WORLD'S FIRST CONVERTIBLE FLOATING DRY DOCK

Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Floating Dry Dock No.1 in their Sabine Yard, Port Arthur, Texas, is the world's first floating dry dock that can easily convert from a dry dock of normal configuration (829 feet long by 122 feet wide) for docking ships to an extra-wide dry dock (413 feet long by 364 feet wide) to accommodate drill rigs. This paper describes how the dock was modified from the former U.S. Navy dry dock AFDB-5, built in 1944, to the present computer controlled, state of the art, convertible dock. Particular emphasis is given to the design of the huge "quick-disconnect" pin connections between sections, and operational procedures for connecting/disconnecting the sections by ballasting/deballasting using computer control of list, trim, deflection and internal ballast water level.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Conference paper; Paper OTC-5823
• Authors:
  • Heger, R E
• Conference:
  • Offshore Technology Conference, 20th
  • Location: Houston, Texas
  • Date: 1988-5-2 to 1988-5-5
• Publication Date: 0

Media Info

• Pagination: 9p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drydocks; Floating docks
• Uncontrolled Terms: Conversion
• Old TRIS Terms: Facility descriptions
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00657755
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Maritime Technical Information Facility
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 21 1994 12:00AM