A method and apparatus are disclosed for banding a vertical wall of a large vessel with a highly tensioned tendon payed out from a traveling carriage being driven about the vertical wall. The carriage is suspended from the structure and a circumferential restraining means constrains a primary set of traction wheels driven by a primary hydraulic system and a second set of wheels driven by regenerative hydraulic system into frictional engagement with the vessel wall. The preferred wheels comprise hydraulic motors having an outer rotatable portion or race to which is directly attached an encircling tire. A tendon tensioning mechanism is disclosed with restraining elements having outer frictional surfaces engaging the tendon without slipping and having other frictional surfaces for slipping relative to a force applying means when accommodating elongation of the tendon during tensioning. Also, a tendon tensioning means is mounted to pivot about a vertical axis to position the tendon for travel along a tangential path to the structure and about a horizontal axis to prevent bending of the tendon as it discharges from the tendon tensioning means.
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