The owner of a 200-meter bulk carrier that grounded contacted Hydrex. One of the ship’s ballast water tanks developed a crack in the bottom plating. The business was questioned about whether it could offer an underwater fix to keep the ship out of drydock. Thus, a group of its diver/technicians was dispatched to Fos-sur-Mer, France, to carry out on-site repairs.
Investigation
The team began an onboard and underwater investigation of the damaged area after getting there. This exposed a significant L-shaped crack in the cargo hold 2’s ballast water tank. It was determined that a 1000 x 820 mm insert would need to be placed after extensive consultation with the vessel’s superintendent and the on-site class surveyor.
At the Hydrex headquarters in Antwerp, a mobdock measuring 1500 x 1300 mm and a new insert plate were created. Both were prepared and arrived at the ship’s position fairly promptly because the Hydrex fast-response centre is always fully stocked.
Penetration wielding
Installing the cofferdam on the impacted plating’s waterside was how the divers began the work. The team cut a hole in the bilge hopper over the breach in the ballast water tank so they could access it from the inside. The removal of a frame and support brackets were also done.
The diver and technicians were then able to remove the crack and its surroundings. The new plate was then placed into the hull and fastened using full penetration welding in accordance with the method authorised by the Hydrex class.
The frame and support brackets have to be installed again. The bilge hopper was then filled with a fresh insert. The identical method that has been approved by the class was used to weld this plate.
The insert repair was approved by a separate NDT inspector, and the classification surveyor who was on site throughout the procedure gave the operation the go-ahead.
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Source: Hydrex
