Middle East Report DPC
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Keeping Systems Running
Dredgers live a life most harsh, writes JIM WILSON, as they’re floating in
a corrosive fluid that can be violently dynamic while actively seeking
material a shipyard might use to blast paint off lesser vessels
I
n addition, modern dredgers are full Among the jobs available “Owners feel comfortable
of complex electronics and pipes for the Middle East’s when they come here,” said
that not only are shaken by the smaller players are managing director Nawal
whizzings, whirrings and rotations of conversion of ‘dumb’ Saigal. His colleague,
the onboard heavy industrial machinery, barges into loading commercial director
but – aboard cutters especially – are pontoons with the Ravi Senaratne, added:
subjected to a degree of vibration faced fabrication and “Over the last three
by no other ships. installation of all the our four years, we’ve
That’s why contractors have associated equipment seen a high surge
programmed maintenance and why, – spuds, foundations, through our facility by
thanks to the extensive port construction A-frames, piping and dredging contractors.”
and land reclamation projects in the machinery. They are Repair or maintenance
Middle East, it’s rapidly becoming a ship also involved in steel
Ravi Senaratne
work done on the bigger
repair and conversion hub. renewal and tend to work on vessels is spread over piping,
“Work boats such as tugs, dredgers, backhoes. And, given the salty mechanics, steel and electronics,
barges, supply and crew boats are being environment, there’s plenty of corrosion just as on the smaller vessels. The big
worked to full potential, consequently and hydraulics to be dealt with. difference is that only a facility on the
necessitating frequent repairs,” said one “Dredging has been a nice add- scale of Drydocks World can handle the
of the smaller, locally based repairers. on over the last four or five years,” complex major jobs for the frequency
And repairs and maintenance on my informant said. “It’s been and duration needed. Some of the larger
dredgers can be done by the smaller complementary to the oil industry and dredgers will come in for repairs or
players if the work is on ancillary craft or continues to grow. There’s been an maintenance once every three years,
if the owners’ engineers can go on a enormous hike [in business] owing others every other year. Some even come
ride-along. to the building of the artificial in twice a year owing to breakdowns.
islands and the port
SCOPE projects.” FINALLY…
In the Middle East, Repairs can take anywhere between
work carried out on MOVING UP two weeks to several months. And the
dredgers includes But if a bit of metal nature of the work will vary according
outfitting hoppers with bashing’s needed to the type of vessel, where it’s been
jet and self-emptying on a big cutter or working, what it’s been doing and
systems – rainbow trailing suction where it’s going next.
and bow discharge hopper, then there’s “Dredger repairs fall, typically, into
facilities, for example only one place to go different packages,” said Saigal. “On
Photos:
– drydocking for hull in the UAE – Drydocks the cutters, it’s cuttershafts, complicated
plate and steel renewal,
Nawal Saigal
World in Dubai, which mechanics and piping. On trailers it’s
Jim
including pipes and valves, this year celebrates its 25th often the hopper doors.”
plus fabrications of spray hoods anniversary. The firm receives Either way, the vessels get the
Wilson
that enable even distribution of dredged work from the big four and many of the attention they need.
material to create level access channels. smaller operators too. More info at www.drydocks.gov.ae
www.dpcmagazine.com 37 D R E D G I N G A N D P O RT C O N S T R U C T I O N A P R I L 2 0 0 9
30_49_Middle_East_Report.indd 37 11/03/2009 13:16:49
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