Allseas, the operator of the Solitaire pipelay vessel, recently decided to repair parts of the 550sq m tank top in hold #6 which had corroded. After a detailed assessment was carried out, Allseas opted for Intelligent Engineering’s (IE’s) sandwich plate system (SPS) technology instead of steel renewal.
“Such a project undertaken in steel was neither practically nor economically feasible,” said Ian Nash, IE’s maritime business manager. “It would have taken too long and would probably have proved too expensive. However, using SPS technology, we were able to complete the tank-top upgrade successfully in just 15 days, far less time than an equivalent steel repair would have taken.”
The project, undertaken with Lloyd’s Register (LR) class approval at United Stevedores in Amsterdam, involved blasting the existing tank top, attaching and welding bars and adding an additional layer of steel plate to create a cavity. This was then injected with IE’s polymer which has a range of properties offering performance to mild and high-tensile steels.
The 127,500dwt pipe-layer, Solitaire, has completed challenging projects in which heavy pipe has been laid in very deep waters. Originally built in Japan as a mini-Capesize bulk carrier, the LR classed vessel was converted to lay pipe in 1998. She has full dynamic positioning and can carry a pipe payload of 22,000-tonne.
Image: Installing top plate on Solitaire/Intelligent Engineering
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