REPAIR & MAINTENANCE
A new frontier for shipping WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO ASSESS TRADITIONAL VESSEL CRACK REPAIR METHODS THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 DURING 2020 HAS RESULTED IN ECONOMIC TURMOIL ACROSS THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY AND BEYOND. THE DISRUPTION, COUPLED WITH IMPENDING ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS, HAS BEEN A CATALYST FOR THE RE-ASSESSMENT OF BUDGETS, OPERATIONS, AND LEGACY PROCEDURES IN ALL SEGMENTS OF SHIPPING. ONE AREA IN WHICH THERE IS SCOPE FOR THE RE-EVALUATION OF TRADITIONAL METHODS, AND WHERE WE ARE SEEING SUBSEQUENT PROGRESS, IS IN THE STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE OF VESSELS. WORDS BY JONNY LIM, DIRECTOR OF SPS TECHNOLOGY ASIA. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPS TECHNOLOGY.
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tructural maintenance forms an essential part of vessel preservation for the global shipping fleet and is recognised as a necessary expense. More specifically, the occurrence and management of cracks on vessels continues to be central to repair and maintenance regimes for ship owners and operators. Especially with the repair of fatigue cracks present in ship structures, such as the hull and boundary tanks, it is vital to avoid further costly damage,
preserve asset integrity, seafarer safety and cargo. Although vessel cracks are recognised as a longstanding problem, the initial cause is often unknown and could be due to a multitude of factors. For example, ongoing research suggests that the factors influencing the development of cracks could include vibration, fatigue, corrosion, and extreme loads. This range of factors is only set to increase, as environmental regulation leads to the increased retrofitting and refit of new emissions cutting technologies onto a vessel’s structure. For example, the installation of a scrubber to ensure compliance with the IMO’s global sulphur cap, could potentially add stress and strain to an existing vessel’s structure, exposing previously unseen weaknesses, because of different weight loads, causing cracks in new and unexpected areas.
Traditional vessel crack repair methods
Jonny Lim, Director of SPS Technology Asia.
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Historically, crop and renewal techniques have been universally regarded as the standard method to repair cracks on vessels. While effective, these approaches come with
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Restraint beams in place, prior to elastomer injection.
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