MOTAS transports large Cutter Ladder

MOTAS Dredging Solutions designed, fabricated and shipped a cutter ladder for a large Cutter Suction Dredger.

The ladder has been custom designed inhouse by our engineers in The Netherlands and will be installed on the dredger currently under construction. Fabrication and partial outfitting of the ladder was done by one of MOTAS’ long term international fabrication partner.  It will be further outfitted once installed on the dredger under MOTAS supervision. The cutter ladder is part of an engineering and components package, that next to delivery of the main dredging components also includes the basic and detailed design of the complete dredge.

Dimensions.

The ladder has a total weight after outfitting of about 200 tonnes.

Dimensions are approximately the following (LxHxW) 35.8 x 6.8  x 5.2 m.

The logistics.

Loading and shipping was organized by the MOTAS logistics department. Due to substantial weight and sizeable dimensions of the shipment, the logistics were an interesting challenge for our Team. The object was rolled out of the factory onto a barge along quay at the port of shipment. The barge was towed to a seagoing heavy transport vessel where cranes hoisted the ladder onboard. The total journey from the port of loading to the port of destination took around 30 days, where it arrived in time to start installation. 

Specifications of the ladder.

The ladder is made of a heavy duty steel box construction fitted with an underwater dredge pump directly driven by a submerged E-motor.  The cutterhead is electrically driven as well, however the cutter drive E-motor is mounted on a gearbox above the waterline. From the gearbox a long cutter shaft is installed, fitted with several bearings up to the cutterhead.

Keywords:

  • Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD)
  • Logistics
  • Seagoing transport
  • Heavy duty application
  • Dredge Equipment
  • Fabrication
  • Engineering and design
Fig. 1     Final loading before rolling out to barge
Fig. 2     Final loading before rolling out to barge
Fig. 3     Loaded on the barge
Fig. 4     3D view of the complete ladder.