DID you see it? This giant engineering silo was moved two miles via remote control – by the same experts who took charge of a space shuttle!
The 65ft silo, built by Delta Engineering Group, took about an hour-and-a-half to travel just two miles from where it was built, off Manby Road, in Immingham, to the Phillips 66 refinery down the road.
In all, the silo stood 74.5ft tall and weighed 100 tons while it was being moved on Tuesday evening by specialists from Sarens Group, which recently moved the Space Shuttle Endeavour through the streets of Los Angeles.
Contracts manager John Foley, from Delta Engineering Group, said: "We started building the silo in September 2011 and it only took about three and a half months to build.
"It will be used as a coke shoot on the 600 unit at Phillips 66.
"The silo was built in sections and put together in the Delta Engineering yard.
"It made the two-mile journey to its new home by remote control.
"The way they move it is in one piece and on two computerised Kamag removal units with an operator walking behind.
"Nothing like this will be moved in this way around here for a very long time, if ever again."
A lot of planning was put into the move and the road had to be closed for a short time to traffic.
Self-propelled modular trainer supervisor Simon Murray said: "Our company moved the space shuttle last week so we are used to moving big objects.
"We have to make sure it is safe to move.
"When we are all ready we walk behind it as it moves making sure all the levels are correct.
"It has taken about four weeks to plan the move which is a fair amount of time for a short journey.
"It basically all works from a little control box and it is like driving a remote control car really.
"We have to take into consideration things like wind levels with something so tall as this."
