[BITList] The Giant Crane

[John Feltham]

Small beer!
 
This relatively small crane, by offshore standards, in my 2nd. photo was one of a pair on a Heerema self propelled crane barge used for assembling the B.P.. Magnus platform in 1983:
 
Magnus
 the assembled Magnus platform, located half way between the Shetland and the Faroes
 
Heerema self propelled crane barge
  those are lifeboats across the bow of the barge  NormalNorth Sea winter conditions.
  in Rotterdam,  without ballast.  4 legs on each side,  each set connected by pontoons (only just visible).
 
 
Each crane on the barge for the Magnus construction can lift 7,000 tons  I believe Heerema now have 9,000 ton lift cranes.
 
My photos:
1. Magnus Fleet: shows my ship (black & white) and others around the Magnus platform after construction.  .
    The air space between the sea level and the bottom of the platform is 100 ft to allow for a once-in-100-year 100ft freak wave.
    It was hit by 2 in the second year,  and one broke our back although we remained in field to repair it as there was no other ship then available to replace us
    Our ship’s normal trip was 5 years on station,  with us joining by commercial Chinook,  month on / month off.
 
2. Topping Out:  Final lift to complete the assembly of the platform was the flare tower.   Top of the tower is nearly 600ft above sea level.
    Look closely and you can see a rigger climbing up to release the hook.  He is in the centre,  just above the upper red vertical paintwork.  It took him and his mate a long time to climb to the top of that tower.
    Note that only the ‘small’ hook is in use for this lift - the biggest problem was the wind.  Roughly speaking, wind strength increases by 5 knots every 100 ft vertically,  so you can imagine that even on a calm day,
    windage at that height is ‘noticeable’.
  
All this platform (mini refinery) was built ashore.  The platform legs (the jacket) which stand in 600 ft of water, were towed out in the horizontal and by changing ballast, swung into the vertical.   a smaller example of a jacket being towed out.
 
The rest of the platform consisted of 23 lifts of modules which slotted together.  Most weighted over 2,000 tonnes each
 
Update:  http://hmc.heerema.com/NewsMedia/NewsReleases/20090313ArrivalH405/tabid/1675/language/en-US/Default.aspx
 
Of course,  it’s all relative, and very uplifting   :-{)}

 
 
 

Liebherr’s LR13000 lifts 5 other cranes

http://www.heavyliftspecialist.com/cranes/liebherrs-lr13000-lifts-3-cranes-lr11350-lr1350-1-finally-ltr1100/
Liebherr’s LR13000 lifts 5 other cranes, the LR11350, the LR1350.1, the LTR1100 and finally two small model crane

 Cranes, News
 
Liebherr’s LR13000 lifts 5 other cranes, the LR11350, the LR1350.1 and finally the LTR1100, which lift two small model cranes



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