DCN Diving, the Dutch diving contractor based in Bergen op Zoom, has opened a new hyperbaric testing and training centre. Unique in the Netherlands and indeed uncommon anywhere in the world. In a hall alongside the company’s head office, a permanent professional centre has been established, in which every possible hyperbaric working situation can be simulated.
This bright-yellow complete testing and training facility consists of a welding area, a testing area, a separate control room and a saturation chamber under overpressure, with living accommodation including shower and laundry facilities. The completely separated welding chamber is suitable for welding and testing with a working pressure of up to 200 metres and a testing pressure of up to 280 metres.
Depending on the purpose for which a client wishes to use the test area, the atmosphere can be fully adjusted. This facility will enable DCN to offer a complete hyperbaric welding service from a Procedure Qualification Routine PQR welding procedure right through to offshore environment simulation and the production of a whole range of test welds. In the adjacent testing facility, weld tests can be undertaken on large sections of pipe up to a maximum diameter of 1750 mm, that can be driven inside by forklift truck via an entry door with an 1800 mm diameter.
The largest oil pipeline in use in the world has a maximum diameter of 1500 mm, so the facility makes it possible to simulate repairs on any pipeline type. The testing space is a safe environment for working with polyesters, glues and patching mortars, which are not permitted to evaporate into the open air. Another huge advantage is that two to three divers can work simultaneously in the space. The divers in question must be qualified to work at a depth of 200 metres, to allow them to specialise in job-specific welds. On the other hand, the test space is not only suitable for test welds, but also for testing all kinds of equipment/products at pressure such as welding robots, ROVs, diving systems, control systems, kink arms, drive systems and valves.
This hyperbaric facility now also makes it possible for international operators, contractors, cable manufacturers and classification societies to train divers and welders, without having to incur the huge costs that result from working offshore. The facility even offers clients the opportunity to have their divers complete a competence assessment under pressure, to determine whether they have the qualifications and experience required for a certain job.
The test facility at DCN also enables the company to demonstrate convincingly the possibilities of underwater cable repair up to a depth of 200 metres.