BCR BMW – Heavy Haul

Supporting Safe Heavy Transport for BMW Spartanburg Expansion

In support of Barnhart Crane & Rigging’s (BCR) 2023 transport operations to the BMW Spartanburg Plant in Greer, South Carolina, BDI was engaged to provide structural evaluation services critical to the transport permitting process. BCR’s project involved hauling superheavy equipment with gross vehicle weights ranging from 746 kips to 943 kips, utilizing 2-file, 16-line bolstered configurations.

BDI was selected for our proven expertise in heavy transport evaluations and our ability to collaborate with haulers to optimize transport configurations for safe structure crossings. Our team evaluated sixteen structures along the proposed route—including multi-cell box culverts, reinforced concrete slab and T-beam bridges, steel girder bridges, and prestressed concrete girder bridges.

Using refined finite-element analysis, BDI performed strength and serviceability load ratings in accordance with AASHTO LRFD and MBE specifications. Our evaluations provided actionable insights that enabled BCR to adjust transport configurations where necessary, ensuring safe passage across critical infrastructure.

The resulting load rating reports were submitted as part of BCR’s permitting package and played a key role in securing approval for the hauls. BDI’s involvement helped facilitate the successful delivery of equipment essential to the BMW plant development project.