AL KOBAISI Group of Bahrain, known for employing the latest technologies in speeding up the construction process, has yet again taken on a pioneering role in the precast field by introducing a modern transport technology to its local market and wider Gulf area.

The company has taken delivery of the first Prefamax inloader trailer for the transport of precast concrete elements from renowned European special trailer manufacturer Faymonville.

“Precast concrete elements are an essential part of the construction industry all over the Middle East and the panels do not stop becoming heavier and bigger,” says Abdulla Essa Al Kobaisi, managing director of Al Kobaisi Group. “Their handling is delicate and so is their transport. So far, producers and transporters in the Gulf area have been widely transporting prefabricated elements on so-called A-frames which do, however, have their limitations when it comes to time and energy efficiency, payload and safety.”

Explaining the technology behind the newly introduced trailers, he says Faymonville’s Prefamax offers a modern but simple transport solution on three axles for precast concrete elements up to 35-tonne payload. It impresses with high load security and optimal operational efficiency.

“When leaving production, the precast walls are stocked vertically and secured on transport pallets. The constant vertical handling of the elements prevents damage to them, whereas the loading process on A-frames often provokes cracks,” Al Kobaisi says.

Prefamax inloader trailer for Al Kobaisi ... making transport safe and easy.

He continues: “When loading, the Prefamax simply reverses under the pallet and picks it up smoothly, thanks to its shock-absorbing hydraulic or air suspension. With its adjustable loading height between 280 and 510 mm, the Prefamax easily beats the comparatively very high A-frames. This enables the user to load significantly higher panels, to avoid certain obstacles such as bridges or flyovers and to keep the load’s centre of gravity as low as possible for maximum stability. Additional mechanical or hydraulic load securing arms on both sides of the trailer frame offer even more safety.

“Once the trailer arrives at its destination for offloading, the Prefamax easily lowers the loaded pallet to the ground and leaves it there.

“Where one would often have to wait for crane availability on site to clear an A-frame, the Prefamax offers a completely self-sufficient and very easy offloading process that does not require any crane intervention at all, which considerably saves both time and money. Thanks to this total offloading autonomy, the Prefamax can be operated 24/7 and thereby save its user many trailers, trucks and operators.”

Prefamax is compatible with any standard 4 by 2 or 6 by 4 truck and can be used for several other purposes as well, such as the transport of hollow-core slabs, concrete stair elements, among others.

Furthermore, Faymonville also offers a similar inloader system for the transport of float glass (Floatmax), as well as various solutions for the transport of long precast concrete beams, such as steerable dollies (Flexmax) or extendable flatdecks (Telemax). In general, Faymonville offers a wide range of special and heavy transport systems for loads from 20 to 1,000 tonnes and more, such as machinery, wind energy components and transformers.