Hydrex Repairs Vessels in Belgium and The Netherlands

Hydrex teams have carried out on-site hull repairs on vessels berthed in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Hydrex Repairs Vessels in Belgium and Netherlands.Doubler plates were welded on a 214-meter roro ship in Antwerp and an 85-meter cargo ship in Flushing, while an insert plate was installed on a 199-meter cargo vessel in Antwerp.

Hydrex on-site hull repair services include the renewal of both small and large areas of damaged hull plating. These repairs can be carried out above or below water, according to the circumstances, with tailor-made mobdocks. Normal commercial activities can therefore continue without disruption. These operations follow the Hydrex procedure for welding cracks in the vessel’s shell plating and they are approved by the major classification societies.

Hydrex diver/technician teams carry out these on-site hull repairs all over the world. In most cases the damaged area can be replaced with a permanent insert and no condition of class is imposed. This was the case with the operation on the cargo vessel in Antwerp.

Permanent repair prevents drydocking

A 350 x 300 mm insert was installed over several corrosion holes in the flat bottom plate of a 199-meter cargo vessel during the ship’s stay in Antwerp. Once the area was declared gas free, the diver/technician team positioned and secured a cofferdam over the outboard side of the damage. Next they cut away the frames covering the damage and removed a plate the exact size of the new insert. After the insert had been secured with full penetration welding, the class surveyor present approved the repair. The team then installed new frames because the old frames were too corroded. The divers worked in shifts to perform the operation as fast as possible.

Doubler plate installations in under 24 hours in Antwerp and Flushing

On the rare occasions where the damage does not allow such a repair, a temporary doubler plate is installed over the affected area. This allows the owners to keep to their schedule and have a permanent repair carried out during the next scheduled drydock visit.

In less than a day, a Hydrex diver/technician team positioned and secured a doubler plate over a hole in the water ballast tank of a 214-meter roro vessel. The plate, with a diameter of 300 mm, was installed during the ship’s stop in Antwerp. In Flushing divers installed a 40-mm doubler plate over two tears in the flat bottom of a 85-meter cargo ship.

Press Release, February 28, 2014