Cement facility - how it works?


K

kylewoody

Member
Hey guys,

I'm gathering research for the Alabama State Docks in Mobile, and have found that the TASD RR does serve Lafarge, a cement company in their immediate dock area. Anways, this is the only spot I can find that has anything to do with cement around their - and the mixers *look* like they are the solid white Lafarge ones, with a big green "L" on the side.

I cannot get any definitive addresses or locations, so this is why I am doing a big game of guessing.

What I'm wondering is this now - I know it is served by rail for sure, but looking at the below picture, how? I see covered hoppers in front of the plant, but no dumping grates it seems, no permanately based equipment to unload railcars, or even no way for a nearby barge to load from the backside, on the water.

Any clue how they get their bulk piles in?

Thanks!
Kyle
 
kylewoody said:
Hey guys,

I'm gathering research for the Alabama State Docks in Mobile, and have found that the TASD RR does serve Lafarge, a cement company in their immediate dock area. Anways, this is the only spot I can find that has anything to do with cement around their - and the mixers *look* like they are the solid white Lafarge ones, with a big green "L" on the side.

I cannot get any definitive addresses or locations, so this is why I am doing a big game of guessing.

What I'm wondering is this now - I know it is served by rail for sure, but looking at the below picture, how? I see covered hoppers in front of the plant, but no dumping grates it seems, no permanately based equipment to unload railcars, or even no way for a nearby barge to load from the backside, on the water.

Any clue how they get their bulk piles in?

Thanks!
Kyle
Click to expand...

Here's the address:

Mobile:
Lafarge NA
11th Street Pier D
Alabama State Docks
Mobile, AL 36652
251-432-9500
Terminal type: Bulk

Hope that helps.

Also check this link:
http://www.globalspec.com/reference/7152/Case-Study-LaFarge-upgrades-Dust-Collectors-using-the-Donaldson-Torit-Dalamatic-Insertable-pdf



Rotor
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks Rotor,

I used www.yellowpages.com and you can search State Docks, Mobile, AL

I found that address you mentioned, but I'm pretty sure that's another warehouse I found east of the picture I posted - where big ships actually dock.

I can't find an address for that little cement plant - which is off of Industrial Canal Rd...

Kyle
 
the cement goes in the silos and is pumped by air. the piles are river sand and gravel to mix with cement to make your concrete
 
Cool, thanks Rotor! I think that is it then.

I know how concrete works at that location radioman... I am just trying to see how the material physically goes from the deliverer (covered hopper, or even a barge) to the pile. There's no conveyor, dumping pits, cranes, docks, anything. Like it just magically appears... :eek:

Kyle
 
Those hoppers don't look like cement hoppers to me, they look too big. You sure it is served by rail? The complex doesn't look large enough either.
 
It's a classic ready-mix plant. All the raw materials are delivered by truck and the water supply comes from the river. The plant mixes concrete at the site to customer specifications and it's then delivered by the transit mixer trucks you see parked at the plant. All it takes is dump trucks to deliver the raw materials and a front end loader for the conveyor belt system. It's all pretty low tech. I imagine it was built to serve local customers in the State Docks area. You would need a huge ready ready-mix plant to require any rail delivery.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CP9302 said:
Those hoppers don't look like cement hoppers to me, they look too big. You sure it is served by rail? The complex doesn't look large enough either.
Click to expand...
Nah. I've seen 3 & 4 bay hoppers spotted to be loaded with Portland cement. Not sure how they do so, but I'd assume not quite full.
 
I think everyone has bits and pieces of the answer. The hoppers in the picture are definitely too big for cement. Most cement hoppers are 2 bay, although I know MRL has a few small 3 bay hoppers. There is a large cement manufacturing plant near me,so I see a lot of cement cars go by my house. The local cement plants get the cement trucked in by special semi trucks ...usually a 40' trailer with a 20' pup...these unload using air pressure to blow the material into the bins you see. One plant simply rotates trucks and keeps a loaded semi hooked to the bins at all times...when the last of the cement goes into the hopper, they call for a new trailer load. Jim is correct that you would need a really large mixing plant to justify rail service.
 
I looked on Google maps...there's another cement plant about 1000' NW on the other side of the canal. At first I thought this one the one from your pic but after looking at the orientation it couldn't be. I found the cement plant from your pic by going SE, across the canal (BTW...it's on Industrial Canal Rd E). Also the other plant on the west side of the canal is bigger.

I can't see how that place is served by rail. If it was there would have to be trucks needed to transfer the cement from the hoppers, across the road and back to the plant, then they'd have to transfer it to the holding silos. It would make more economic sense to use trucks for material delivery (both in and out).

-G-
 
Kyle;

Go here

http://members.aol.com/mgbway/

This is Mike Broadway's layout. He is one of the members of our club.

Very nice setup. He and our club pres spent several days down in Mobile several years prior to 9/11, and IIRC even got a guided tour of the facility, and the TRR.

There is an E-mail link to him on the site. If it doesn't function let me know. I'll see if he would be interested in giving you a hand with some information.
 
Woah, cool Carey! Thanks a lot... and that's what I am going with modelling, though I think he's pulled it off just a little bit better than I can :eek:

Kyle
 
LOL, GN, I often wondered where that cement came from. :) Thanks for posting Mike's, site, CJ. He's done a very impressive job of modeling the State Docks. I can see he's a darn good ship modeler too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top