Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

SMAW is a type of common welding method used in metal fabrication. In oil and gas fabrication activities, this welding method applied to the welding of structures and among the final layers of welding for bigger pipe diameters such as 4 inches to above sizes. Welding works are done by people who has steady hands most likely same as important as an artist.

Mini Project: Jetty Pipeline Repair ( 2 )

The confirmation of the shipping activity was cofirmed exactly on the day we started work. The ship had left less than one hour that morning, and my boss kinda undecided whether to proceed with the crane renting or not. Since lifting was the main activity, boss had to call and confirmed about the rental, and it was already 9.00 am.

The work carried out under mild weather throughout the day. It was definitely the type of temperature one would love to work under. I stayed there for the whole day, supervising and chatting with the company's supervisor about computer, games and electronic stuff. Cool indeed, even he is way too old for this age, but it seems that he knows much about those tech.

Following are the pictures during our first activity there.

Temporary Support

Wooden Block

Chain Block

Lever Block

Preparation of tools and equipment

The crane cannot park fully deployed due to the narrow bridge, thus only extend lifting side.

The temporary support was welded to the beam.

Far view

Lifting view from afar.

Lifting view from afar.

Mini Project : Jetty Pipeline Repair ( 1 )

General view.

This morning, we had attempted to do the repair works without involving any hotwork activity. There was a little changes to the previous plan, that we need to use an additional temporary support to the work.

Pipe shoe are dislocating.

Pipe shoe are sliding.

The proper location of the pipe shoe.

The temporary support will work as a holding place for the lever block / chain block to hang at. Then, workers will manually operate the equipment so that the pipeline pipe shoe will be suspended above the pipe rack I -beam, and the pipeline will be pulled horizontally.

The temporary support will mainly work as an alternative to the crane.

Transfer Area

General view from the loading end. Flexible hoses will be attached from the pipeline to the vessel.

General View



Pipe shoe badly dislocated, it fell from the hollow member.

  

Putting a stopper to the pipe shoe sides to prevent dislocation.

The hardest thing to liase is the shipment activity. Once there is any shipment activity running, our works will stop immediately. The general rule of a jetty is that, any delay caused will cost money. The amount are even exhilarating up to $USD 20000 or above per hour. So, the company are willing to pay your standby hours rather than paying the whole overated current to the ship authority.

Mini Project : Jetty Pipeline Repair

The jetty location for this work is the one with yellow vessel.

Last week, we applied for the hotwork permit to carry out some job on the jetty.  The main port authority commented on the cranes inspection report, operator's license and Permit Mesin Angkat, which is supposed to be attached together with the other documents.

This week, all the documents were completed and permission granted.

This afternoon, I went to the site to see and make some planning for the upcoming repair at the following  week. The work to be carried out is to repair the pipeline pipe shoe which was already dislocated from the beam member of the pipe rack.

The most accurate reason for the pipe shoe dislocation is that the vibration is so strong during the chemical loading done by the pumping machine.

 So, the main activity I should carry out is to lift the pipeline slightly above the respective pipe shoe, put a temporary support, pull the pipe line using lever block  until the pipe shoe rest on top of the pipe rack member. Weld the pipe shoe to the pipe rack beam, and we are done.

I estimate the lifting works will last for one day including pulling the pipeline pipe shoe to rest on top the beam, and another one day for welding works to be completed.

Let see how it is done.

This is the jetty pipe rack where we will do our work.

Vessel

These ships are vessel which are carrying chemical products to be stored at their specific storage depot. After been processed at refinary plant, these products then shipped to several location around the globe, mostly nearby to the main port.

Chemical bulk depot is a common scene where important main port are operating. The tank storage inside this particular depot are mainly chemical and other petroleum products such as diesel and petrol.

The main work involved for a vessel is definitely fall into the logistic category. Let say, they are simply the same as cargo ship, but happen to carry  liquid products.



Chemical Liquid Bulk



Loading product to tank storage.

Loading product to tank storage

Loading product to tank storage



Loading product to tank storage

 I have an engineer friend who directly involved with the operation of vessel. As a marine engineer, he will travel along with the vessel to perform duties of engine maintenance,management, technical aspects and other ad-hoc job. He could travel for months to foreign countries and only come back to Malaysia after long onboard on the bulky piece of metal.

Start a New Blog

Hello.

After two years blogging using the same page, and it was all mixed up, i decided to specify my blogs into separated posts interests. This one will be my portal to the world of tecnology, science and engineering.

Hope to see my reader soon.