Structural steel design - Literature review Example

When restoration was completed, the new skeleton had to be hoisted on to supports. These were composed of steel compression struts that are hollow, with a capacity of 50 tons. They were coupled to node points found at the end of each of the cradle frames where they stuck out through the hull. The external support’s lower ends were linked to plates cast into the dry dock’s steps. Since the steps had started crumbling, they had to be dug out and reinforced with grouted steel piles before connecting supports and lifting the ship.

A series of arms offered lateral wind load restraint. The arms were bolted to strengthened concrete tension piles at the top of the dry dock (Douglas 2012, pg. 69). The connection nodes are also required as secondary support to the glass canopy. The members’ structural steel grades are of S355 J2 to BS EN 10025.  Lifting the ship was done at intermediate phases using 24 200Te SWL cylinder jacks, each under every node point. The whole process took 2 days and was aided by the installation of a series of 96 strain sensors to check loads in the metal frame of the ship and the supporting tie rods and props that held up the ship (Beedle, Ali & Armstrong 2007, pg. 32). Consultants AV Technology (AVT) installed the sensors.

Deteriorated timber was replaced with equivalent wood; the objective was to replace like with like where possible. The tween was restored using new Douglas fir and hemp was used to caulk it traditionally. Hemp was used because it was easier to install and maintain since it was forced into position to create a tight deck. Composite construction used on the main deck, with a new teak upper layer and plywood lower layers (Crevello & Noyce 2008, pg. 52). The upper teak planks as well as the first lower rock elm planks were restored and reinstalled on the ship.

The original plan was rock elm below the water line and teak above the water line. This is because elm