News
Major Cleaning on the West Jetty: Supertransporter “Thor the Ant” in Action
Before taking a well-deserved break, Thor the Ant did some final, heavy-duty cleaning on the West jetty over the week of December 19, 2016. Several large parts had to be transported or moved before the winter and/or for storage purposes.
Signature on the Saint Lawrence invites you to see the supertransporter in action on the West jetty.
“The supertransporter is a unique machine designed for this project. It is vital to our work on the West jetty, especially with the foundations and pier starters. We use it to transport these parts—which weigh up to 1,000 metric tons—from the various manufacturing stations to the loading dock,” explains Sylvain Tremblay, Eng., Area Manager, Pre-Cast Yard.
The machine has now been put away for the rest of the winter. In the spring, Thor the Ant will carry the last 15 foundations and pier starters to Poseidon, the floating foundation installer that will put them in place in the river.
Fun fact: The supertransporter was named Thor the Ant by Verdun youth from the community organization, Toujours Ensemble, after winning a contest in March 2016.
Supertransporter by the numbers
- Size: 16 x 8.4 x 2.4 metres
- Weight: 250 metric tons
- Maximum loading capacity: up to 1,000 metric ton
- 20 Boeing 747 wheels (tandem axles = 40 tires)
