ALUNORTE ALUMINA SHIPLOADER TRANSPORT

Project Summary

A 1,500 t/hr alumina shiploader was delivered to the Alunorte pier in Vila do Conde, Brazil, in February 1996. This shiploader,

designed and built by Sade Vigesa, had been erected at the Verolme yard in Angra dos Reis, Brazil. For the ocean transportation,

the heavy-lift ship STELLAPRIMA, owned and operated by Jumbo Navigation NV, was contracted. The shiploader, weighing

approximately 300 t, was lifted onto the heavy-lift ship using the Verolme gantry crane and was then secured for the voyage using

Jumbo's standard slings and turnbuckles. Seafastening took less than 24 hours and on February 6, the STELLAPRIMA departed

Angra dos Reis with destination Vila do Conde. The voyage was without incident, with maximum reported roll angles on the order of 4

degrees

Early morning on February 13, the ship arrived at the offloading pier in Vila do Conde. Immediately upon arrival, the lashings were

removed and the lifting beams were rigged and installed in place under the lower platform of the shiploader. The following morning, the

shiploader was lifted from the ship onto its quay rails, using the STELLAPRIMA's own cranes, which have a combined safe working

load of 650 t.

Argonautics Marine Engineering, Inc. was hired by Sade Vigesa to assist with the transportation engineering and on-site supervision

of the loading and offloading operations. As part of the scope, a Finite Element study was done. The 3-dimensional structural model

of the shiploader consisted of over 600 beam elements. One of the reasons for making such a detailed model was to accurately

determine the weight and center of gravity of the structure, since these were critical for the lifting operation.

The project scope included:

This successful transportation of the Alumina shiploader was featured in the April 1996 issue of the "Maritime Reporter and

Engineering News"

specialists in marine heavy-lift transportation engineering

naval architects

marine surveyors

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Est. 1992

■	Review of all loading/transportation/offloading calculations and procedures;
■	Independent stability and ship motion analysis;
■	Structural analysis of the shiploader subject to the lifting forces;
■	Full structural analysis of the shiploader subject to inertia loading during transport;
■	Designs for internal strenghtening and seafastenings of loose parts;
■	On-site assistance during loading, internal seafastening, and offloading operations.

STELLAPRIMA departs with alumina shiploader

Lifting the loader on the ship

Seafastening using slings and turnbuckles

Structural analysis model showing deflections

Lifting the loader from the deck