Sailing with a Ship before itS maiden voyage.
SChelde multi-purpoSe pontoon
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making waveS in the maritime induStry.
day 1
a frigate on itS way to the water
day 2
heading for deeper water
day 3
the launCh under perfeCt Control
day 3 a SuCCeSSful floating method
a Z
Together with naval ship builder
Damen, Mammoet developed a
completely new way to launch
ships. The Multi-Purpose Pontoon
named ‘Schelde’ is designed to
float ships faster, safer and more
efficiently than conventional
methods. The groundbreaking
MPP removes the need for dry
docks and load spreaders
altogether, saving clients
precious time and money.
The launch of Damen’s newest
frigate was the perfect occasion
to break in the latest innovation
by Mammoet Engineering.
The launching of a ship is the
culmination of months of hard work.
As the essential final step in the
process, there are many time
consuming logistics and risks to
consider. To make the procedure
safer and more efficient, Mammoet
has developed a revolutionary
floating method.
Combining the Schelde MPP with
SPMTs, ships can now be moved
from their construction site and into
the water in a safe and controlled
fashion.
The Damen frigate’s maiden voyage
was also that of the Schelde MPP.
Using SPMTs, the frigate was moved
from the construction building
directly to the quay and onto the
pontoon. At high tide, the Schelde
was moved to deeper water, where
it was joined by two other pontoons
fitted with winch frames. Using
winches instead of the traditional
ballast towers is a much better
controlled method.
Our team used a tailor made
computer system to gradually
submerge the pontoon by controlling
the winches and the ballasting
pumps of the Schelde. The frigate
was floated under perfect control,
eliminating the need for dry docks
in the launching process.
With the innovative Schelde MPP,
ships no longer have to be built in
dry docks. Instead, valuable
dock space can be reserved for
maintenance and emergency
repairs – another major advantage
of this pioneering technique that
makes the floating of ships faster,
cheaper and more flexible.
Since its first assignment, the
Schelde has been successfully used
to launch many other vessels.
ResouRces
tRanspoRt 108 axle lines of SPMT
special equipment 1 Schelde Multi-Purpose Pontoon8 ballasting pumps4 pumps4 tugs4 lowering winches
cRew 25 Mammoet professionals