There are occasions, especially in the engineering industry, where the most appropriate equipment for the project may not be available, cost effective or even exist. This conundrum can make what initially seems like a simple scope, a great deal more complicated; however, it equally presents an opportunity, opening the way for innovation and progressive engineering solutions.A case study example of a float-off project is looked at in this article, taking a large vessel from its build hall, loading it out onto a barge and subsequently floating the vessel off where it may be towed to a drydock. The correct semi-submersible barge is key to the success of this operation and, in this instance, there were a limited number of suitable candidates which could perform the works. The solution that was settled on was to take an existing semi-submersible barge and add capability to allow it to carry out the load-out and float-off operations.
展开▼
