TPA Pontoons installation crew successfully complete DEFRA 2 training

Thursday, 26th May 2022

TPA Pontoons installation crew have been put through their paces recently, having completed the Outreach Rescue DEFRA Module 2 Water Rescue / Flood First Responder training. The course took place over two days at Gailey Wharf Training Centre, near Stafford in the West Midlands.

Daniel Vickers, Neil Bolton, Craig Black and Luke Blunt who made up the group, faced some cold and challenging conditions. Not only did they improve their physical skills but their theoretical knowledge of the challenges faced on, near or above water too.

Day 1
Theory was the focus for the first day of training, covering Annex H of the DEFRA Flood Rescue Concept of Operations. The initial classroom training focused around water and flood non-rescue support operations, including: safety consideration, aquatic PPE, buoyancy aids, dry suits and shore-based rescues. They also began to look at the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP).

Day 2
The second day of training saw the team take on the physical aspects of water rescue. Revisiting a variety of skills required to work safely & successfully on water. This included defensive and aggressive swimming, strainers drills and casualty management. They also spent time working on the use of specialist rescue equipment including:

Throw bags
Tensioned diagonals
Wading poles
Reach poles
Rescue sleds

The final aspect of the training saw the team practice wading in flood conditions, a great two days of training covering a wide range of essential skills for all those working on, near or above water. The team thoroughly enjoyed learning and developing valuable safety skills. Thanks to Richard and the team at Birmingham & Midland Marine Services.

Southbay Civil Engineering Limited construct new quay wall will be used to service the worlds largest off shore windfarm.

Thursday, 26th May 2022

Southbay Civil Engineering Limited have successfully completed the construction of a new quay wall within the Tyne Dock Enterprise Park, which forms part of the Port of Tyne and will be used for the Dogger Bank Windfarm.

This new structure will enable the mooring of Service Operation Vessels, which will be used to support the operation of Dogger Bank Windfarm, which once complete will be the largest offshore windfarm in the world.

The project, which was completed with no reportable incidents, involved constructing this new structure within a challenging environment due to unknown ground conditions, with this former industrial site used for shipbuilding and offshore module fabrication.

This design and build contract involved the construction of a 113m combi wall, consisting of 24no. 1067mm diameter and 15no. 1422mm diameter tubular piles.

Due to high levels of bed rock, pile top drilling was required when installing these piles to ensure the required depth was achieved. The quay wall is connected to the land via a series of heavy tie bars and anchor piles.

Associated groundworks included the construction of an 18m wide concrete ground slab stretching the length of the quay, with a bearing capacity of 10t/m2. The new quay also includes fendering, bollards, grab chains, safety ladders, and required services.

In delivering the project a number of social value initiatives were embraced, including holding an open day to civil engineering students from Northumbria University, which provided the opportunity to undertake a site visit to view the works as they progressed.

Outside of this, carbon reduction measures were employed in the form of utilising eco-friendly site accommodation and reprocessing existing site materials. The project was registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme, for which the team received a certificate of excellence for the level of performance achieved.

Antony Ballantyne, Southbay Operations Director commented ‘We are immensely proud at having been involved with a project that will support a more sustainable future for the North East region and beyond in the form of Dogger Bank Windfarm.

The success of the project is testament to the hard work and commitment of the project team who maintained a proactive approach to all aspects of delivery’.

“This is another chapter complete in the Port’s transition to a greener future,” commented Mark Stoner, Chief Financial Officer of Port of Tyne. He added: “The quay strengthening at Tyne Dock is a fundamental building block in enabling the site for further development of the 200-acre Tyne Clean Energy Park to service the growing offshore green energy market in the North Sea. The use of low carbon delivery techniques adds to the substantial emission reduction measures we have put in place in recent years as we pursue our goal of being a carbon neutral port by 2030.”

New Pump System for Chichester Marina

Tuesday, 24th May 2022

Warwickshire based Marine Sanitation Specialists LeeSan has just completed the installation of a new Pump Out system on the fuel pontoon next to the lock.at Premier Marinas Chichester Marina.

The original LeeSan Pump Out system (which this unit replaces) was a diaphragm pump and a stainless operating panel. It was installed twenty years ago in 2002 and has been extremely reliable over its long working life.

However, to ensure that the marina service is fully up-to-date, the old unit has now been removed and replaced with a new, updated, LS60W Pump Out Station. Internally this features a Rheinstrom Bronze 2” diaphragm pump and dual inlet and outlet valves.

There is a built-in, safety control panel and a 15m suction hose with its globally recognised, (developed by LeeSan), standard probe valve. The whole system is housed in one very neat stainless-steel station.

Chichester Pump Out is normally manned by an operator from Premier Marinas.

This installation is the latest in a series of programmed “updates” by Premier Marinas following installations at Brighton Marina, Sovereign Harbour, and numerous others.

About Chichester Marina

Chichester Marina, part of Premier Marinas, is a scenic and well-equipped marina located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Chichester Harbour, West Sussex. Known for its stunning surroundings and comprehensive facilities, the marina provides 1,100 fully serviced berths, accommodating vessels up to 24 meters in length. With its unique lock entrance, Chichester Marina ensures secure, safe access to the harbour, making it a popular choice for boaters seeking both leisure and convenience.

The marina offers a wide range of amenities to enhance the boating experience, including a fully equipped boatyard with a 65-ton travel lift, onsite marine services, and a fuel berth. There are also dedicated luxury facilities, such as the Chichester Marina Reception and Lounge, high-quality showers, and a laundry area for berth holders. Premier Marinas has invested in environmentally friendly practices, including on-site recycling and waste facilities, which support the natural beauty and sustainability of Chichester Harbour.

Chichester Marina also hosts an array of amenities for visitors and the local community, including popular dining options like The Boat House Café, boutique shops, and scenic walking trails. With its top-tier services and dedication to an eco-friendly, enjoyable environment, Chichester Marina stands as a premier destination for boating enthusiasts.

Stainless UK Dives in The Deep Sea With Datem

Tuesday, 24th May 2022

Datem are one of the world leaders in CPT systems (cone penetration test). Their units are used for acquiring the properties of the soil, cable routes and gas pipelines under the sea. Sometimes this can be up to 3000 metres below sea level. The majority of the components for their products are made from stainless steel and we at Stainless UK manufacture and supply the back plate for both the Neptune 3000 and Neptune 5000 systems.

The two grades of stainless steel that we normally use in our manufacturing process are 304 and 316. In this project stainless steel grade 316 is the choice as it has a higher corrosion resistance and so is suitable in salt water applications. The main difference between the two grades is the presence of molybdenum and increased nickel content in grade 316 both improve the resistance.

Stainless 304 consists of 18% chromium and 8% nickel.

Stainless 316 consists of 16% chromium, 10% nickel and 2% molybdenum.

Castoldi revolutionary waterjet for large vessels

Tuesday, 24th May 2022

Castoldi has launched the new Turbodrive 600 H.C.T. waterjet which is set to revolutionise the market for large vessels

The Turbodrive 600 H.C.T. is the largest waterjet in the Castoldi Range to date equipped, like the other models of the range, with an integrated gearbox (certified for heavy duty ratings), with hydraulic clutch, that with its numerous gear ratios allows a fine match with any engine on the market.

“Our aim is to supply to the customer with not only the waterjet but a complete package that incorporates the propulsion with integrated gearbox and clutch, a dedicated control system to manage also the engine and eventually the interceptor integration, directly installed on the waterjet unit. We design and supply also the matching kit to the engine according to the customer’s requirements.” says Giacomo Castoldi

“From a technical point of view, especially on large vessels, our integrated gearbox represents a unique advantage that allows to create compact installations with considerable savings on space, weight, and cost.” says Giacomo Castoldi.

In fact, apart from the integrated gearbox, the Castoldi waterjet is equipped with other exclusive features such as: all bearings oil lubricated, impeller shaft protected within a housing and the advanced patented Clear-Duct unclogging system to back-flush the intake while opening the protection grid

Technical genius

The Turbodrive 600 H.C.T. is an innovative high efficiency propulsion system with ground-breaking performance.

Castoldi has built all the exclusive technical characteristics of the H.C.T. range into it, creating, after four years of intense studies with the most advanced CAD and CFD software, a complete and easy-to-install propulsion system that allows compact applications, considerable savings in dimension, weight and cost.

The steering and reversing actuators have been designed to manage the high forces involved with one hydraulic cylinder dedicated to the steering nozzle and two hydraulic cylinders controlling the movement of the reversing bucket to allow rapid and efficient crash-stops in every operating condition.

The waterjet is made from high quality material with a Duplex micro-cast stainless steel impeller and titanium liner. It has been toughened using an anti-corrosion hard anodising treatment protecting the aluminium alloy components and cathodic protection by sacrificial anodes. This makes the waterjet unique in its construction quality.

The Turbodrive 600 H.C.T. is controlled by the ACES electronic system that can be supplied with several extra features such as position keeping, smart anchor, unmanned interface, autopilot integration and hybrid power.

These waterjets can operate seamlessly in sandy, dirty and shallow waters thanks to the movable grid protecting the water intake, the impeller shaft rotating into a protective housing (not in contact with the water) and all the bearings lubricated by oil.

Trusted

Castoldi is also well known as a manufacturer of luxury tenders for the superyacht industry.

“When we entered this market, 25 years ago, most of the tenders were equipped with stern drives or outboards and there were very few companies manufacturing waterjet driven tenders.

On the contrary, now most of the tenders are equipped with waterjet drives and this propulsion system is well known and appreciated by crew and owners. We believe we have played an important role in this trend change with our production also taken as an example by our competitors.” said Giacomo Castoldi.

TPA pontoon pioneers a Mersey Gateway Principal Inspection

Tuesday, 24th May 2022

Modular pontoons from specialist temporary access solutions provider TPA provided a “first class” solution to the first-ever principal inspection of a critical section of the Viaduct.

TPA the pontoon pioneers, supplied a 49m2 dual-layer Versadock pontoon complete with operatives, outboard motor and Spider MEWP for the first Principal Inspection of the Astmoor and Bridgewater viaduct, part of which encompasses the Bridgewater Canal, by engineering and infrastructure specialists AECOM.

The viaduct had a General Inspection from ground level (points of safety) in 2019, two years after the 0.6km long bridge was opened by operator Merseylink, but this was its first Principal Inspection since commission. These inspections are tactile and carried out at close quarters every six years, using access equipment and plant.

AECOM had originally requested lane closures on the dual-carriageway viaduct to deploy an underbridge unit to carry out the inspections on the spans over the canal and undeveloped land. However, due to journey time measurement obligations, Merseylink asked for an alternative method of access.

So, Steve Wilson, senior engineer (bridges, inspections and surveys) with AECOM, investigated using a spider MEWP to inspect a few of the spans including the Bridgewater Canal span, which required getting a Spider MEWP down to tow path level.

He contacted Spider lift hire specialists Higher Access, a sister Vp plc company to TPA, and met on site with one of their representatives, together with one of the operatives from TPA Pontoons. The rest was history.

TPA carried out a stability calculation report to confirm the pontoon design and loadings and maximum MEWP reach capabilities. They then supplied the complete access package – operators, on-site crew, outboard motor, plastic pontoon and MEWP – for the four-day contract. The pontoon was required to be a dual layer design to carry the weight of the 3t MEWP and allow it full range of operations.

Direct access to the A533 bridge was restricted so the pontoon, complete with 28m2 of perimeter edge protection, was motored some 1km downstream from a launch and recovery site on the Astmoor Industrial Estate in Runcorn, passing under a pedestrian bridge and a dual carriageway slip road onto the A558 Daresbury Expressway, to the viaduct.

The outboard motor was set up on a 3m x 2m single layer section extension to the 7m x 7m moduled main pontoon, in addition to a 4.5m containment bund to prevent any potential spillages from the MEWP.

In addition to the equipment, TPA provided the Spider MEWP, which worked to heights over water of up to 12m, and the pontoon and outboard motor operators, including an on-site operative who acted as marshall/lookout for boat traffic on the canal and pedestrian traffic on the canal banks.

Steve Wilson said: “TPA were first class from start to finish and I had no complaints.”

TPA’s business development manager for pontoons, James Myatt, added: “It’s still relatively uncommon to use a Spider MEWP from a pontoon. However, working with our sister company Higher Access we were able to provide a cost effective package to allow safe working at height over water and we are delighted AECOM were so pleased with how we delivered this project.”

Manor Marine Enters Memorandum of Understanding With Chartwell Marine

Wednesday, 18th May 2022

Manor Marine UK Ltd, leading maritime provider for shipbuilding, fabrication, repairs, and conversion, and Chartwell Marine Ltd, pioneers of sustainable next-generation vessel design, have entered a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a mutually beneficial relationship.

The companies have maintained a longstanding relationship through various projects, and this agreement demonstrates a further commitment to work in tandem on innovative and sustainable concepts and designs. Collaboration between maritime stakeholders and service providers is key to expanding a co-ordinated and profitable network of support for the offshore renewables sector.

The potential for newbuild vessel projects also forms part of what will become a joint commercial strategy between the two maritime firms. With a marriage of Manor Marine’s long and proven experience in shipbuilding and fabrication and Chartwell Marine’s consistent track record of ground-breaking vessel design, eye-catching new developments are sure to come.

Leif Cooper, Managing Director at Manor Marine commented, “This is the first step to both companies working more closely together in what we both see as a very exciting and busy future. Manor Marine provides engineering services and new build vessels to Manor Renewable Energy, who have very ambitious plans themselves.”

Andy Page, Managing Director at Chartwell Marine added, “We’re pleased to have been able to take this step towards progressing our valued relationship with Manor Marine. The Memorandum of Understanding isn’t just an agreement to purchase our naval architecture and design support, but a firm handshake with the prospect of a bright commercial future behind it — and some exciting newbuild projects later on down the line.”

Millstock Stainless Nauticalloy Marine Shafting Material

Wednesday, 18th May 2022

Millstock Stainless this year is celebrating 20 years in business and continues to produce its own brand of marine shafting materials under the ‘Nauticalloy’ trademark. Our strengths are our ability to provide a wide range of materials and sizes that are precision ground in house to meet our customer’s individual needs.

All of the ‘Nauticalloy’ produced is precision ground at our in house grinding facility which has recently seen a significant investment in a new purpose built grinding centre enabling us to produce up to 350mm diameter and 15 metres long. In addition we also have four in-house straightening presses, the largest a 300 tonne machine that can straighten the largest of bars we supply, ensuring that each shaft produced is fit for purpose as a Marine shaft.

To ensure that all ‘Nauticalloy’ shafts are produced to the highest quality we work very closely with leading European steel mills and all ‘Nauticalloy’ shafts can be supplied with third party certification such as LRS, ABS, RINA, DNV/GL if required.

All our customers receive our ‘Nauticalloy’ material in purpose-made boxes, properly sized to keep the contents in perfect condition, they will intuitively know that the contents will also have been made with the same due care and attention. As we say, “first impression last!”

Dazzled by floodlight glare in a pitch black tank? Wolf Safety finds the ideal solution

Monday, 16th May 2022

A totally enclosed tank or hold which needs inspecting, cleaning or repairing is never going to win a workplace of the month award. You may need good portable lighting just to see where you’re going, let alone carry out the task.

If you’re working in a team there will be floodlights in use in different locations within the tank or hold and the last thing you want is to be dazzled by the glare of your own light or those of your colleagues.

Aware of the problem Wolf Safety, world leaders in hazardous area portable and temporary lighting, have found the ideal solution. Their design team has developed a highly portable LED task floodlight, designed to reduce beam glare when working in potentially explosive atmospheres.

The robust LinkEx™ WF-250XL Floodlite, easy to carry and more economical than comparable units, produces more than 3,000 lumens of white light, more than enough to illuminate a 5m square tank or hold without dazzling.

With full application support available from Wolf’s technical team the WF-250XL offers an efficient, cost effective and highly versatile lighting solution for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, even in the world’s harshest environments.

It also incorporates Wolf’s unique SOVI™ technology which alerts the user if lights are running outside certified and optimal voltage ranges, maximising safety and performance. Both LV and HV units are certified safe down to zero volts, as are Wolf’s WF-300®XL and LX-400/E luminaires.

“Users tell us our more powerful WF-300®XL Floodlite, which provides over 6,000 lumens, is great but can be too intense when working in small spaces,” says Michael Morley, Wolf Safety’s Technical Director.

“This new product not only solves that problem but also offers great lighting performance in confined spaces.”

Fully compliant with the latest ATEX and IECEx standards, including OPIS (optical intrinsic safety), the unit is fitted with a highly reliable LED array designed to provide at least 100,000 hours of working life. The product’s design and construction incorporate cooling fins which ensure effective heat dissipation for the LED array.

172 Tonnes for Colletts New Girder Bridge

Tuesday, 3rd May 2022

Collett’s new 250 Tonne capacity Goldhofer girder bridge takes on its first project as the Team transport a 172 Tonne super grid transformer to the National Grid’s Feckenham substation.

Collett are the industry leader when it comes to heavy load transportation.

With the National Grid’s Feckenham substation in Redditch currently being upgraded to replace ageing equipment, Collett were appointed to complete the delivery of a 172 Tonne super grid transformer from Sundon. Showcasing the latest addition to their fleet, the Collett Team mobilised their new 250 Tonne capacity Goldhofer girder bridge to facilitate the movement of the super grid transformer to its new location 118 miles away.

Housed at their Goole Heavy Lift depot, Collett mobilised the modular trailer, travelling as two separate 10-axle combinations. Arriving on site the two 10-axle sections allowed for the modular girder bridge to be built around the transformer to form a 20-axle loaded configuration.

Undertaking jacking and skidding operations to manoeuvre the 172 Tonne cargo, Collett’s Heavy Lift Team positioned and raised the transformer to allow for the construction of the girder bridge configuration. With the transformer raised to the optimum height Collett reversed each half of the girder bridge trailer positioning the side beams under the transformers transport arms and securing the load.

With the transformer securely loaded to the girder bridge trailer the Collett Team departed the substation site. Travelling in a push/pull formation with one 8×4 tractor unit pulling the combination and one unit pushing, the convoy began its journey with police escorts in attendance from Bedfordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire constabularies. After careful route planning by the Collett Team, in liaison with both Central Bedfordshire and Worcestershire Councils, the 65.8 metre combination completed the 118-mile journey to Feckenham substation.

Once on site at Feckenham, the Collett Team hydraulically raised the side beams of the girder bridge, lifting the transformer and allowing for the positioning of timber supports. Once in place the girder bridge was then lowered, resting the super grid transformer on the timbers and allowing for the modular trailer to be split and disassembled from the payload.

With the new Goldhofer girder bridge clear of the super grid transformer, Collett once again employed their hydraulic jacking and skidding system to provide final positioning of the transformer. To ensure maximum safety throughout, as with operations on site at Sundon, Collett had undertaken detailed pressure calculations, detailing the forces and ground pressured during the jacking and skating operations to and from the trailer.

Once lowered to rest on the skid track, the hydraulic push pull units extended and retracted between the jacking points on the track to gradually bring the 172 Tonne cargo to its resting plinth.

Over the course of the weekend, the Collett Team safely delivered and positioned this 172 Tonne super grid transformer, assisting with the upgrade of Feckenham substation. The completion of this project sees Collett’s new girder bridge become an integral addition to their fleet, joining Collett’s 350 and 550 Tonne capacity Scheuerle girder bridge and offering an added flexibility for heavy transport projects.

Author: CGTeam

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