Offshore Containers

Part 6: Good and bad design

Designing of steel structures for offshore lifting

Bad design: padeyes

• Padeyes are to be on line diagonally

(Tolerance + 2.5 grades)
• Padeye are exposed for damages

• Hole greatly exceeds 6% of shackle pin

diameter.
Shocking Bad design- Padeyes on ISO Freight
Containers

Pad eye not acceptable & considered dangerous for the

following reasons:
• Fillet welded.
• Hole greatly exceeds 6% of
shackle pin diameter.
• Pad eye is not in line with
pad-eye in diagonally
opposite corner of
container.

• Sticking outside boundary

of Container.

• ISO-containers are not suited for use offshore.

Bad design: padeyes
• padeyes are welded with fillet welds on the ouside of the frame
• Padeye plate is not in the correct angle
• 2 shackles are joined together
Bad design: padeyes and ISO container
Padeye attached later on an ISO-container:
• padeye-construction gives lack in continuity between toprail and
corner post
• ISO-containers are not suited for use offshore (for instance the
top beam is only a thin L-beam

A poor
attempt at
converting
an ISO
container.
Good design: padeyes

Padeye (padeye) slotted

through the corner post
• Gives good foundation for
the padeye
• Gives full penetration welds
without large welds
• Do not require any specific
material quality
• Angel can be adjusted
according to need
Good design: padeyes

Padeyes slotted
through the
corner post

Comment: Sharp edge on

padeye to be grinded
Good design: padeyes
To obtain full penetration welding with this design the base plate is
slotted into the top frame. Padeye is being prepared and welded with
full penetration. Base plate are to have ”Z”-quality.

Recessed into the Top Rail.

Accepted design

Depends on how it is
done:
padeye on container with
ISO-corner:

•Vertical weld are to have full

penetration welding
•weld to horizontal corner plate
may be fillet welds
•Angle between padeye and
ISO-corner makes it difficult to
weld, requires proper weld
preparation
Bad design: padeye

The padeye must be positioned such that there is

sufficient space for the shackle and eye of the wire
ropes
Bad design: Skid

Skid protrudes
beyond
container
parameters.
Good and bad design: Doors
Good design
Door mountings are
unprotected – Bad design
Bad design: Fork lift pockets

Old container: Cracks in bottom frame due to not

sufficient shear area above fork lift pockets
Good design: Fork lift pockets
Reinforcement (increased shear
area) above fork lift pockets.

Alternative reinforcements above

fork lift pockets(wall plates are
thin secondary structure)
Bad design
• Door locking mechanism
and hinges unprotected
• Other unacceptable
protrusions
• Fork pockets have no
shear area above
Bad design: Bolted connection

Top frame bolted: Oval bolt holes not acceptable

Good design
• Protruding parts on the outside of the container frame that may catch or
damage other containers or structures.
• Deflector plates to prevent snagging shall be applied.
Strength and stiffness in baskets

Frame work construction in the sides gives good stiffness to long

baskets.
Bad design

• Padeyes not in line

with slings
• Holes for shackle
bolt too big
• Are full penetration
welding used?
• Cylinders protrudes
above frame
• Snagging hazard
for slings in
cylinder
Strong container with some errors 1:
• Protection of top
• Slings may be caught
• Chains may corrosion on tank (which is made from acid proof steel)
Strong container with some errors 2:

AND:
Too small clearance
between tank shell
and frame
Bad Design-Tank support

Tank is
supported on the
fork pockets.

RESULT?
Bad Design-Tank support

It is cracking!
It corrodes!
It will soon be
falling apart!
Offshore
container with
folding crane on
roof, protected by
a rail (and by
tarpaulin during
transport)
Bad design

DNV required
that the rails
were removed
at the corner.
Container for stacking

Such knobs for

stacking often
gives damages at
bottom of
containers that are
put on top.
Good and Bad design: lifting set
Bad design-Long slings may cause
problems

Good design-Top link at working

height for deck operator (< 1.3 m
above the ground)
Good design: Top protection
Top protection of open top containers:
“The top of all open frame containers and of all open top containers with
permanent internal fittings, machinery or other installations where crane hooks or
forerunners may snag, shall be protected with grating or plates. This may be
fixed, hinged or removable. Top protection shall be capable of being secured.”
Good and Bad design: Force continuity

Lack of force continuity in the
primary structure

Knee bracket
shall be used