Page 4: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2002)

News j

Smit Develops High-Powered

Wreck Removal Cutting System

Smit Salvage has developed a new. patented wreck removal cutting system that is designed to be fast and cost effec- tive, and was used during the successful recovery of the Russian submarine

Kursk last year.

The new system utilizes a special abra- sive cutting wire — a series of grit-cov- ered bushes mounted along a high-ten- sion steel cable. This wire can then be positioned over a wreck and connected up to a drive system producing a sawing motion. Highly efficient, this cutting system can be used as an alternative option to the traditional chain-cutting method that uses heavy steel chains and floating sheerlegs.

According to Theo Hak, Smit Salvage

Logistics and Technical Support Manag- er, "The new system can reduce project duration by up to 30 percent, and in addition, is easy to transport and suitable for a wide range of salvage and wreck removal tasks."

The cutting system was developed in association with Widia Nederland. a

Rotterdam-based manufacturer of tung- sten carbide tools, and T.N.O. Neder- land. The original prototype was devel- oped as a surface-based system for sal- vaging shallow-water wrecks at depths of up to 99 ft. (30 m). Subsequent to the

Kursk contract, Smit modified the sys- tem for deep-water work and added an underwater drive system. Cutting wire was also strengthened to increase wear resistance. Prior to its deployment for the Kursk operation, the system's effi- ciency was demonstrated during trials in

Rotterdam when it was used to cut an obsolete dredger into scrap.

Following an explosion in August 2000, the Kursk and its crew were lost in the Barents Sea. As a result, the subma- rine's bow sustained severe damage and had to be removed prior to the lift.

This practice was a challenging one, due to the water depth 354-ft. (108-m), adverse weather conditions and the thickness and hardness of the subma- rine's hull.

Cutting then commenced with the positioning of the wire over the Kursk's bow. The wire was then connected to two anchor points on the seabed — posi- tioned 66 ft. (20 m) to each side of the hull. Each anchor point was comprised of a hydraulic cylinder and suction pump — the actions of the pumps caused the anchors to "bury" themselves into the seabed. As the seabed was pen- etrated by the pumps, pressure was exerted on the cutting wire, which moved in a sawing motion across the submarine's bow section. Despite the adverse conditions, the system was able to complete the cutting operation in 31 hours on September 13, 2001. The seabed's high stone content caused sig- nificant friction, thus causing several guide cables to part. This was corrected through the installation of closing plates around the sheave assembly — thus pre- venting direct contact with the seabed.

Concurrently, the cutting wire demon- strated greater wear resistance than indi- cated in the initial tests and was replaced after 12 hours of intense cutting.

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Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

Smit's new patented cutting system in action during the removal of the Kursk's bow section.