Author Topic: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA  (Read 21305 times)

Offline Michael

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #30 on: March 06, 2008, 10:26:55 AM »
FDRC did issue a official note on there web site which sums it up succinctly, the vessel broke free and knocked over two old cranes, the local paper claims two cranes, the Swedish one and the repaired #25 as damaged, as yet I have seen no damage to #25 but it may be internal or have bounced back, there is an awful lot of give in these structures, the boom tip can sway from left to right by 9m and all that give is designed in the legs.

It is fortunate that the incident occurred on Landguard, which was due to close later this year for the rebuild, sadly it didn't take crane one out which was already defunct and stripped of electrical and mechanical control gear ready for cutting up next month. Both crane two and three were the most reliable on Landguard, crane four seemed to be the black sheep of the three remaining usable ones, I cant remember the last time I went to a break down on crane two.

Crane four will bear the brunt of the remaining vessel arrivals I would thing the rebuild will be brought forward, FDRC do have the option to rent in a road mobile crane, it has been done before on short term charter when we have had cranes out of commission before so that is an operational option they could use.

It will be interesting to see how they remove the wreckage and if we get the chance to recover our gear once the machine spaces are removed and made safe, from what I saw most looked crushed beyond repair and in some cases beyond access or any hope of anything inside remaining useful and intact.

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Mickoo

Offline Arcadian

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #31 on: March 06, 2008, 11:51:31 AM »
From your point of view, good job it wasn't at Trinity, I can only imagine the chaos that would have resulted...

Rgds

Offline Michael

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #32 on: March 06, 2008, 12:33:05 PM »
Goodness, yes, if she had been on Trinity top berth then theres a high chance all of the ZPMC cranes and Liebherrs would've gone down as they were all stacked together wall to wall for the high winds.

In reality she probably would not have broken free as the Shotley peninsula would have shielded her from the majority of the wind, much like it did most of Trinity and Dooley terminals that night. Only Landguard got the full brunt of the wind that came straight down the river Stour from Mistley, with nothing to break it up it had 20 odd miles to get up to full bore before it hit Landguard.

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Mickoo

Offline Andrew McAlpine

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #33 on: March 06, 2008, 01:23:18 PM »
It seems ZPMC have not had much luck lately, what with this incident and the Zhen Hua 10 running aground in Rotterdam!

I can vouch for the wind being string at languard last weekend, was there on sunday trying to get some shots and was nearly blown over myself a couple of times! i did notice that they had added a few more lines to the vessel plus two tugs keeping her hard against the quay wall.

rgds

Offline Bjarne Pettersen

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #34 on: March 07, 2008, 09:57:09 AM »
Two questions come to mind regarding the moorings;

Were the moorings protected against chafing?

Were the moorings laid in such a fashion that the doubles had proper loadsharing. If two lines are laid a pair and they take unequal strain you might as well have a single line there.

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #35 on: March 16, 2008, 10:58:38 AM »
Hi All

I see that this story continues to trundle on - this is the latest from the Ipswich Evening Star @ http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/default/

"Wanted: Two huge cranes for port
16 March 2008 | 10:46

PORT chiefs are today desperately trying to find two cranes to bring to Felixstowe to replace those destroyed in an accident.

But while that search goes on, bosses at Felixstowe port are hoping it will be possible to unload three new cranes over the next few days - as long as winds stay light.

The Zhen Hua 23 has been stuck at Felixstowe for two weeks since arriving with new cranes and then being involved in an accident in which two huge quayside ship-to-shore cranes were destroyed when the vessel was ripped from its moorings by gales and dragged along the quay.

Since then visits by engineers checking the damage and insurance assessors have delayed any movement of the ship, and the strong winds of the past few days have meant it had to stay put.

Paul Davey, head of corporate affairs at the port, said the three cranes on board for the Suffolk container terminal had escaped unscathed in the accident.


Offline Michael

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #36 on: March 26, 2008, 10:00:58 PM »
Just to let you all know, Zhen Hua 23 has been given a clean bill of health and moved to Trinity North this week, the ramps went down today so the first crane may be moved off tomorrow or Friday.

The Swedish crane took a lot of damge in the legs due to torsional stresses from the impact and has had to be braced and made secure, the damaged boom tip has been removed as well.

Things are looking up for once.

Landguard got the final go ahead for the expansion, no doubt hastened on by the loss of 66% of its cranage,  I'm led to believe there still looking for other cranes short term, possibly mobiles.

The mess left behind will be cut up and removed by a massive crane barge at some time in the future.

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Mickoo

Offline Hawkeye

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #37 on: March 27, 2008, 10:24:21 AM »
Just to let you all know, the Zhen Hua 23 is now on Trinity North. I noticed it was moved on Wednesday.

Offline Andrew McAlpine

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #38 on: March 27, 2008, 10:39:41 PM »
I also caught her moving on th felixstowe webcame, Does anyone know when she will sail having discharged the cranes?

rgds
Andrew

Offline Joe Watson

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #39 on: March 28, 2008, 08:12:51 AM »
Quote

by ukspotter on 2008/3/27 17:39:41
I also caught her moving on th felixstowe webcame, Does anyone know when she will sail having discharged the cranes?
rgds
Andrew


The latest pictures of her can be seen here.
She has already discharged one crane. There are two remaining to discharge. A number of rubber tyred gantry cranes destined for Thamesport then need to be loaded and secured. I should imagine the whole process would take well over a week, maybe two.

Offline Michael

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #40 on: April 04, 2008, 04:56:47 PM »
She was due to sail today but that has been put back to the 9th, she will sail to Thamsport, unload the RTGs and crane 25, then she will return to Felixstowe to unload the heavy trucks needed to help move the RTGs on and off the vessel.

If all goes to plan then she will move to Dooley terminal, collect cranes 1 and 2 and move them across the port to Landguard where they will be used to replace the two broken ones, some engineering work is required on the cranes to make them compatable with Landguard terminal but it is invisaged the move will be quick and the cranes on line quickly to assist crane 4 in shipping operations.

Thats the latest situation at the moment but is subject to change as is most things of this nature.

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Mickoo

Offline henrycourt

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Re: Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA
« Reply #41 on: April 04, 2008, 05:38:27 PM »
I have been told by a source  that the captain involved in the accident has been replaced. Anybody know anything ??? Rgds jw

 

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