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HYDROLIFT FOR SHIP REPAIR YARDS

Marina Molina Rodrigues de Oliveira Zehetmeyer

Graduation Project presented to the Naval and

Oceanic Engineering Course at the
Polytechnic School, Federal University of Rio
de Janeiro, as part of the requirements for
obtaining the degree of Engineer.

Advisor:
Prof. Marta Cecilia Tapia Reyes

Rio de Janeiro
August 2014
 HYDROLIFT FOR SHIP REPAIR YARDS

Marina Molina Rodrigues de Oliveira Zehetmeyer

GRADUATION PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE NAVAL AND

OCEANIC ENGINEERING COURSE AT THE POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL OF THE
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO AS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR OBTAINING THE DEGREE OF NAVAL ENGINEER.

Reviewed by:

Prof. Marta Cecilia Tapia Reyes D.Sc.

Prof. José Henrique Erthal Sanglard, D. Sc.

Prof. Severino Fonseca da Silva Neto D. Sc.

Eng. Ivo Dworschak

RIO DE JANEIRO, RJ - BRAZIL

AUGUST 2014

2
Zehetmeyer, Marina Molina Rodrigues de Oliveira

Hydrolift for ship repair yards / Marina Molina Rodrigues de

Oliveira Zehetmeyer. - Rio de Janeiro: UFRJ/Polytechnic School,
2014.
VIII,69 p.: ill.; 29,7 cm.

Advisor: Marta Cecilia Tapia Reyes

Graduation Project - UFRJ/Polytechnic School/Naval and

Ocean Engineering Course, 2014.

Bibliographical references: p. 69

1. Floating dykes. 2. repair yards. 3. drilling ships 4. docking

maneuvers. 5. stability, I. Tapia, Marta. II. Federal University of Rio
de Janeiro, Polytechnic School, Naval and Ocean Engineering
Course. III. Hydrolift for ship repair yards.

3
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank God for giving me the intelligence, strength and patience to complete my
degree.

I would like to thank my mother Ângela for helping me every day of my life, listening to
me and always advising me. She is my greatest encourager and has never given up or
doubted me.

I would like to thank my husband Raphael for being my best friend, for always being by
my side and for being so patient with me.

I would like to thank my sister Mariane for being my companion for as long as I can
remember and for cheering me up in difficult times.

Thank you to my friends Laiz, Gustavo, Paula, Oto, Andreia, Bruno and Sandra, the
best gifts the Naval gave me. Thank you for the books you shared, the afternoons
spent studying, the car rides and correcting my work, but above all for continuing to be
my companions even outside the Fundo Grande.

I would like to thank my teachers, especially Professors Marta and Annelise, for all their
knowledge and for making me a lover of engineering.

4
Summary of the Graduation Project presented to the Polytechnic School/UFRJ as part
of the requirements for obtaining the degree of Naval Engineer.

Hydrolift for ship repair yards

Marina Molina Rodrigues de Oliveira Zehetmeyer

August/2014

Advisor: Marta Cecilia Tapia Reyes

Curso: Naval and Ocean Engineering

Based on the design of a repair yard in the Port of Açu region, the preliminary design of
a floating dyke will be carried out for the repair and, if necessary, transfer of vessels
known as drilling ships.

Keywords: shipyard; repair; floating dyke;

5
Abstract of Undergraduate Project presented to POLI/UFRJ as a partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Naval Engineer.

Hydrolift for a repair shipyard

Marina Molina Rodrigues de Oliveira Zehetmeyer

August/2014

Advisor: Marta Cecilia Tapia Reyes

Course: Naval Engineering

Based on the design of a repair shipyard at Porto do Açu region, a preliminary design
of a repair floating dock and, if possible, the transfer of vessels known as drillships will
be carried out.

Key words: shipyard; repair; floating dock;

6
SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................9
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHIPYARD ............................................................16
2.1. Location ...........................................................................................................16
2.2. Repair planning, engineering and production..................................................19
2.3. Services...........................................................................................................19
3. DOCKING METHODS ............................................................................................21
3.1. Dry dock ..........................................................................................................22
3.2. Floating dike ....................................................................................................24
3.3. Hydrolift ...........................................................................................................26
3.4. Syncrolift..........................................................................................................29
3.5. Determining the type of docking system .........................................................30
4. DIKE SIZING ..........................................................................................................33
4.1. Sequence of operations...................................................................................33
4.2. Hydrostatic calculation of the floating dike ......................................................34
4.2.1. Stability.....................................................................................................34
4.2.2. Free edge.................................................................................................35
4.2.3. Reference system ....................................................................................35
4.2.4. Parameters used to calculate stability......................................................36
4.3. Ship data .........................................................................................................39
4.4. Pontoon sizing .................................................................................................41
4.4.1. Length ......................................................................................................41
4.4.2. Mouth .......................................................................................................41
4.4.3. Minimum lifting capacity ...........................................................................42
4.4.4. Light weight ..............................................................................................42
4.4.5. Light draught ............................................................................................42
4.4.6. Draft of the pontoon with the ship on board..............................................42
4.4.7. Pontal .......................................................................................................43
4.5. Analysis of pontoon results .............................................................................44
4.6. Calculation of the dyke floats...........................................................................46
4.6.1. Transverse stability ..................................................................................46
4.6.2. Ship stability .............................................................................................49
4.6.3. Dike stability .............................................................................................50
4.6.4. Float calculation using stability criteria .....................................................52

7
 4.7. Sizing the dyke floats.......................................................................................58
4.7.1. Floating dike maneuvers ..........................................................................60
4.7.2. Quay repairs.............................................................................................64
4.7.3. Sizing of floats to allow repair ..................................................................65
5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK ...................................................................67

8
1. INTRODUCTION

The ship repair process generally includes conversions, overhauls, maintenance

programs, damage repair and equipment repair. Ship repair is a very important part of
the shipbuilding industry. Approximately 25% of the shipyard workforce is assigned to
ship repair or conversion (1). Today, many ships need to be upgraded and/or converted
to meet environmental and safety regulations. Fleets around the world are becoming
old and inefficient, and with the high costs of new ships the situation is putting pressure
on shipping companies. In general, conversion and repair in shipyards are more
profitable than new construction (2). In newbuilding yards, repair contracts, overhauls
and conversions also help to stabilize the workforce during times of crisis, when
newbuildings decrease, and when the situation is favorable for newbuildings, there is
an increase in ships on the market, increasing the number of ships to be repaired.

One of the main differences between new-build and repair yards is the docking
methods. A repair yard needs docking methods that take up as little space as possible,
as storage areas and workshops take up a lot of space.

Figure 1 - Ship being repaired

9
 Historically, shipyards had two very different areas, one for new construction and
the other for repairs (3). Depending on market demand, employees and facilities were
dedicated to one or the other. Later, with the high productivity of the market, it was
decided to specialize the business, separating the activities, and each shipyard
dedicated itself to its most profitable activity. From that point on, the trend was to build
new shipyards with their activities and orientation well defined. But that doesn't mean
that there are many repair yards today. Ease of financing, tax incentives and the
potential for higher revenue in the short term are strong attractions for repair yards to
evaluate the possibility of switching to newbuilding. On the international scene, the
migration from repair to construction is common. For example, Korea's Hyundai
Vinashin, which was 100% repair, started processing steel to manufacture its first ship
in September 2008.

Generally, the processes for repairing a ship are very similar to those for building
a new ship, but on a smaller scale and at a faster pace (2).

Ship maintenance activities are associated with wear and tear due to use, age or
periodic safety checks. The main maintenance events in the life of a ship are shown in
Figure 2:

Figure 2 - Events in the life of a ship

10
 The origin of the repair can be emergency or scheduled. Emergency repairs
include accidents, breakdowns and collisions. Depending on the severity of the event, it
may require docking. Emergency repairs account for 30% of dockings in Brazil.
Scheduled repairs can include surveys by classification societies, modernization of
equipment or even conversion of the ship. Scheduled repairs account for 70% of repair
dockings. In a 5-year cycle, all the ship's equipment must be inspected (2).

The main maintenance event for a ship takes place when it is put into dry dock.
The ship is taken out of the water and remains for a period of one to two weeks in the
dry and another two weeks repairing at berth, usually giving a total of between thirty
and forty days of repair (5).

There are two key factors that influence a ship's demand for repairs: age and
size. With increasing age, the number of days docked increases, as the occurrences of
failure, corrosion, fatigue, wear and breakage increase. Length, on the other hand,
influences docked days, as the larger the ship, the larger the steel area and the greater
the number of components. In addition, maritime support vessels are more difficult to
repair than port support vessels due to the greater number of complex systems within
each vessel (3).

Currently, ships have a mandatory five-year maintenance cycle, in which a series

of overhauls must be carried out to ensure that the ship complies with international
shipping safety regulations.

In addition to dry maintenance, there is another series of jobs that do not require
the ship to be in a dry location in order to be carried out: these are repairs to the ship's
dead works, superstructure, machinery and interior, which can be carried out while the
ship is in port.

Figure 3 shows the main shipyards in Brazil. The vast majority do not offer
specialized repair services. In the country's recent context, incentives have been
created for shipbuilding, leading some repair yards to switch activities. Around the
world, the same effect is observed when the sector is in a cycle of high demand for new
ships.

11
 Figure 3 - Shipyards in Brazil

While the supply of capacity for vessels up to 150m is 54% less than demand,
there is overcapacity for larger vessels. As a result, dykes for large vessels are used to
repair smaller ones. A latent need for new repair dykes has also been identified. In
2018, between 5 and 9 new dykes will be needed to serve the fleet operating off the
Brazilian coast (2).

The repair yards for medium and large vessels are all concentrated in the
Southeast of Brazil, in the states of Rio de Janeiro (with seven yards offering repair
services) and one in the state of São Paulo (Table 1).

12
 Table 1 - Repair yards in Brazil

Method of Dimensions Limit

Shipyard State Quantity
docking W x B [m] [DWT]
Cassinú RJ Dry dock 1 69 x 12,5 -
Chamon RJ Careers 1 30 -
215 x 35 20000
Floating
3 200 x 32,8 18000
Enavi e dike
RJ 70 x 17 1800
Renave
184 x 27 -
Dry dock 2
136 x 17,46
Careers 1 100 x 25 3000
Vard RJ Dock
1 110 x 17 3500
floating
240
Careers 2 -
Mauá RJ 170
Dry dock 1 196 x 20 -
350 x 65 400000 DWT
Inhaúma RJ Dry dock 2
160 x 25 25000 TPB
Wilson &
SP Dry dock 1 145 x 26 -
Sounds

Some of them offer newbuilding services within their offer, and they alternate
services according to the market. These seven shipyards make up the entire national
repair offer, which is insufficient to meet future demand for ship repair.

With the increase in tenders for drilling wells off the coast of Brazil, there has also
been an increase in vessels destined for this purpose on our coast, and it is preferable
for shipowners to have their repairs done close to their work zone. Shipowners are
disadvantaged by the unavailability of dykes and often bear the costs of moving routes
in search of repairs in international shipyards.

Ideally, these ships should not have to travel long distances for repairs, as the
loss of working hours would be too great. Therefore, the services of repair yards close
to the work area will be needed.

13
 Within the ship repair market we find particular cases of specialized ships such
as drilling ships, which are increasing considerably in number off the Brazilian coast
due to the new wells being drilled in the pre-salt area. These ships don't usually make
long voyages to be repaired due to various factors, but specialized ships in particular
tend to be in high demand, which increases their freight rates, which can reach up to
500,000 dollars/day. If the ship is stopped for repair, it is not possible to charter it.

Therefore, the ships make the necessary repairs close to their work area even
though the prices of distant places are more competitive, but this saving is not enough
to compensate for the loss during the round trip.

The drillship is a particular type of MODU - Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit, which is
the union of a ship with a deck-mounted drilling rig intended for offshore operations.
They are built on traditional ship hulls such as large tankers or cargo ships and are self-
propelled.

The drill operates through an opening in the hull. Drillships can be up to 270
meters long and 42 meters wide. Drillships are not as stable in turbulent seas as semi-
submersibles, but they have the advantage of being able to store production until relief
ships arrive (7).

Figure 4 - Discoverer Enterprise drillship

14
 A very important system on drilling ships is the DP (dynamic positioning) system.
The system consists of thrusters located in the hull. Some ships have retractable
thrusters, which go into an opening in the hull to make docking easier. According to the
engineers interviewed, the most modern ships do not have this type of thruster, as
space on a drilling ship is at a premium due to the amount of cargo needed for drilling.
In this case, the thruster must be removed before docking, and is uncoupled with the
help of divers and a system of buoys to secure the thrusters for removal.

Based on the above and taking as a starting point the design of a repair yard for
the Açu region by COPPE master's students Sandra García and Juan Sarmiento (4), it
is proposed to carry out the preliminary design of a floating dock to carry out repairs
mainly to drilling platforms and, if necessary, to transfer it to land.

Chapter 2 presents the shipyard in question, its particularities, the ships on the
market this year and the services carried out on them.

Chapter 3 identifies and describes existing docking and transfer methods.

Finally, Chapter 4 shows the dyke's dimensions using the DNV Classification
rules.

15
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF SHIPYARD

2.1. Location

The shipyard is located in the Port of Açu, 30 km from the city of São João da
Barra. It was built with the aim of functioning as an import and export logistics center,
with influence in the Central-West and Southeast regions of Brazil and also to serve as
support for cabotage along the Brazilian and South American coasts.

The two points highlighted are the main characteristics relevant to the location of
the shipyard. Different important variables or characteristics that determine the location
of a shipyard of any kind should be considered (5). The characteristics studied are:

• Proximity to maritime routes.

Figure 5 - Global maritime routes

16
 • Proximity to oil fields.

Figure 6 - Nearby oil fields

In order to determine the possible ships to be repaired at the shipyard, a survey

was carried out and the drilling ships in operation in Brazil in 2014 are shown below in
Table 2 (8) (9).

17
 Table 2 - Drilling ships in Brazil

Name Construction Conversion L B T

ALASKAN STAR 1976 84,3 61 25
ALPHA STAR 2009 103,3 69,5 8,7
ATLANTIC STAR 1976 103 106 22
BORGNY DOLPHIN 1977 108 67,4
CAJUN EXPRESS 2001 106,4 68,9 9,0
ENSCO 6001 2000 2009 75,9 54,6 8,5
ENSCO 6002 2000 2010 75,9 54,6 8,5
ENSCO 6003 2004 - 75,9 54,6 8,5
ENSCO 6004 2004 - 75,9 54,6 8,5
ENSCO 7500 2000 - 73,2 75,6 7,0
GOLD STAR 2009 69,5 69,5 19,1
LONE STAR 2009 97,5 70,1 7,5
LOUISIANA 1982 1998 100,0 50,0 17,5
NOBLE DAVE BEARD 1986 2008 111,6 66,1 5,8
NOBLE MAX SMITH 1980 1999 106,3 100,1 5,2
NOBLE PAUL WOLFF 1982 2006 104,1 110,8 4,6
NOBLE PHOENIX 1979 2009 105,0 21,9 0,0
NOBLE THERALD MARTIN 1975 2003 98,8 103,0 7,5
NORBE VI 2009 70,1 60,9
OCEAN ALLIANCE 1988 - 122,5 78,9 8,8
OCEAN BARONESS 1973 2001 98,8 99,7 12,6
OCEAN COURAGE 2009 - 121,3 90,8 8,4
OCEAN QUEST 1973 1996 98,8 102,4 9,8
OCEAN STAR 1973 1996 102,3 95,9 9,8
OCEAN VALUE 2009 - 121,3 90,8 8,4
OCEAN WINNER 1976 - 108,2 75,6 6,7
OCEAN WORKER 1982 - 92,4 61,0 7,6
ODN DELBA III 2011 97,5 75
OLINDA STAR 1983 92,1 68,9
SEDCO 706 1976 89,9 74,7 6,4
SEDCO 707 1976 1997 108,2 74,7 6,4
SEVAN BRAZIL 2012 99 99 13
SEVAN DRILLER 2009 85,0 75,0 0,0
WEST EMINENCE 2009 83,2 72,8 9,8
WEST ORION 2010 115,5 90,2 8,4

18
 Although the main focus is on the previous ships, other types of ships can also be
catered for that are of a size compatible with the designed dyke.

2.2. Repair planning, engineering and production

Shipbuilding and ship repair are distinct activities, although they use the same
type of infrastructure. Government funding and investment is directed towards
construction, which also attracts repair yards.

Planning for both newbuilding and repair services is different. The main
characteristics of ship repair are relatively stable demand over the long term, the need
for experienced labor, lower revenue, difficult predictability in the execution of services,
short deadlines (2 to 4 weeks) per ship. For new construction, we have long-term
fluctuations in demand, government funding, tax incentives and short-term stability (2 to
3 years) (4).

Most repairs and conversions require extensive planning. In many cases, a large
amount of steelwork will need to be done. These projects can be divided into four major
stages: removal, building a new structure, installing equipment and testing. Contractors
are needed to carry out the more specialized work and reduce the workload.

In many cases, repair contracts are an emergency situation with little notice,
which makes the repair unpredictable. Normal repairs take from 3 days to 2 months,
while major repairs and conversions can last more than a year.

2.3. Services

Ships are similar to other types of machinery and require frequent maintenance
and often complete overhauls to continue operating (9). The equipment to be repaired
is summarized in Table 3:

19
 Table 3 - Repair services

Repair Ship location

Tower On the pier
Drilling equipment On the quay
Pumps and mud processors On the quay
Engines On the quay
Dynamic positioning system Dry
Surface treatment and moonpool Dry/on the dock
Tanks On the quay
Accommodation On the quay
Pipes On the quay

As with new construction, all installed systems must be tested and operated
before the ship is released. When the dry repair phase is completed, the ship is moored
at the quay to begin testing the dry repairs (bow trhuster and azimuthals) and to carry
out the remaining repairs. The location at the quay facilitates the entry of machinery
and people due to the position of the deck flush with the quay. Testing requirements
are usually determined by contract, in addition to other sources such as regulations.
Tests must be scheduled and monitored by classification societies.

20
3. METHODS FROM DOCKING

Docking and transfer methods are the fundamental element in the maintenance
and repair of ships' fairings. For an indeterminate number o f times during a ship's
useful life, it is necessary to put the ship in the dry so that regular inspections and
necessary repairs can be carried out. It is the most expensive facility in the shipyard,
around which the other facilities are located (11). The type of docking method and its
size are the main variables to consider when choosing a shipyard.

Because of the high costs, as many repairs as possible should be done while the
vessel is floating or sailing.

In order to be competitive, the shipyard must make it easy to get the ship in and
out for repairs and, above all, reduce docking times. This is why shipyards must be
located close to major shipping routes.

Docking methods must meet the following characteristics:

1. Security
2. Speed
3. Energy and fluid supply
4. Easy to maneuver
5. Ship stability
6. Good access from ship to shore

There are several methods, detailed below, which allow the ship to be repaired
and/or transferred to a dry location. These docking methods must not only allow the
ship to be safely dry-docked, but also allow the movement of people, equipment,
machinery and materials from land to the ship in order to carry out the necessary
inspections and repairs.

Only the methods capable of successfully docking large ships will be listed, which
is the case with drilling rigs, the shipyard's main focus.

21
 3.1. Dock dry

A dry dock is a means of docking consisting of an artificial pier into which the ship
floats, the bottom of which is several meters below the surface of the sea and the top of
which is at the level of the shipyard floor.

Figure 7 - Dry Dock

The dyke consists of the bottom, two side walls and a bow wall. At the other end
is a removable door that allows the ship to enter and exit. The dyke also has a pump
system that allows the water inside to be removed once the ship is in place and the
door has been closed.

22
 Figure 8 - Profile of the Dry Dock

The docking sequence is not immediate and requires prior preparation. Piers are
put in place to support the ship when it is dry, then the dyke is flooded and its door
opened for the ship to enter. The ship floats in and is positioned on the piers. The water
in the dyke is then drained, which brings the ship down to its final position on the piers.

When the ship is to be removed, the dyke is flooded again until the ship floats.
The door is opened and the ship is removed.

23
 Figure 9 - Diagram of the ship's entry into the Dry Dock

The advantages are a long service life; low maintenance of the structure; no
stability problems on the ship; no limits on the size of the dyke; an intermediate door
that allows only half of the dyke to be flooded.

Its disadvantages are the high initial construction costs; being a fixed structure
that cannot be moved or sold; the passage of workers and equipment, lighting and
ventilation are complicated due to its floor being below the level of the building site; if
there is a need to raise the dyke the work is very large; low operating speed; large size
of the pump plant (12) (11).

3.2. Dock floating

A floating dyke is a structure used for docking ships by raising them above sea
level for repairs and varying their buoyancy. The lifting capacity of these dykes varies
between 1000 and 100000 tons.

24
 Figure 10 - Floating dike

It is made up of an extended U-shaped structure, which leaves the entrance free

from the bow and stern. The entrance is generally longitudinal, but there are dykes with
detachable sides that allow transverse entry. Its sides and bottom are made up of tanks
that can be filled with water to make the structure sink to the desired draft and then
emptied so that the structure floats, also raising the ship inside.

The docking sequence also requires prior preparation. Piers are placed to
support the ship in its final position. The tanks are flooded by gravity to a draft that
allows the ship to enter. The ship is then towed inside, a delicate maneuver given the
many obstacles, many of which are not visible because they are underwater. Once the
ship is in its final position on the dyke, it is moored and the de-berthing phase begins,
where the pumps remove the water from the tanks, making the dyke more buoyant and
leaving the ship inside dry.

25
 Figure 11 - Diagram of the ship entering the Floating Dock

The advantages are that it doesn't take up any land at the shipyard; the dyke can
be built at the shipyard itself or another one that offers a lower price; it allows low
operating costs to be maintained, increasing the competitiveness of the shipyard; it can
be sold if it is no longer needed; it can lift ships longer than the dyke itself; it can be
towed easily if the area where it is located needs to be dredged; the civil construction
required for its operation is relatively small and inexpensive; it can be towed to deeper
areas to receive larger ships, which eliminates the need to dredge the area; it can be
enlarged relatively easily.

The disadvantages are the high frequency of maintenance of pumps, valves and
structures throughout their useful life; the movement of people and cargo is restricted
by the sides of the dyke; the influence of the tides can complicate operations;
maneuvers must be carried out in calm waters (11) (12).

3.3. Hydrolift

This is a variant of the "platform dyke" docking system. In this case, the platform
system is replaced by a lifting lock that fills and empties and a platform that allows the
ship to be positioned in its final docking phase. This platform is at approximately the
same level as the surrounding land.

This initial lock can serve several platforms simultaneously and is capable of
carrying out floating and docking maneuvers at the same time.

26
 Figure 12 - Hydrolift from Lisnave

This docking method was created for the first time by "Lisnave Estaleiros Navais"
and the starting point for the decision to build it was the technical impossibility of
constructing traditional dry docks on the sandy land available to the shipyard.

Figure 13 - Hydrolift profile

27
 The ships are maneuvered in and out of the lock and transferred to or from the
platforms by means of a mechanical system made up of several winches which,
combined with tugs, move and control the ships during the operation. The ship is then
positioned in the lock channel and the door closed. Using pumps, the water level is
raised to the height of the platform and the ship is transferred to the platform by the
tugs. The platform door is then closed and emptied by gravity, lowering the ship into its
final position in the paddocks. It is not necessary to empty the lock completely.

Figure 14 - Diagram of the ship entering the Hydrolift

The advantages are the relatively low cost compared to a dry dock: for the price
of two dry docks, you can build a hydrolift with capacity for three ships; the ship is
raised to the level of the shipyard, facilitating access for people and equipment; more
than one ship can be transferred simultaneously; the platforms collect the waste and
send it for further treatment.

28
 The disadvantages are the high initial cost of the equipment; high equipment
maintenance; the lock cannot be used as a platform, as it prevents entry and exit to the
other platforms (13).

3.4. Syncrolift

A syncrolift is a mechanism that allows the ship to be transferred from a floating

starting position to a dry end, where repairs will be carried out.

The system consists of a platform made up of metal beams that submerge below
the bottom of the ship and lift it onto a structure with rails, which winches the boat to
the repair site.

Figure 15 - Syncrolift

The platform is prepared with piers in which the ship will be in its final position
and then submerged and the ship towed onto it. The platform is raised by means of
engines located on land synchronously in order to maintain horizontality and even
distribution of the load on the platform.

Once the platform has reached the height of the docking zone, the ship begins to
move along the rails to the final work site.

29
 Figure 16- Diagram of the ship entering the Syncrolift

A major advantage of the syncrolift over the repair dyke is that the former is not
immobilized during the repair period and can be used to continue moving ships
whenever necessary, and is faster to operate. The downside is the docking area, which
must always be free and there must be no fixed elements to hinder the movement of
ships, high construction and maintenance costs and the need for high-tech machinery
(11).

3.5. Determining the type of docking system

Figure 17 shows the area that will be used for this study. It has a 14m deep
entrance channel, an 11m deep inner channel and a 16m deep maneuvering area.

30
 Figure 17 - General layout of the shipyard area

Figure 18 shows in detail the area where the shipyard is located. This area has a
4m high quay.

As indicated in section 2.2, drydocking basically involves fairing, painting and

repairing the DP system. In interviews with several engineers who work on repairs, we
concluded that shipowners prefer to do the work in the dry and then dock the vessel at
the quay to do the rest of the repairs because this way, while the work is progressing,
they can test the DP equipment.

The main objective of the project is to determine a docking system that is the
least costly and easiest to implement.

The main design limits are the depth of the channel and the height of the quay at
the location determined for the dyke, the draft and the weight of the vessel to be
repaired. Based on these parameters, it was necessary to exclude some of the
systems described in this chapter.

31
 Workshops
built

Figure 18 - Detail of the shipyard's location

The dry dock was initially ruled out due to the impossibility of carrying out large-
scale civil works on the site, as it would be too costly and time-consuming, as well as
the fact that some facilities were already built at the shipyard, making it impossible to
allocate them. For the same reason, the option of using a traditional hydrolift system
was discarded. Although it is viable from an economic point of view, a simple
assessment of the site already makes it impossible to install it because this type of
system is only viable if there are two or three places to repair the vessels.

The syncrolift option is suitable for ships with a low weight, which is not the case
with drilling ships that have a high light weight. A syncrolift for a ship of this size would
also be very expensive.

The most suitable option is a floating dyke. For the site, this floating dyke has two
design options:

• It can be fixed in place, a hybrid of floating dike and hydrolift, operating with
guides that help reduce moments in float on and float off operations, working
without the need for floats, which makes it the cheapest design;
• Common free-floating dock, with the advantage of being able to be towed to
deeper locations for load-in and load-out operations.

The choice between the two types will be made after the first preliminary dyke
sizing results.

32
4. SIZING DIKE

When designing the floating dyke, some estimates must be made with the
ultimate aim of minimizing the amount of steel used in its construction, always bearing
in mind that the minimum structural limits and stability parameters determined by the
rules must be obeyed. The DNV - Det Norske Veritas (13) rules were used.

Steps in the floating dike project:

Hydrostatic characteristics Port and area data

and maneuver
dimensions of ships and
paddocks

Sizing of the
dyke

Sizing
dike floats

4.1. Sequence of operations

In order to size the floating dock chosen as the shipyard's docking facility, it is
essential to know the details of the operations that will be carried out.

The main operations are (11):

• Maneuvering in and out of the floating dike

• For the purpose of docking, we have the following operations:
o Float on
o Float off
• For the transfer between sea and land:
o Load in

33
 o Load out
These operations are also very important when choosing the dyke to be
designed. The maneuvers will be described in detail at the end of the selection of the
dike to be installed on site.

4.2. Hydrostatic dyke calculation floating

A floating dyke must have sufficient dimensions, strength, displacement and

stability to lift a ship or any other structure out of the water using its buoyancy.

A floating dyke must be designed in such a way as to be suitable:

• Stability, freeboard and buoyancy;

• Longitudinal resistance;
• Transverse resistance;
• Resistance to local stress;

The minimum values will be determined by the "Rules for Classification of

Floating docks" of January 2012 from the classification society DNV (13).

4.2.1. Stability

• Loading conditions under study (A 200 Loading Conditions).

The following load conditions will be studied:

o Condition with the dyke fully submerged floating with its minimum
freeboard.
o Condition with the dyke submerged up to the top line of the piers,
when the ship is supported on the piers and the submerged
waterline is minimal;
o Condition with the dyke in its final working position with the typical
ship on the pickets, including the most unfavorable ship.
• Intact stability conditions (A 300 Intact Stability Requirements).

The established intact stability criteria must be met:

o Providing intact stability curves in calm waters.

34
 o They must be corrected according to the effect of the free surfaces
in the tanks. They must be corrected in a realistic way, taking into
account the level of liquids in the tanks and the angle of
inclination.
o All ventilation channels are assumed to be closed at the time of
calculation.

4.2.2. Edge free

Free edge up to the top of the sides:

• When all the safety equipment is flooded, but there is no load on the
paddocks (the ship does not pull into the dyke), the freeboard must not be
less than 1 meter.
• In any case, the freeboard must be sufficient to provide a reserve of
buoyancy and adequate stability to resist any accidental flooding of any
safety compartment.
• Access openings must have sufficient means of closure to prevent
seawater from passing into the dyke floats.

Clear edge up to the pontoon roof:

• The freeboard to the roof of the pontoon in its final working position with a
vessel corresponding to its lifting capacity over the piers must not be less
than 300 mm in the central part and less than
75 mm inside the side floats. All equipment must be positioned so that
there is no banding or trim.
• If the port is not protected from the weather, you may need larger free
edges than those mentioned above.

4.2.3. System of reference

In order to establish the forces acting on the assembly, it is necessary to know

which reference system will be used. The main reference system (XYZ) used in the
dyke calculations is a three-dimensional system that obeys the right-hand rule. The
system originates at the stern of the dyke, on its centerline, as shown in Figure 19.

35
 Figure 19 - Reference system

• Positive X: axis located in the longitudinal direction of the dyke, growing to

the right.
• Positive Y: axis located across the dyke, growing into t h e paper.
• Positive Z: vertical axis, rising upwards.

A secondary coordinate axis (xyz) located at the stern of the ship with the
centerline of the ship will be used. When analyzing the dyke + ship system, the
coordinates of the ship (xyz) must be translated into the coordinates of the dyke (XYZ),
so the position that the ship will occupy within the dyke must be known. This position
will be determined by the position of the piers.

4.2.4. Parameters used to calculate stability

Before proceeding with the stability calculation, a series o f parameters must be

chosen that will be used for the calculation, listed below.

The calculations were made with the help of spreadsheets by Juan Rodriguez
and Sandra Garcia, master's students at UFRJ (14).

a) Constants

First of all, the general parameters that will be considered constant are defined.
These will be used for all calculations.

• ρ: Specific mass of salt water;

• 𝑎𝑐 : 𝜌Space mass of the steel;
• g: Acceleration of gravity;
• E: Young's modulus or modulus of elasticity of the steel.

36
 The values of the constants are:

Table 4 - Constants used

Constant Value Unit

ρ 1,025 𝑡/𝑚3
𝝆𝒂𝒄 7,85 𝑡/𝑚3
g 9,81 𝑚/𝑠3
E 210000 MPa

b) Environmental data

Figure 20 shows the characteristics of the existing channel at the shipyard in

question, which were used to calculate the dyke.

Figure 20 - Input parameters

• Side margin: Space between the side of the ship and the side of the dyke
to facilitate entry into the dyke.

37
• Port draft: Maximum depth of the channel where the ship is to be docked.
The draft is given by the dredging carried out in the shipyard channel.

Figure 21 - Channel depths

• Bottom margin: Distance between the keel of the dyke, when it is

submerged at its maximum draft, and the bottom. It must ensure that the
dyke does not run aground on the bottom.
• Maneuvering margin: Distance between the top of the pier and the ship's
keel.
• Pier height: Distance between the water mirror and the quay. Depends on
the tide and the height of the pier. The tide data was taken from the tide
tables of FEMAR - Fundação de Estudos do Mar, located in São João da
Barra, a town close to the shipyard. The tide varies by 1 meter between
low and high tide.

38
 Figure 22 - Ocean information for the region

The most critical value should be considered, which is low tide.

Values for the parameters that remained constant for all calculations:

Table 5 - Input parameters

Parameter Value Unit

Side margin 4,00 m
Bottom margin 1,00 m
Room for maneuver 0,30 m
Pier height 4m m
Maximum channel draft 16,00 m
Draft at the operating site 11,00 m

4.3. Data from ship

The ship's data will be used for two different calculations:

In a first calculation, data will be taken from the largest ship to be docked in order
to size the shipyard's dyke. In a second calculation, the data of any ship within the
dimensions of the dyke will be used, with the aim of

39
to calculate the ballast required for the dyke and its position inside the tanks to carry out
float on and float off operations and load in and load out.

For an approximate calculation of these operations, the following ship data

should be used:

• Total length
• Length between perpendiculars
• Pontal
• Light docking weight
• Dock draft
• Longitudinal position of the center of gravity
• Transverse position of the center of gravity
• Vertical position of the center of gravity
• Light weight diagram: if you do not have the ship's light weight curve, it
must be estimated.

After extensive research, it was found that the new drillships built are increasing
in size, so the sizing of the dyke will be made taking into account the largest vessels on
the market today. Below, in Table 6, is a list of the most relevant vessels in operation in
Brazil.

Table 6 - Largest ships in operation in Brazil

Name Construction L [m] B [m] T [m]

NORBE VIII 2011 238 42 12
ODN I 2012 238 42 12
CAROLINA 2011 238 42 12
ODN II 2012 238 40,4 9,5
DEEPSEA METRO II 2011 229 36 10
ENSCO DS-4 2010 228,9 42,1 8,5
PACIFIC MISTRAL 2011 228,0 42,1 8,5
PETROBRAS 10000 2009 228,0 41,8 8,5
SERTAO 2012 228 42 12
DEEPWATER DISCOVERY 2000 227,5 42,0 8,5
AMARALINA STAR 2012 218 42 11
LAGUNA STAR 2012 218 42 11
CHYKIU 2005 210,0 38,0 8,2

40
 4.4. Sizing Pontoon

To size the dyke, it is first considered as a barge, as a rectangular box that can
later have side floats added to improve stability in float on and float off operations. This
box is called a pontoon.

Figure 23 - Dimensions of the pontoon

4.4.1. Length

The length chosen for the pontoon will be the total length of the dyke. To
determine the length, we turned to the database of drilling ships, the main focus of the
chosen repair yard. It was found that the ships built in recent years are increasing in
size, so the size must be at least equal to the largest ship found in 2014.

As seen in Table 6, the largest ships are in the 240-meter range. The size chosen
for the dike was 300 meters, in order to anticipate the growth of the next ships built.

ã𝑜 = 𝐿𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡300 𝑚

4.4.2. Mouth

It will be equivalent to the working mouth of the dyke, and will also be chosen
depending on the size of the ships to be repaired. It will be chosen from the largest ship
on the market today. To this value, safety margins are added on each side to be able to
carry out the entry and exit maneuvers.

41
safely exit the ship and to facilitate repair work when the ship is inside the floating dyke.

Checking Table 6, it can be seen that the largest mouths are 42 m long. Adding
the safety margins of 4 meters, the size of the pontoon mouth is 50 m.

ã𝑜 = 𝐵𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡𝐵𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜 + 2 ∗ 𝑀𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 = 42 + 2 ∗ 4 = 50 𝑚

4.4.3. Lifting capacity minimum

In addition to length and breadth, a fundamental parameter for sizing a dyke is its
lifting capacity, since this is one of the parameters that will define which ships can be
serviced by the shipyard. Drillships are heavy vessels, mainly because of the drilling
equipment installed in their hulls. The largest ships weigh around 50000 tons, so the
dike must have a minimum lifting capacity of 56000 tons for safety reasons.

𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑑𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎çã𝑜 = 56000𝑡

4.4.4. Weight light

This is the estimated weight of steel used to make the pontoon. Using the article
on calculating the light weight of ships (15), the light weight of the pontoon was
preliminarily calculated.

ã𝑜 = 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡10000 𝑡

4.4.5. Draught light

This is the draught of the pontoon in its light weight, calculated as:

𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜
𝑇𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡= = 0,65 𝑚
ã𝑜
𝐵 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝐿𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝜌

4.4.6. Draft of the pontoon with the ship on board

This is the draught required of the pontoon when it is supporting the weight of the
ship in its pier, in order to be in balance. To calculate the draft of the pontoon with the
ship on board, we use Archimedes' principle.

∑𝑃𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑠 = 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑥𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡ã𝑜

𝑃𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜 + 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝑃𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 = 𝐿𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝐵𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝑇𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝜌

42
 𝑃𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜 + 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝑃𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠
𝑇𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 =
= 3,99 𝑚
𝐿𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡ã𝑜 ∗ 𝐵𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡ã𝑜 ∗ 𝜌

4.4.7. Pontal

For the initial calculation of the pontoon point, the highest of the following values will
be chosen:

• The dike carrying the ship must be able to align with the quay, which
means that the pontoon must be high enough to align with any tidal
conditions. If we consider that the maximum distance (which would be the
case at low tide) from the water mirror to the quay is 4 m, the minimum
height of the pontoon should be:

𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 = 𝑇𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝐻𝑐𝑎𝑖𝑠 = 7.99 𝑚

• According to the DNV rule regarding the freeboard (Chapter 2, Section 2,

A200), the freeboard of the dyke pontoon with the ship on board should
not be less than 0.30m. Therefore, according to the standard, the
minimum freeboard of the pontoon should be:

𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡ã𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑐𝑎𝑖 𝑠 = 𝑇𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝐵𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑎 𝐷𝑁𝑉 = 4.29 𝑚

As you can see, the first option has a larger point than the second.
So the second one is also satisfied.

ã𝑜 = 𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡8.00 𝑚
• LCG

This is the longitudinal position of the center of gravity. As it is symmetrical, the

longitudinal position of its center of gravity in relation to its stern is at half its length.

𝐿𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜
𝐿𝐶𝐺𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 = = 150,00 𝑚
2

• TCG

This is the transverse position of the pontoon's center of gravity. As it is a

symmetrical box, the transverse center of gravity is located halfway along its mouth,
position 0m for the reference system.

43
 ã𝑜 = 𝑇𝐶𝐺𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡0 𝑚

• KG

Vertical center of gravity of the pontoon. Again, as it is a rectangular and

symmetrical box, with its weights evenly distributed, its KG is located halfway along the
pier.

𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜
𝐾𝐺𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 = = 4,00 𝑚
2

In short, we have a pontoon of:

Table 7 - Pontoon dimensions

Parameter Value Unit

Length 300 m
Mouth 50 m
Lifting capacity 56000 t
Pontal aligned with the quay 8 m
Pontal without the pier 4,29 m
LCG 150 m
TCG 0 m
KG 4 m

With the main values of the pontoon, we can calculate the lateral floats that
ensure the stability of the dike throughout the operation.

4.5. Analysis of results from pontoon

As shown in Figure 24 - considering the physical limits for the

load in, we have the limits for the operation of the dyke:

Table 8 - Physical limits for dyke operation

Fund safety margin 1 m

Riding height 1,8 m
Room for maneuver 0,3 m
Pier height 4 m

44
 Figure 24 - Physical limits for dyke operation

Comparing the physical limits and the result shown in Table 8, we see that the
cheapest project, which would be a hybrid floating dike / hydrolift with fixed guides on
the shipyard quay, is not feasible.

Since, as shown in Figure 25, if we consider that we need 8 meters of bridge on

the dyke to be able to align it with the quay and we have a draft of 11 meters on the
pier, we won't be able to maneuver the ship in.

Figure 25 - Profile of the pontoon with the pier

45
 The solution is to tow the dike to the largest draft available to make float on and
float off maneuvers possible. To do this, the dyke must be an ordinary floating dyke,
which must have floats added to the pontoon.

4.6. Calculating the floats of the dike

To calculate the final dimensions of the dike, once the pontoon has been
dimensioned, it is necessary to dimension the floats that will allow the float on and float
off operations to be carried out. To do this, we must use the stability conditions of the
dike + ship combination.

4.6.1. Stability transversal

Stability is the property that a ship has of returning to its initial position of
equilibrium once the disturbing force that moved it away from it has ceased. These
disturbing forces can be due to the movement of cargo, waves, etc.

In the case of a floating dyke, calculating stability is more complicated than

calculating the stability of a ship, because in addition to calculating the stability of the
dyke and the ship separately, the stability of the dyke + ship combination must be
calculated.

To study transverse stability for small angles, the GM or metacentric height of the
assembly will be analyzed.

• KB: Vertical position of the center fairlead;

• BM: Metacentric radius;
• KG: Vertical position of the center of gravity;
• FS: Free surface correction.

𝐺𝑀 = 𝐾𝐵 + 𝐵𝑀 - 𝐾𝐺 - 𝐹𝑆

Figure 26 - Ship stability

46
 We must study each parameter that the above equation depends on to determine
how stability varies when modifying each one.

• BM

Rib center. This is the distance in meters between the metacenter M and the center
of gravity G.

o M: metacenter;
o B: Carena center;
o I: Inertia of the assembly with respect to the centerline (𝑚 );4
o 𝛻: Submerged volume (m³).

𝐼
𝐵𝑀 =
𝛻

• KB

Vertical position of the draft center in meters. Obtained from the hydrostatic
curves for the draft under study, in the absence of hydrostatic curves, it can be
obtained using the formula:

∑𝑉𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜∗ 𝐾𝐵𝑖
𝐾𝐵 = 𝑖
∑𝑉𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜 𝑖

o 𝑖
: 𝑉𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜Volume of each of the submerged parts of t h e
assembly (m³);
o 𝑖 : 𝐾𝐵Vertical position of the center of the fairlead of each of these
parts in relation to a reference (m).

• KG

Vertical position of the center of gravity. Depends on the weight distribution of the
floating object being studied.

𝑖 ∑𝑃∗ 𝐾𝐺𝑖
𝐾𝐺 =
∑𝑃𝑖

o 𝑖 : 𝑃Weights of the different elements of the set (t);

o 𝐾𝐺: Vertical position of the center of gravity of the different
elements of the assembly in relation to a reference (m).

47
 • FS

Correction due to free surface effect. If the ballast tanks have a volume of less
than 98%, the correction due to the effect of free surfaces must be taken into account.
If there are free surfaces in the ballast tanks, the position of the center of gravity
calculated for the assembly without free surfaces must be corrected and therefore the
metacentric height of the assembly must be changed.

𝐼𝜌𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒
𝐹𝑆 =
𝛻𝜌𝑚𝑎𝑟

³
o 𝐼 = 𝐿𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒 ∗𝐵𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒 (𝑚4);
12
o 𝐿𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒 = 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒 (𝑚);
o 𝐵𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒 = Tank mouth (m);
o 𝛻 = Total volume moved by the assembly (m³).

• Analysis of metacentric height.

o If GM=0, stability is neutral.

o If GM<0, stability is negative.

Figure 27 - Negative stability

48
 • If GM>0, stability is positive.

Figure 28 - Positive stability

4.6.2. Stability of the ship

When the ship enters the dyke, its stability must be positive (GM>0), otherwise
the ship cannot be transferred.

The ship's stability will change during the docking operation, as the ship's draft
will vary depending on the phase of operation. For this reason, it is extremely important
to know the ship's stability data accurately when it enters the dock, as all subsequent
calculations will depend on it.

It is necessary for the ship to be well supported and fixed in the paddocks before
it loses its stability so that it does not capsize.

It is essential to carry out a good ship stability study under the following
conditions:

• Entry maneuver
o Floating ship;
o Ship touching the paddocks;
o Vessel resting on side racks or stanchions;
o Ship's draft at GM=0 (instability point).
• Exit maneuver
o Ship's draft at GM=0 (instability point
o Ship supported on the paddocks;
o Ship before being lifted from the paddocks;

49
 o Floating ship.

The ship's stability study does not need to be carried out for the purpose of the
work, which is to size the dyke, since it is only necessary to know the GM value for the
dyke alone and for the dyke + ship combination.

4.6.3. Stability of the dike

The stability concepts explained above should be applied to the following five
phases:

1) The dyke completely submerged at its maximum depth without the ship;
2) Partial lifting of the ship: ship lifted to approximately half its docking draft;
3) Waterline at the top of the arenas;
4) Water line on the roof of the pontoon;
5) The dyke with the ship fixed in the paddocks, at its operating draft.

Figure 29 - Stability phases

50
 For each of the phases, the value of the GM should be studied, taking into
account the DNV A300 rule that requires the metacentric height of the assembly (GM)
to be greater than 1 m.

𝐺𝑀 = 𝐾𝐵 + 𝐵𝑀 - 𝐾𝐺 - 𝐹𝑆

𝐺𝑀 > 1

Figure 30 - Stability of the ship + dyke assembly

Floats must be designed to comply with the standard.

If the dyke only consists of the pontoon, when it meets the draught at the bottom
of the base, the area of the flotation plane will be that of the pier. Given its small area
and its proximity to the center line of the dyke, it would have a very small transverse
inertia, which implies a very small BM and, consequently, a very low or negative
metacentric height. Assuming the pontoon without the ship, submerged just above the
roof of the pontoon, at the start of the pier:

𝐺𝑀 = 𝐾𝐵 + 𝐵𝑀 - 𝐾𝐺

𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠
𝐵𝑀 =
𝛻𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜

Assuming that the entire length of the pontoon is occupied by a line of paddocks, we
have a preliminary calculation for a rectangular area:

𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 𝐿𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝐵𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 ³

𝐵𝑀 = = ~𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑜
𝛻𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 12 ∗ 𝐿𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝐵𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑜

As the weight of the pier is negligible in relation to the weight of the pontoon and
taking into account that it is completely submerged, it can be said that:

51
 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑜
𝐾𝐵 ≈ 𝐾𝐺 ≈
2

So:

𝐺𝑀 = 𝐾𝐵 + 𝐵𝑀 - 𝐾𝐺 ≈ 0

When the ship is placed on the pier, the KG increases and the KB and BM
remain the same for the same draft:

𝐺𝑀 = 𝐾𝐵 + 𝐵𝑀 - 𝐾𝐺 < 0

It can be concluded that the floats need to be placed to guarantee the stability of
the dyke in the most critical phase, where the water is at the line of the pikes, and
therefore guarantee stability in the other phases.

4.6.4. Float calculation using the stability criteria

First you have to decide whether the floats will be placed on top or on the sides of
the pontoon.

Figure 31 - Location of the floats

In order to maintain the value of the pontoon's mouth, as previously calculated,

and to maneuver the ship in and out of the dyke more safely, as well as taking
advantage of the extra buoyancy, the second option was to place the floats on the side
of the pontoon.

When sizing the floats, it is not necessary to study all five phases shown in Figure
29, since by studying the critical condition, the value meets the other conditions. The
choice will be for the float that meets the GM>1 criterion, as determined in the rule.

As explained above, the condition where stability is most critical is between

phases 3 and 4, when the water is at a point in the paddocks where the buoyancy area
has its lowest value.

52
 The calculation of the floats was approached in two different ways:

• Optimization of the floats: The problem was first approached as an

optimization of the floats. The floats that meet the stability conditions and
consume the least amount of steel in their construction were sized.
• Definitive floats: The second approach consists of choosing definitive
floats that meet the needs depending on the type of repair. These
expectations/requirements will be explained later in this paper and their
stability in the critical phases of operation will also be calculated.

1) Float optimization

When optimizing, the aim is to minimize the area of the floats that meet the
stability requirements:

𝐺𝑀 = 𝐾𝐵 + 𝐵𝑀 - 𝐾𝐺 - 𝐹𝑆

𝐺𝑀 > 1

The first parameter to be dimensioned for floats is their tip. It is not necessary to
use hydrostatic criteria to size the floats' pontoon, since the pontoon only depends on
the depth required to submerge the dyke for the ship's entry and exit operation, taking
into account the classifier rule, the maneuvering and bottom margins and the size of
the pier.

53
 Figure 32 - Dike completely submerged

In addition to the values already presented and which will make up the pontoon's
draught, the DNV rule, Chapter 3, Section 2 A101 determines that the dyke must
always have a minimum freeboard of 1m.

The following analysis is said to be preliminary, because once the floats have
been chosen, it will be possible to reduce the pontoon's height, as the floats will give
more buoyancy to the pontoon + floats assembly. The values will therefore change
depending on the dimensions of the floats.

The preliminary tip of the floats must be at least:

𝐷𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 = 𝐷𝐵𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑎𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑟𝑒 + 𝑇𝑛𝑎 𝑣𝑖𝑜 + 𝑀𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑏𝑟𝑎 + 𝐻𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 + 𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝑀𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑜 = 20.30 𝑚

Once you have defined the minimum height of the floats, you need to calculate
their length, mouth and the number of floats required, according to the rule.

Rectangular floats were adopted, attached to the pontoon in its critical phase,
due to:

• : 𝑙𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠Float length [m];

• : 𝑏𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠Float mouth [m];
• : 𝑁𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠Number of floats.

54
 Figure 33 - Completed dike

For a draft called 𝑇𝑐𝑟í 𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜 , when the water is at some

The GM should be analyzed for a range of drafts from the water above the roof of the
pier to the top of the pier.

If the pier is 1.8 meters high and the pontoon is 8.00 meters high, the preliminary
critical draft is between the following draft values;

𝑇𝑐𝑟í𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜 𝜖 [𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜, 𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝐻𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 ] = [8.00,9.80] (m)

Figure 34 - Float dimensions

55
 When the embankment is floating with the area at the height of the piers, the
buoyancy area depends only on the piers and the floats. If it is assumed that both the
piers and the floats have rectangular areas of buoyancy, the moment of inertia from the
centerline is:

𝐼= 𝐼𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑠 + 𝐼𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠

• : 𝐼𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠Float inertia;
• : 𝐼𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠Inertia in the arena.

As the pier is different for each ship to be docked and usually has a very small
area, its area was not taken into account at the time of the calculation. If the area is
taken into account in a later calculation, the stability condition will be improved.

𝑙𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 ∗ 𝑏𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 ³
𝐼𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 = 𝑁𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 ∗ + (𝑙𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 ∗ 𝑏𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 )
12
𝐵𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝑏𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 2
∗( ) (𝑚)
2

Bearing in mind that for this draft, the water reaches the piers, and the pontoon is
completely submerged, therefore the submerged volume for this condition of 𝑇𝑐𝑟í 𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜

will be:

𝑉𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑠𝑜 = 𝑉𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝐴𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 ∗ (𝑇𝑐𝑟í𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜 - 𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜) + 𝑁𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 ∗ 𝑙𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠

∗ 𝑏𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 ∗ 𝑇𝑐𝑟í𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜 (𝑚 )3

Since we have that the BM is given by:

𝐼
𝐵𝑀 =
𝑉𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜

𝐼
𝐵𝑀 =
𝑉𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑛 + 𝐴𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 ∗ (𝑇𝑐𝑟í𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜 - 𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑛 ) + 𝑁𝑓 ∗ 𝑙𝑓 ∗ 𝑏𝑓 ∗ 𝑇𝑐𝑟í𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜

So the KB will be equal to:

𝑉∗ +𝐴 ∗ (𝑇 -𝐷 + 𝐷𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ) ∗𝑙 ∗𝑏 ∗𝑇
𝐾𝐵 ) ∗ (𝑇𝑐𝑟í𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜 +𝑁
𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 𝑐𝑟í𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜 𝑓 𝑓 𝑓 𝑐𝑟í𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑜
𝐾𝐵 = 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 2
𝑉𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜

And then the vertical position of the assembly's center of gravity:

56
 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 ∗ 𝐾𝐺𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝑃𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜 ∗ 𝐾𝐺𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜 + 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜 ∗ 𝐾𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜 + 𝑃𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 ∗ 𝐾𝐺𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 + 𝑃𝑓 ∗ 𝐾𝐺𝑓
𝐾𝐺 =
𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑡 ã𝑜 + 𝑃𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜 + 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜 + 𝑃𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑠 + 𝑃𝑓

Where:

• 𝑓 : 𝑃Weight of the floats

𝑓 𝑃= 2 ∗ 𝑁𝑓 ∗ 𝜌𝑎ç𝑜 ∗ 𝑡𝑓 ∗ (𝑏𝑓 ∗ 𝑙 +𝑏𝑓𝑓 ∗ 𝑑 +𝑑𝑓𝑓 ∗ 𝑙𝑓 )(𝑚)

• 𝑓 : 𝑡Sheet thickness of the floats
(𝑑𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 )
• 𝐾𝐺𝑓 =
2

For the FS calculation, the worst case is analyzed, when all tanks are partially full,
whose ballast height in the tank is 𝐻𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜 .

𝑁𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠 ∗ 𝐼𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒
𝐹𝑆 =
𝑉𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜

• : 𝑁𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠Number of partially filled tanks;

• Inertia of the tank partially full.
𝐼𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒 = 𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠 ∗𝑏𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑒 ³
(𝑚4)
12

Finally, it is possible to calculate the metacentric height using the formula:

𝐺𝑀 = 𝐾𝐵 + 𝐵𝑀 - 𝐾𝐺 - 𝐹𝑆

To get the optimized floats, it is necessary to interpolate for several dimensions.

The iteration will follow the following diagram until you get the option with the smallest
area of floats that returns a GM>1.

57
 If a GM>1 result is obtained, the dimensions meet the stability criteria. If the
criterion is not met, it is necessary to modify the initial values of the float.

4.7. Sizing the floats of the dike

Firstly, the floats will be dimensioned for the pontoon defined in item 4.4, without
taking into account the height of the quay of 4 meters.

The values of the ship parameters used in the optimization of the floats will be those of the ship
available with more information, which is indicated in the

Table 9:

58
 Table 9 - Data on the ship used

Parameter Value Unit

Ship length 210,00 m
Ship's mouth 42,00 m
Pontal do navio 16,20 m
Ship's heavy docking weight 51400,00 ton
Ship's heavy docking draft 8,20 m
Light ship docking weight 37800,00 ton
Ship's light docking draft 6,11 m
LCG of the ship (estimated) 100,00 m
Ship's GTC (estimated) 0 m
Ship's KG (estimated) 15,00 m

When calculating the size of the floats, the height of the floats will be taken into
account.

The height of the paddocks is 1.8 m. The number of tanks chosen was 30.

For the same pontoon, there are different possibilities of optimized floats and the
size of the floats depends on their number and length-to-mouth ratio.

The dyke to be designed will be the most basic, with two floats of the same length
as the dyke, 300 m, as shown in Figure 30.

59
 Figure 35 - Pontoon with floats

The result of the float sizing is shown in Table 10.

Table 10 - Dike values with continuous floats

Parameter Value Unit

Number of floats 2 -
Float length 300,00 m
Float mouth 3,39 m
Float height 16,66 m
Area of each float 1017,73 m²
Total float area 2035,46 m²
Dike length 300,00 m
Mouth of the dyke 56,78 m
Pontal do pontão 3,66 m
Light draught of the dyke 0,82 m
Dock+ship draft 3,36 m
Depth required 14,66 m

As can be seen in Table 10, the minimum depth required is 14.66 meters and,
looking at Figure 21, we can see that the float on/off maneuver cannot be carried out in
front of the quay at the site chosen for the shipyard because it only has a draft of 11
meters. However, there is a maneuvering area indicated with a depth of 16 meters. The
following section will analyze the feasibility of maneuvering on site.

4.7.1. Dock maneuvers floating

Before starting the float on maneuver, the dyke must be towed to the position
where the ship's entry maneuver will take place. The position of greatest draft is
indicated by the dotted line in Figure 36. This is therefore the most suitable position for
the ship to enter the dyke.

60
 Figure 36 - Initial position before the ship entered the dyke

Once placed at the best point, the dyke begins the controlled immersion of its
tanks, which ends when it reaches sufficient depth for the ship to enter it freely,
respecting the maneuvering and bottom margins in order to avoid accidents. The
ballast loading sequence must be such that the dyke has no band or trim.

The ship is positioned in line with the dyke with the help of tugs. Also with the
help of tugs, the bow of the ship is positioned between the floats of the dyke. The bow
is secured by cables tied to the floats, which keeps the ship oriented by positioning it
between both floats and prevents collisions between the ship and the floats.

61
 Figure 37 - The ship begins to enter the dyke

Little by little, the ship moves into the dyke and as it moves forward, the cables
are changed, tying the ship to the floats ahead. This maneuver can also be carried out
more automatically if the floating dyke has trolleys or side guides that pull the ship
along and guide it between the floats.

Once the ship is almost completely between the floats, the cables also tie down
the stern of the ship, following the same scheme as before to prevent it from colliding
with the floats.

To find out if the ship is in the right position to be raised by the dyke, divers can
be used or a buoy tied to the last pier, which must be aligned with the stern of the ship.

62
 Figure 38 - Ship completely positioned in the dyke

Float on and float off maneuvers consist of raising or lowering the dike into the
water by flooding its tanks. The floating dyke has a system of valves that allow water to
enter the tanks by gravity to submerge the dyke.

Once the ship is moored to the sides of the dyke, the tanks are dismantled and,
until the ship is supported on the pier, it is essential to check that the support is carried
out correctly. Once properly supported, the dyke is raised until the roof of the pontoon
is above the water.

The dyke is then towed to its final location parallel to the quay, where the repair
work is carried out.

Figure 39 - Dock parallel to the quay

63
 4.7.2. Repair on quay
In the previous topic, the load-in and load-out maneuvers were made possible by
the dike designed at the shipyard in question. The next step is to analyze the possibility
of repairing the quay. To do this, it is necessary to analyze the draft of the vessel, the
height of the quay and the mobilization of cargo and people.

Figure 40 - Docked ship

• Pier height
As indicated in 3.5, the dry repair work is carried out on the dyke and the
rest with the vessel moored at the quay, i.e. we are not considering the
possibility of transferring the vessel ashore, which means that we do not
need a strict alignment with the quay. We only need a partial alignment to
allow workers and equipment to enter. In other words, we can consider a
margin of one meter in the alignment, even so we see that the height of
the quay indicated is 4m, which would mean raising the deck of the dyke
by at least 3 meters.
In the float in/off operation, the required depth would be 14.7 plus 3
meters plus one of margin:
𝑇𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠á𝑟𝑖𝑜 = 𝑇𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 + 𝐴𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 á𝑟𝑖𝑜 + 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑚 = 14.7 + 3 + 1 = 18.7𝑚

64
 • Load mobility:
In Figure 43 and Figure 41 below we can see the location of the dike on
the repair quay, as it is parallel to the quay. The continuous float is a
barrier that prevents the movement of cargo.

Figure 41 - Location of the dyke

4.7.3. Sizing of floats to allow repair

Floats can be dimensioned with a space between them to allow machinery and
people to pass through in order to carry out the repair.
A dyke was chosen with 2 floats of 130 meters each on each edge, leaving a
space of 40 meters in the center. The results of the project are shown in Table 11.

Figure 42 - Dike with discontinuous floats

65
 Table 11 - Dike data with discontinuous floats

Parameter Value Unit

Number of floats 4 -
Float length 130 m
Space for passage 40 m
Float mouth 3,66 m
Float height 14,60 m
Area of each float 476,33 m²
Total float area 1905,32 m²
Dike length 300,00 m
Mouth of the dyke 57,33 m
Pontal do pontão 3,60 m
Light draught of the dyke 0,76 m
Dock+ship draft 3,30 m
Depth required 14,90 m

The calculated dike can also carry out docking maneuvers at the shipyard in
question.
As discussed earlier, it is possible to raise the pontoon's deck in order to bring the
ship to be repaired closer to the quay.

66
5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
Table 12 below shows a summary of the dike designed for the shipyard in question:

Table 12 - Final dike

Parameter Value Unit

Number of floats 4 -
Float length 130 m
Space for passage 40 m
Float mouth 3,66 m
Float height 14,60 m
Dike length 300,00 m
Mouth of the dyke 57,33 m
Pontal do pontão 3,60 m
Depth required 14,90 m

We can see in the figure below that there is still a difference up to the level of the
quay. The figure is a midship section of the dyke.

Figure 43 - Distance from the dyke to the quay

67
 An operational analysis of the shipyard in question was carried out and a floating
dyke was designed for repairs, proving that the option of using the syncrolift, which was
the initial objective, was not possible, but a floating dyke was designed to carry out the
repairs.
With the present depth of the shipyard's channel and the current height of the
quay, we can see that we need to add height to the deck of the dyke in order to align
the vessel on the quay and allow material and workers to enter the dyke.
Even if you consider using a ramp as a solution, you only gain 1 meter.
If the height of the quay is not changed, it is necessary to increase the depth of
the channel in order to increase the height of the pontoon and e v e n make the transfer
possible. A channel of 19 meters in the transfer zone is ideal for the size of the ships
studied.
Another solution is to reduce the height of the quay. For the last case presented,
a reduction of 2 meters would make it possible to repair the ship inside the dyke.
It is also necessary to include a detailed study of the dynamic positioning system,
of how the thrusters will be removed at the time of docking.
Solutions and additional studies will be analyzed in future work in the region.

68
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