Seafastening

Seafastening is a crucial aspect for transporting heavy civil structures, from pin piles to bridge sections, ensuring that cargo remains secure during transit. At TWD, we specialize in designing robust and efficient seafastening solutions tailored to meet each project’s unique demands.

Transporting large and heavy structures over water poses several challenges. Ensuring the cargo remains securely in place is paramount, especially in rough sea conditions. Safety is another major concern, as it is essential to prevent damage to both the cargo and the vessel. Efficiency is important, particularly for projects involving repetitive transport operations. Minimizing installation and removal times can significantly optimize overall project timelines. By integrating expertise in structural and mechanical engineering, we ensure structural integrity, operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in every project.

Motion Analysis

Our seafastening solutions are designed to address the challenges of transporting heavy civil structures comprehensively. The process begins with a motion analysis to determine the accelerations the cargo will experience during transit. Using this data, we calculate the loads that the cargo will impose on the seafastening system.

Grillages

Grillages play a vital role in our seafastening solutions by acting as the interface between the cargo and the vessel’s deck. They help to distribute loads evenly to the strong points of the vessel, which prevents localized stress points and ensures the overall stability of the cargo during transport. This effective load distribution is essential for maintaining the integrity of both the cargo and the vessel.

Deck Strenght Determination

To ensure that the vessel’s deck can support the loads imposed by seafastening, we conduct thorough evaluations of the deck’s strength. Based on these assessments, we refine the design of the grillages to distribute the loads more effectively. If we find that the deck strength is inadequate and further optimization of the grillage design is not feasible, we offer solutions for under-deck reinforcement to improve the structural integrity of the vessel as a last resort.

Global Vessel Integrity

For particularly large or heavy cargo, we assess the global integrity of the vessel to ensure that the overall structure can safely support the imposed loads. This evaluation is crucial to prevent any compromise to the vessel’s structural integrity during transit.

Fatigue Checks

For seafastenings that require long journeys or are used repeatedly over multiple years, we conduct comprehensive fatigue checks to guarantee their durability and reliability. This process ensures that the seafastening structures can endure the stresses and strains of extended use without compromising safety or performance.

Constructing something in the marine civil environment? Our custom-made temporary works help you overcome complex challenges. If you want to better understand the extent of TWD’s expertise, please read our Marine Civil Solutions Overview. In order to explore how we’ve contributed to industry-leading success in projects, featuring clients like VolkerStevin UK, BAM, SRGB, and more, you can download our Track Record.