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The client is a major player in the maritime and offshore industries, with a strong focus on vessel upgrades and retrofits to support offshore energy projects.
For this particular initiative, the end beneficiary had identified a strategic opportunity to repurpose their offshore asset by installing a high-capacity 290t Vertical Lay System (VLS) on board one of their flagship vessels.
The VLS was to be integrated above the moonpool, requiring substantial structural, systems, and stability modifications.
The main engineering challenges were:
GLO Marine was commissioned to carry out the full engineering design and support package for the integration of the VLS, including:
GLO site engineers boarded the vessel for the initial inspection, as well as to generate the 3D scan model of
the project environment. The initial inspection concluded with the Survey Report detailing the current
status of the vessel and a preliminary proposed arrangement to establish the correct way forward.
Based on the survey data, the engineering team developed the preliminary integration concept for the Vertical Lay System and its auxiliary equipment.
Our structural analysis team has defined the loads to be applied by combining the local and global (HG)
loads for sagging and hogging conditions, considering the environmental conditions of operational and survival
conditions correspondingly.
The Lay Ramp was arranged with the firing line in the centre of the moonpool and with the main hinge
pins located 1030 mm above the ship’s main deck. A range of static and dynamic load cases (up to 20 cases),
covering both operating and “survival “conditions, has been considered using reactions provided by the
equipment designer.
This stage consisted of managing the interaction with Class for the duration of the project and developing
the full set of drawings necessary for the approval process. The basic engineering drawings have been
supported by detailed calculation reports, documenting the design assumptions, considerations,
limitations, and applicable rules & regulations.
During the Class approval stage, our team put a great emphasis on the communication flow between
disciplines such as Electrical, Stability, and Structural, to ensure that all inputs and outputs are circulated in
a timely and concise manner. This eliminated all delays from the Class approval process, which was carried
out with no major modifications.
We provided engineering assistance throughout the final project stages to ensure smooth implementation at the shipyard.
The vessel was successfully upgraded with a fully integrated 290t VLS system, ready for offshore operations.
All engineering deliverables were completed on time, Class approvals were secured without delays, and installation time at the yard was minimized.
