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LAUNCH BARGE METHOD

The processes involved in the construction of the jacket platform by launch barge method are

a) The fabrication of the jacket on the yard

b) Transferring the jacket tower from the yard to the barge which is called LOAD OUT

c) Fixing the jackets as to the barge by means of connections called sea fasteners.

d) Towing the barge with the jacket to the site.

e) Sea fastening are cut and jacket is launched into water.

f) Upending the jacket, the jacket is brought to vertical position by ballasting the jacket and

hooking to a floating crane.

g) Pilling the jacket to the ocean floor

h) Loading the deck portion which is fabricated in the yard to the barge

i) Towing the barge to the site

j) Placing the deck over the tower by means of floating cranes.

1) Launch Barge

a) The launch barge is a rectangular provided with launch ways to support the jacket during

load out and transport and also to allow jacket to skid during launching. A pair of rocker arms

is supposing at one of the end in order to give support to the jacket tower over a length, when

it is launched. The rocker arm is free to rotate about the hinge and its rotates along with the

jacket during launching. At the other end of the launch barge winch house, power units and

hydraulic ram

are provided. A controlled ballast and dewatering system also is equipped in the barge to

ballast and dewater to get the required trim during load out and to adjust during tide level

changes.
3) Load out

The jacket tower fabricated on the land has to be loaded on to the barge in water. The tower,

fabricated in a horizontal position would be provided with launch trusses, if the installation

planned for the jacket platform is by transport by launch barge. Just below the launch truss,

lower chords wooden skids are provided to make the jacket slide smoothly when the jacket is

being pulled for the load out. The ground ways should also be marked and greased. Winches

on the shore should be of the capacity required to overcome the static friction. Shore cranes

also would be kept, ready to help in aligning the jacket to be in line with the barge. The steel

ropes are tied to the jacket and passed through the winches at the barge and at shore. By

operating the winch the jacket would be pulled towards the barge.

In order to find the actual position of longitudinal center of gravity of the jacket and also to

find the total weight of the jacket in as built conditions, the jacket is mounted on four load

cells. Ensuring that all the four load cells are supporting the jacket, the loads or (reaction)

registered by each load cells is noted. The sum of the four values of the load cell would give

the total weight of the structure and the position of LCG is given by (R1 + R2) L/(R1 + Rs +

R3 + R4)

As the jacket progresses forward on pulling by the winch, till the longitudinal center gravity is

within the supported portions on berth, jacket tower would be projecting to the water front

side. As soon as the longitudinal center gravity crosses the edge of the berth, the projecting

end would come down and gets supported on the barge. For this load condition, some

members of the launch truss are likely to be over stressed. Hence a space frame analysis of

the jacket for this condition is to be carried out. In order to give full support to the jacket

portion, the barge is made to trim so that the jacket launch skid and the support frame on the

barge would be coming into contact. The is achieved by flooding the ballast to the required

quantity, so that the barge fully supports the jacket tower portion. After this stage, the jacket

tower is pulled gradually till the jacket is completely transferred to the barge.
At this stage the jacket tower is to be connected to the barge, this is done by welding short

tubular member, with one end welded to the jacket tower and the other end on the top of the

barge. This tubular members connecting the tower to barge are called sea fasteners. Required

member of sea fasteners are to be provided so that when the barge transports the jacket

tower to the site the jacket remain in position with the barge. Usually about eight pair of sea

fasteners are provided for jacket of height about 80m.

4) Transportation

The jacket is loaded on to the barge and towed to the site where it has to be launched. During
the travel, because of the jacket and its weight and its weight, the sea motion and wind
forces, the jacket structure and the fastening between the barge and jacket could be
subjected to substantial forces. Hence it is essential to calculate the forces on the sea
fastening and the stresses in the members of the jacket.

Proper installation of piling, including conductor piles, is vital to the life and permanence of the
platform and requires each piles to be driven to or near design penetration, without damage,
and for all field –made structural connections to be compatible with the design requirements.
Pile sections should be marked in a manner to facilitate installing the pile sections in proper
sequence.

The closure device on the lower end of the jacket columns and pile sleeves, when required,
should be designed to avoid interference with the installation of the piles.