Work to replace buoy berths, which have reached the end of their service life, has been under way at the Rotterdam port for some time now. Several hawsers can be secured to the mooring buoys for mooring vessels. The Dordrecht-based company DIMCO recently devised a clever way to drastically simplify maintenance to the buoys, which will make them more readily available in the future. A splendid example of underwater innovation.
The mooring buoys in the port are secured by a chain to piles that are driven into the river bed. To be specific, the chain is secured to an anchor pile head. These pile heads are due for replacement in the Waalhaven and the Botlek. Big deal, you might say. Old pile out, new one in and we’re set for ten years ahead…. but this is no easy feat in these busy ports. Disturbances must be kept to a minimum.
Warranty
“Our objective was the robustness and sustainability of the pile head”, says Martijn Tack, project manager at DIMCO B.V. “This led to a design in which several parts of the two-metre-wide anchor pile head can easily be replaced separately, making for a system that is easy to install and to maintain. Consequently, we are able to extend the product warranty on these anchor pile heads from 10 years to 25.”
During the renovation…
According to Matthijs Tromp, project manager on behalf of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, it is a very favourable concept for more reasons than one. Among other things, all berths will still be available for exploitation during the renovation work. “One of the reasons why we opted for this system is the fact that business can continue as usual during the renovation”, says Tromp. “It is very important that the berths remain fully operational; reliability is more important than speed.”
Controlled wear and tear
Thanks to this innovative concept, DIMCO B.V. was chosen above three other tendering parties and was awarded the contract for new mooring buoy anchorage and mooring posts last December. DIMCO’s design ensures that any wear and tear to the anchor pile head only occurs on special removable components. DIMCO, which was formed by the recent merger of GEKA Bouw and CFE Nederland and is 100 percent subsidiary of the Belgian dredging company, DEME N.V., has put a lot of effort into demonstrating the efficient action of these components. “We made a full scale model and tested our design live with a number of divers. We filmed the test and showed it as part of our offer”, tells Tack. “We also used a 3D printer to print a 1:20 scale model, including all moving parts.”
The design is now being worked out in more detail, so that it can be applied in practice later on. According to the schedule, everything will be ready, delivered and operational by the end of the year.
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