Smaller firms have adapted better to these fast-changing conditions.’ Smaller businesses have also been able to imaginatively tailor their engineering designs for each project. Just as every project is different so fenders themselves should not be commoditised. According to Robert Pegtol of QuayQuip’s Beijing office, ‘Experience proves that engineers prefer to trust other engineers rather than salespeople who quote catalogue part numbers.’
Design, risk and quality
Fender design has always followed three main stages: predict what could happen, prevent it from happening, and protect if it does happen. The first stage is critical to the design process but decisions are sometimes based on inadequate data, which is why there is no substitute for practical experience. One way to ensure quality is through testing. PIANC and ASTM have very well defined protocols for Type Approval Testing (demonstrating fender performance) and Verification Testing (quality control). The company is the first manufacturer to achieve approvals to both PIANC 2002 and ASTM F2915-05, awarded by Bureau Veritas. QuayQuip broke more new ground by gaining type approval for the dual series rubber cones used in Parallel Movement Fenders. The company’s cylindrical fenders are the first of their kind to achieve type approval status. The crucial area of working velocities is being addressed by PIANC Working Group 145. Harrison has been selected to head the group’s UK section, which will be canvassing opinion and collecting knowledge and data from all port managers, consultants and other experts who are willing to contribute. Risk prevention involves a mixture of new technology, training and operating practices. Large ships are becoming ever safer to berth thanks to a growing acceptance of portable piloting units that assist with precision navigation, lock approaches, berthing and turning vessels. The company has recently joined forces with Navicom, representing their range of HarbourPilot and ShuttlePilot equipment throughout Europe. Rob Gabbitas of QuayQuip explains, ‘Fendering is like a seatbelt: you never truly appreciate its protection until the day you need it. Mechanical breakdowns, human error and other unforeseeable events mean that, no matter how good the training and technology in place, fendering will always be needed to protect people, ships and structures.’ Fenders are safety-critical to port structures. Quality, reliability and durability must be maintained. At a time of global cutbacks it is important to remember that cheap materials, inadequate testing and poor design give an illusory advantage. Proper investment in a quality installation from reputable firms is vital to safeguard ports and their users.
Technological Innovation
QuayQuip’s contribution to technological innovations includes the flat-pack port: fender systems, pile jackets and topside/deck assemblies all designed for in-factory trial assembly before being dismantled and shipped to remote corners of the world. The company has also developed the 4th generation Parallel Movement system which adopts proven bearing technology from the dredging industry, and new torsion arm geometries that all but eliminate the large induced shear loads and consequent performance losses of older generations. Last but not least, the company has undertaken extensive research into improving fender materials including an in-depth study of the frictional properties of UHMW-PE wear pads. Regenerated material, also known as ‘recycled’ or ‘double-sintered’ UHMW-PE, has gained wide acceptance in fendering. Many engineers will be surprised to learn that the friction of that grade is often twice what manufacturers claim. A value of around 0.15 can only be achieved with ‘virgin’ UHMW-PE. For regenerated material the value is typically double that at 0.3–0.4. It follows that systems using regenerated wear pads will be subject to far higher shear loads than expected. The only way to ensure low friction and protection from damage is to use the first-quality virgin materials. Since UHMW-PE adds only slightly to the cost of a fender system, it is worth a small premium for the fender system to last longer and need less maintenance. This research extended into the fixing methods of UHMW-PE pads. According to Max Boom of QuayQuip’s sister company Eurotech Benelux BV, many fender users expressed a dislike for welded studs, which tend to break under relatively small loads. The solution is a fully welded boss with low-profile fixings (for greater wear allowance) and integrated shear stops in the fender panel – features which make for pad fixings at least ten times stronger than welded studs alone.
Examples of recent projects
QuayQuip recently supplied the fendering for Utah Point, the latest development at Port Hedland in Western Australia. Twenty three specialist fender systems, designed for rapid installation, were mounted to sub-frames that were tailored to fit the overhanging dock structure. In total over 500 tonnes of steel were installed. Utah Point is the latest development by the Port Hedland Port Authority. The new facility, on Finucane Island, will expand Port Hedland’s capacity for iron, chromite and manganese ores and allow for future growth in other bulk commodities. In December 2009 QuayQuip undertook its first major installation in China which proved to be a real test of teamwork and customer service. Given just 21 days to design the fenders, manufacture, inspect, test, deliver and install was a real challenge for the company. Not only did QuayQuip achieve everything the client wanted, the reward was a second contract, this time needed in just 20 days! Stage 1 required six fender sets – a 5.8 x 3.0 meter panel each with 8 QME1000 elements, virgin UHMW-PE face pads, chains assemblies and anchors. A total of 75 production drawings were generated in 3 days to allow fast track production to begin. Stage 2 was a further three fender sets of a completely new design with a 7.0 x 1.6 meter panel and 4 QME800 elements. Space limitations required QuayQuip’s innovative ‘deep-box’ fender frame, an especially compact and strong construction. Fenders were fitted to modular caissons which were towed to site, sunk in position and then rock filled before pouring a concrete deck slab. The result was a new port structure ready in record time. QuayQuip’s sales and technical operations are headquartered in the United Kingdom, with offices in The Netherlands, USA and Canada, Singapore, China and Australia.