Laying 40 tonne concrete blocks off Sicily
Installation: SEAWORK International has had to learn to work in undeveloped areas, where access to sophisticated Marine Plant and equipment is impossible. These areas have included the South of Chile, the North of British Columbia, South Sinai, Morocco, Libya, and Malaya. In some cases we have fabricated special transportable equipment to assist a Project.
■ In one situation, where the only available boat’s engines failed, we transported 2 motors, broken down into 10 conventional, large suitcases, as Hold baggage!
In Sicily only one barge of sufficient size was available for laying blocks up to 40 Tonnes and so a large and ancient crane was put aboard for the lifting and laying.
The barge was not self propelled, and a Tug, or 2 local fishing boats, were used to move it around the site.
Perhaps of more concern was that no remote crane hook release was available, and the work schedule would not permit serial diver release in the water depths on site. In this instance slings were fitted to the blocks in such a way that they released themselves, once the weight of the block came off the crane hook. A doubled safety line which could be pulled back was also used.
This is a risky method to employ, and gives only 1 chance that the block ends up in the right place. However, the contract was accomplished on time, without hazard, by ‘making do’ with the available resources, and careful Risk management.
For later contracts various quick release devices were fabricated, including a Hydraulic release, which has so far proved successful, provided a non-rotating crane wire is used.
It is worthy of note that a single high holding power mooring anchor weighing around 1½ tonnes, would provide similar holding power, in suitable sediments. However, on this site, the seabed was hard, and unsuitable for drag embedment anchors.
Innovation: In difficult locations, and for new products, innovation is vital to produce solutions that are cost effective, and which work in practice. The SEAWORK International consortium of collaborators pride themselves on their capacity to produce, and trial innovative solutions.
Lake Kariba: Zimbabwe
While designing a Fish Farm for Lake Kariba, produced by the construction of the Kariba Dam, our divers encountered some unusual hazards, including an underwater petrified Forest.
Perhaps the most difficult was producing a Predator net, to keep Crocodiles away. Various Net systems were tested in a local Crocodile farm, and the resulting floating steel net, has proved sufficient. Steel nets are now being tested in Australia, Japan and Chile, against other severe predators.
■ In one situation, where the only available boat’s engines failed, we transported 2 motors, broken down into 10 conventional, large suitcases, as Hold baggage!
In Sicily only one barge of sufficient size was available for laying blocks up to 40 Tonnes and so a large and ancient crane was put aboard for the lifting and laying.
The barge was not self propelled, and a Tug, or 2 local fishing boats, were used to move it around the site.
Perhaps of more concern was that no remote crane hook release was available, and the work schedule would not permit serial diver release in the water depths on site. In this instance slings were fitted to the blocks in such a way that they released themselves, once the weight of the block came off the crane hook. A doubled safety line which could be pulled back was also used.
This is a risky method to employ, and gives only 1 chance that the block ends up in the right place. However, the contract was accomplished on time, without hazard, by ‘making do’ with the available resources, and careful Risk management.
For later contracts various quick release devices were fabricated, including a Hydraulic release, which has so far proved successful, provided a non-rotating crane wire is used.
It is worthy of note that a single high holding power mooring anchor weighing around 1½ tonnes, would provide similar holding power, in suitable sediments. However, on this site, the seabed was hard, and unsuitable for drag embedment anchors.
Innovation: In difficult locations, and for new products, innovation is vital to produce solutions that are cost effective, and which work in practice. The SEAWORK International consortium of collaborators pride themselves on their capacity to produce, and trial innovative solutions.
Lake Kariba: Zimbabwe
While designing a Fish Farm for Lake Kariba, produced by the construction of the Kariba Dam, our divers encountered some unusual hazards, including an underwater petrified Forest.
Perhaps the most difficult was producing a Predator net, to keep Crocodiles away. Various Net systems were tested in a local Crocodile farm, and the resulting floating steel net, has proved sufficient. Steel nets are now being tested in Australia, Japan and Chile, against other severe predators.