The new aluminum hatch enclosures are designed to keep the bad weather out while letting temporary services into the boat.
New aluminum hatch enclosures installed on San Francisco BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHAYNE HENSLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER Three new, shiny hatch enclosures were installed on USS San Francisco (SSN 711) just moments after its arrival at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). The hatch enclosures provide personnel and utility access to the submarine’s interior. Most of the hatch enclosures currently in use at the shipyard are constructed using a combination of scaffolding and thick, industrial plastic sheeting. The new structures, which are fabricated almost entirely of aluminum and welded in place atop the submarine, provide more permanent and weather proof access to the boat. The hatch enclosure planning and design phase began in late November 2016, when the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department (Code 2300) personnel created the initial drawings. The job was completed less than two and a half months later Jan. 25 when San Francisco arrived at NNSY for its conversion to a Moored Training Ship. It was the second time the NEPD and the non-nuclear Structural Group (Code 920) Shipfitter Shop (Shop 11) worked together on a unique project. They previously completed four nuclear equipment support towers to create an elevated workspace and keep equipment off the dry dock floor. Those are currently being used by the USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) Engineered Refueling Overhaul. Editor’s note: For more information about the nuclear support towers, see the April 2016 edition of Service to the Fleet. “It is very unusual for nuclear engineering and non-nuclear Shop 11 to work together,” said Code 2300 Nuclear Engineer Brandon Waltemeyer. “We’ve found this unique compatibility, and it can be difficult to get guys pulled off the projects to go and build these things, so we’re lucky Shop 11 is able to go get it done so quickly.” It was a race against the clock to get the enclosures finished on 20 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • MARCH 2017
time, but the team was fighting more than just their schedule. “Being able to get all of this done with all of the time, material and resource obstacles, and to get three of these hatches up in that short period is a real accomplishment,” said Raquita Washington, the nuclear engineer who was tasked with designing the new hatch enclosures from scratch. “I’m just grateful for those guys down there in the shop, they did a great job, and I’m looking forward to working with them again.” The installation of the hatch enclosures went seamlessly, and only slight modifications were necessary during the 20 minutes it took to install each one in place. Because they are made out of aluminum, they are essentially maintenance free and don’t require blasting or painting. In addition to being practical, the new enclosures are also a much safer alternative to standard scaffolding, and provide more reliable shelter from the environment. Washington says the team plans to build six more aluminum hatch enclosures to be used wherever they are needed. “We’re going to make the new ones a little bit larger and make some other modifications,” she said. “We want to get more people involved, because the more eyes you have the more input you get. We also need to start planning a little earlier to give us more time to get the material in, because things happen, so we need to plan more in advance.” According to those involved, this project was yet another example of the fine craftsmanship practiced at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. “We’ve got some of the best aluminum welders in the shipyard,” said Shop 11 Shipfitter Supervisor Bo Jamison. “There was a great sense of urgency to get the job done right the first time.”
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