Page 50: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2013)

50 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News ? OCTOBER 2013 Innovation is a theme rippling through Hol-land?s robust maritime industry. From ropes and winches to hull and crane design, Dutch marine engineers repeatedly answer the call for safe, efÞ cient marine operations. An exem- plary display of genuine Dutch innovation can be found at Barge Master, a company that develops and produces motion compensation platforms de-signed primarily for cranes and supply barges in the marine offshore and nearshore construction sectors.When a barge is operating on open water, rota- tions as small as 2-3 degrees of the barge?s plat- form on which a crane is placed results in larger movements (4-5 meters) of the crane?s boom tip, therefore causing the hook and load to sway un-controllably. These crane movements create un- predictable and unsafe working conditions, some-times forcing lifting operations to cease altogether. Dutch innovator and entrepreneur Martijn Kop-pert sought a way to counteract these crane move-ments so that offshore work could continue de- spite sea states that would normally inhibit safe operations. His idea was the Barge Master T700 motion compensation platform. The platform uses dynamic positioning to restrain surge, sway and yaw while its three hydraulic actuators compen-sate heave, roll and pitch. As the barge moves, the platform remains steady in a Þ xed position. Full scale tests of its T700 platform have shown compensation percentages upward of 95%, and the platform is effective in wave heights up to two meters and stroke up to 2.5 meters, helping to make operations safer and more efÞ cient.Manufactured in Holland, Lloyd?s Register cer- tiÞ ed and DNV reviewed, the T700 Barge Master can carry a 400mT crane (plus the crane?s load), or compensate loads up to 700mT when used as a supply platform.For customer convenience and cost effective- ness, the complete Barge Master can be shipped worldwide in ISO container units. Standard Barge Masters are available for rental or purchase as standalone units ß exibly combinable with stan- dard ß at top barges, standard crawler cranes and standard supply vessels. Customers can also cus-tom order Barge Master units with modi Þ ed foun- dations and ship interfaces based on particular The NetherlandsBarge Master Aerial view of the Barge Master T700 Providing a stable platform for Crane, Offshore Ops By Eric HaunMR #10 (50-57).indd 50MR #10 (50-57).indd 5010/3/2013 4:17:00 PM10/3/2013 4:17:00 PM