-Eficas has been successfully utilised in the construction of GASPAL pipeline, by GalvÌ£o Engenharia construction company, as well as on the construction of the Ipojuca – Pillar Pipeline, with construction company OAS, both of which are based in Brazil. Currently the Side-Eficas is being used on a construction site in Salvador, Bahia, in Brazil by the construction company Sinopec.
Mr Arnaldi says “During the early stages of the project we had intensive monitoring of the equipment and operators. Once the work was complete, we had a meeting with the engineers responsible for the projects to verify compliance with Side-Eficas goals. In all cases there were extremely positive reviews and confirmation of the characteristics we sought during the project development.”