Structural design and selected aspects of numerical simulations of a prototype container-platform for intermodal transport

Abstract

The object of the research is a cheap, easy to build basic module with dimensions corresponding to typical railway containers. Such structures can be used to support the intermodal rail-road transport of wooden and metal logs. The basic structure and one assembled from two or more platforms with various longitudinal dimensions ensures high mobility resulting from the modular structure and the possibility of selecting transport configurations as well as the use of various forms of loading - unloading, including: typical crane operations, the use of forklifts or hook winches. The use of a platform-container will eliminate the need to repeat the operation of individual loading or unloading of each unit of the transported load e.g. a single block of wood, a bundle of bars, as a metal log, a single pipe, during each reloading operation - from the place of logging, production, storage, etc. The paper presents selected problems of the preliminary design and numerical strength tests of a single base module of the platform in a prototype version with dimensional equivalent of a 10'-foot railway container.