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When it came time to source a solution for transporting heavy-duty piling and dredging equipment, Maritime Constructions once again turned to TRT. The result was a custom-designed and purpose-built trailer, engineered specifically to meet operational requirements.

The TRT team have nicknamed it the “Dredge Trailer” but she’s better described as a TRT modular ESS Hybrid Platform trailer.

Senior Project Manager Sam Watkins, who has been with the business for 13 years, discusses these recent developments.

Maritime Constructions is a market leader in marine infrastructure services, offering a comprehensive range of solutions across marine construction, dredging and port development, harbours, fabrication, and remediation. With a team of highly experienced personnel and a commitment to quality, it delivers tailored solutions to meet any project scope. Its capabilities encompass design, engineering, management, and self-execution of complex marine projects, ensuring the highest standards in every aspect of work.

“Works typically involve cutter suction dredging and general marine construction which involves a significant amount of pile driving from barges which is a core competency for the business,” said Sam.

“We specialise in projects that involve cranes and barges working on water through to subsea installations with divers, piling on artificial reefs, jetty works, refurbishment of wharves and jetties and navigation aids. Basically, we will look at most coastal infrastructure projects.”

He goes on to discuss how he was introduced to TRT and how conversations regarding the requirements for the specialised trailer evolved.

“We were first introduced to the team at TRT Australia when exploring the purchase of Kobelco crawler cranes, of which we now own three. About 18 months ago, we began discussions with the TRT team in New Zealand, including Bruce and Jeremy Carden. Those conversations have now resulted in the design and manufacture of our first custom-made TRT trailer,” said Sam

The trailer has been purchased specifically to service the dredging division of Maritime Constructions.

“We have been operating an old asset which was built back in the ’90s. It’s a basic chassis-type trailer which we use to transport our dredges, which are on the smaller side when it comes to the world of dredging equipment. We truck them to sites and launch them, almost like you would launch a boat at a local boat ramp. The trailer basically acts as a mobile slip carrying up to 90 tonnes of dredging equipment.

“That was the old asset which had been operating for over 25 years, and we have had the new trailer in the works for a good year or so. We wanted to make a bunch of design and safety improvements on the new trailer from TRT.

“You could call it serendipity, but during the conversations about the Kobelcos we got chatting to Bruce and Jeremy about our trailer requirements and they immediately displayed a depth of knowledge and competence in custom trailer design and manufacture,” said Sam.

“We engaged in a process involving design briefings and design engagement and they were able to bring in concepts from other parts of their business, such as their house-moving trailers and the technology involved in that type of trailer. They came up with a concept that will enable us to transport and launch our dredges in a manner which is smoother, safer and far more efficient than we could have imagined with a basic trailer. It was certainly a collaborative design effort, but they introduced us to technology, including wheel groups and being able to jack and lift the trailer, which we wouldn’t have considered and indeed even know existed as an option,” said Sam.

The design of the trailer will provide far more manoeuvrability when it gets to site.

“The additional manoeuvrability is important but the big challenge we face is getting enough vertical lift from the trailer to get the dredge off. In the past we have had to lift the gooseneck right up at the front with the plant at the back of the trailer, but with this technology, we are able to spread the load all the way down the ramp through all the wheel groups,” said Sam.

“The TRT team has nicknamed it the “Dredge Trailer” but she’s better described as a TRT modular ESS Hybrid Platform trailer. With her distinctive, detachable house trailer-style gooseneck and her majestic, synchronised ESS (electronic steering system) capabilities, she will certainly be turning heads once operational over in Western Australia,” said Jeremy Carden, TRT Trailer sales.

Introduction to Kobelco

In 2024, Maritime Constructions purchased two Kobelco BMS1000 for a project on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The hydraulic lattice boom crawlers have a lifting capacity of 90.7 tonnes and a boom length of 62.6 metres. Welded lattice construction using tubular, high-tensile steel chords with pin connections between sections make up the boom and jib.

The BMS1000 features a powerful HINO P11C-VH. The engine is a turbocharged vertical inline six cylinder with fuel injection which makes the engine reliable, durable, and consume less fuel. The hydraulic system consists of three variable displacement piston pumps. A hydraulic propel system provides both skid steering and counter-rotating steering allowing the crane to move on terrain with a 30 per cent gradeability. The lower structure of the crane is a 14.6 tonne steel-welded car body with axles. The counterweight for this crane is 37.1 tonnes, making load lifting more efficient.

The Kobelco BMS800 is a 72.5 tonne capacity, heavy-duty cycle crawler crane designed for demanding foundation work like pile driving, vibratory hammering, and earth drilling.

Key features include a powerful HINO P11C-VH engine, high line pull winches with accurate hydraulic synchronisation, free-fall capability with a monitoring function, and the Kobelco KCROSS remote monitoring system. With a maximum boom length of 54.9 metres and a robust, high-cycle design, it offers reliability and precise control for continuous foundation applications.

“The BMS800 can work in many different configurations and initially it will be operating from a barge. We’ve used Kobelcos on previous projects and they’ve proved to be very reliable and excellent Japanese products,” Sam said.

“The reliability of the cranes is the key issue when they are operating on very remote projects or out on a barge in the ocean. It’s not easy to mobilise or change a crane out if you have an issue. So durability and reliability were central to selecting Kobelcos and TRT.”

If you’d like to discuss TRT’s heavy lifting or haulage solutions, email jeremyc@trt.co.nz