World’s Largest Pile-Driving Ship Heads To Brazil For Major Bridge Project

China’s CRCC Bridge Piling No. 1, the world’s largest pile-driving vessel, has left China for Brazil. It will be used to build the foundations of the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge.

The vessel left Lüsi Port in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on Sunday. It has a journey of about 11,300 nautical miles ahead of it and is expected to take around 45 days.

It will sail through the Strait of Malacca, pass around the Cape of Good Hope and then cross the South Atlantic before reaching Brazil.

The vessel will work in the Bay of All Saints, where some of the bridge foundations will be built in water up to 64 metres deep. This is the vessel’s first overseas job since it was delivered in March.

The Salvador-Itaparica Bridge will cross Brazil’s largest bay. It is being built as a cable-stayed bridge and is expected to be the largest cross-sea bridge of its kind in Latin America.

CRCC Bridge Piling No. 1 was built by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC).

The vessel is 130.5 metres long, 40.8 metres wide and 8.4 metres deep. Its pile frame is 156 metres high and it can lift up to 700 tonnes. It can also operate in water up to 70 metres deep.

Pile-driving vessels are used to put large steel or concrete piles into the seabed. These piles form the foundation of structures such as bridges, offshore wind farms and deepwater ports.

The conditions at the Salvador-Itaparica project are difficult. The area has complex seabed geology, strong currents and changing waves.

The sources said conventional pile-driving vessels generally have pile frames of around 80 metres, lifting capacities of hundreds of tonnes and positioning accuracy at the decimetre level.

The new vessel was built to work at greater depths and handle larger foundation piles.

The vessel uses two systems to stay in position: dynamic positioning and anchor mooring. Song said it is the first large pile-driving vessel to combine the two systems.

The positioning system also works with China’s BeiDou high-precision satellite navigation system. It can position piles with accuracy at the centimetre level, according to the supplied information.

Sensors on the vessel monitor the wind, waves, currents and the vessel’s position. Its thrusters can then make small movements to keep the vessel in the right position while piles are being installed.

The vessel can also automate several parts of the operation, from positioning to pile installation. A hydraulic hammer can hit the piles with up to 1,360 kilojoules of energy per blow.

The vessel has 5,000-tonne-class hydraulic cylinders to help keep the pile frame steady during the work. It also has what the sources describe as the world’s largest luffing hydraulic cylinder. The cylinder was designed and made in China.

The vessel also uses a closed-loop hydraulic system for its main cylinders.

When the pile frame is lowered or tilted, the system captures some of the energy produced during the movement. It then turns that energy into electricity that can be used again.

The system has an energy recovery rate of up to 40%, according to the supplied information. It also reduces the hydraulic tank volume by 13% and the deck area by 22%. It also helps reduce noise during operations.

The vessel has a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for its exhaust and meets IMO Tier III emission standards. According to the sources, this allows the vessel to operate in global emission control areas.

Du Zunfeng, professor and associate dean of the School of Civil Engineering at Tianjin University, said the vessel shows the development of China’s marine construction equipment for overseas projects.

He also said that using the vessel as part of an overseas construction project allows the equipment to be adapted to the conditions of the site.

Salvador-Itaparica project

The Salvador-Itaparica project has a total route length of 46.8 kilometres.

The project includes a 12.4-kilometre, two-way, six-lane bridge, a 4.2-kilometre road connection in Salvador and a 30.2-kilometre road system on Itaparica Island.

The bridge will have a 682-metre main span and 85 metres of clearance for ships. Large vessels and cruise ships will be able to pass underneath, according to China News Service.

The bridge is expected to carry about 28,000 vehicles a day once it opens.

It is also expected to cut the journey between Salvador and Vera Cruz on Itaparica Island from about one hour by ferry to around 15 minutes by road.

References: chinadaily, interestingengineering