MS Blue Giant - Combidock IV
In January 2010 Lloyd Werft delivered MS “Combi Dock IV".
Design, Basic and Detail Engineering of an all-purpose multi-tasking vessel
This was the fourth in the series of all-purpose multi-tasking vessels, built for K/S Combi Lift within two years. The joint venture CombiLift, is a collaboration between the Danish Shipping company J. Poulsen Shipping A/S, and the German Harren & Partner. Realisation of the project is done by Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH. MS Blue Giant, Combidock IV, is the culmination of all the work that has gone into this series. Being a multi-task platform, the Combidock can be used for a wide range of transports.
We were responsible for all Basic and Detail Engineering of this project. The concept of the vessel is, in close contact with us, conceived by Harren & Partner and HB Hunte Engineering GmbH. And soon after these initial sketches were produced, the engineering of the whole project became our responsibility. All plans, arrangements, stability, calculations and full detail engineering, even including all the cutting information for all steel parts, were produced by us. An engineering project in which more than 30,000 man hours were invested, signals a significant contribution to the project by us.
Keeping pace with the work flow required a team of engineers of more than 20 people, each needing to be fed with all appropriate data to be able to produce the workshop drawings, production information and nestings, enabling production of up to 10 blocks each week - 600 to 1000 tons of steel every week. The information flow necessary to maintain this pace is a test for any shipbuilder and for that matter ship owner. Decisions need to be taken at the right moment and purchase and delivery of equipment made just in time for systems to be integrated. Project management, procurement and decision-making capabilities are key issues in such a process.
The cooperation of a new-building yard, to enable the fast delivery of the hulls, and a repair yard to outfit each vessel exactly according to the newest demands of the market, turned out to be a golden combination. With all these different requirements we proved to be able to deliver what is needed, when needed: design of the vessel, stability, constructional design, detail engineering up to and including all cutting and forming information, diagrams and pipe-isometrics.
Wanting to be close to the process, we attended numerous meetings in Bremerhaven, collaborated with a Polish partner and set up a site office at the Polish ship building site in Gdansk to liaise with the builders. Answering questions as they came up, enabled the builders to maintain their pace and schedule. The production at a yard should never be held up by a lag or delay in engineering design. This VEG principle was greatly appreciated and admired by shipyard and ship owner.
Combidock IV is a truly multi-purpose vessel, comprising a large single hold cargo space, a deck area capable of accommodating the largest of cargoes, heavy cargo capabilities in the sense of permissible tanktop load and lifting capacity. The flexibility is proven by the fact that the vessel is even semi submersible, allowing large floating objects to be towed into the vessel via the open aft end. Extremely large docking tanks in the double bottom enable ballasting the vessel down to sufficient depth, to allow objects with a draft of 4.50meters to be floated into the cargo hold of the Combidock.
The cargo hold is also strengthened for Ro-Ro cargo, enabling land based cargo to be wheeled in over the ramp (allowing for 750 tons load!). This can even be done simultaneously: some of the tweendeck covers double as a docking bulkheads, separating the dry and wet part of the hold.
The 2 forward cranes of 350 tons SWL each can operate in tandem, to lift large sensitive equipment on board; the aft crane offers 200 tons lifting capacity.
In addition to the other ‘CombiDock’ features, the vessel was outfitted with a helicopter platform forward of the superstructure above the fore deck, a moon pool for diving missions, facilities for housing containers on the deck as well as specialized equipment for off-shore missions.
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