Millimeter precision at LBC Rotterdam

Recently, Geldof achieved a new milestone in LBC Rotterdam’s Rainbow Project. On a bright and sunlit day, we installed the first module (berth 1) on the jetty. The heaviest of the two separate modules to be shipped to LBC Rotterdam that week, this structure required some special attention…

Module 1 measures 36 meters in length, 8 meters in width, and 14 meters in height and it weighs 330 ton. Construction did not take place on site, but on a quay a couple of kilometers upstream at the Rotterdam harbor. To ensure maximal safety and minimal disruption at the client’s terminal, the module was also equipped with piping, pig stations, valves, walkways and stairways off-site. Once complete, the entire module was installed at LBC Rotterdam in one single piece.

For rigging and transportation, a crane pontoon with double crane was used. Hydraulic cylinders on the hooks kept the entire structure level throughout the operation.

The module has 8 main columns whose footplates had to be placed directly above previously embedded anchors. Ivan Degroote, CPMO at Geldof, explains how the team managed this delicate operation: “The position of the anchors was measured accurately by 3D laser scanning, after which we made a template for building the structure. This way, the anchor pattern and the module were an exact fit. As you can tell, it was a very precise operation requiring millimeter precision.”

We would like to thank everyone involved in making this effort a success.

September 13th, 2017