APT successfully executed the construction and load out of the units in their state of the art Offshore construction facility in Rak Maritime City, UAE. Fabricated structures will be part of an extension of the existing capacity of offshore installation jack-up vessels. With this modification the Offshore units will elevate its capability to cater to the largest and heaviest crane in its class.
As part of the contract, APT has made Twelve spud can extensions which once attached to the bottom of four legs will add to the overall stability of the Jack-up. The spike in the can will drive the spud further inside the sea bed. The overall dimension of each element is 9.9m x 8.8m x 1.5m. Total Contract was over 600 Tons with each unit weighing to 50 tons.
Externally the spud can extensions look inconspicuous, however, the design of the internal stiffeners is heavy considering the significant forces these structures are subjected to. The overall reaction forces the Vessel hull is subjected to during its operation is transferred to these structures. The design comprised of confined structural configurations and the material grades used in the fabrication implied stiff preheating techniques which was also a challenge considering minimal availability of free space- said Shankar, DGM Projects. We performed welding of the central tube with a wall thickness of 70 mm by maintaining the sheet surface temperature @min 200 Celsius degrees.
The fabricated components were loaded on board a transport barge using our Shore cranes and towed to the Shipyard where the final installation on to the Jack-up was performed.
APT once again had the opportunity to participate in a prestigious project that places the company among major players on the market