steel renewal. Once the steel repairs had been carried out they were verified by carrying out NDT ultrasonic testing of all the welding seams and by carrying out an air leak test on the tanks. According to Gibdock’s shiprepair manager overseeing
this project, Filip Tsankov: “This was a complicated and time consuming process as access to the areas requiring repair was very restricted. Pipes surrounding the fuel oil tank had been in operation and this made the working area very tight. Ensuring adequate fire protection was also an extremely difficult task due to the fact that purifiers and associated systems had been in operation.” It was, moreover, not possible for Gibdock to carry
out repairs to the bilge and fuel oil tanks simultaneously, as the damaged section connected the fuel oil tank bulk head and the bilge tank tanktop. Mr Tsankov added: “The various challenges of the
job and the particular steel renewal sequences required, really put the skills of our work force to the test. Despite this, the repairs to the fuel oil and bilge tanks were completed within the 12 days time frame set by the owner in time for bunkering to take place prior to the vessel’s departure for her next port of call.” As Empress was leaving Gibraltar, the 73,199gt,
2852-passenger Sovereign - ex Sovereign of the Seas - entered the Gibdock yard on 23 November for repairs to damaged shell plating at Deck 1 level. These damaged areas were cropped off and 18mm grade A steel insert plates fitted above and below deck level, along with corresponding vertical and longitudinal stiffeners. The total amount of steel renewal in this case was over 6000kg, and these repairs were also checked by ultrasonic inspection of the welding seams as requested by Class. In addition Gibdock’s shiprepair team cropped off an
area on deck 9 that had buckled and for this fabricated, and welded in place, a new deck section using 10mm grade A steel plate. The yard also repaired damaged floors in the void space under the damaged area of deck 9 and renewed an area of damaged shell plating. These works involved a further 2970kg of steel renewals. During this repair process Gibdock had to contend
with gale force winds and heavy swell which knocked down part of the scaffolding that had been put up around the cruise liner. Nonetheless the vessel departed on time on 1 December, with all work carried out in just eight days. John Taylor, Gibdock production manager, said:
“Repairs on cruise ships can often be a challenge as a result of limited access and routing of services, especially in the bowls of the vessel, but we successfully overcame such obstacles on these two ships. Cruise vessels cannot be delayed, as they have passengers to pick up on schedule, and we were able to demonstrate to Pullmantur that we are more than capable of carrying out these types of repairs in difficult conditions strictly on time.” SCRT
Shiprepair and Conversion Technology 1st Quarter 2011 21
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