TTS has designed, supplied and installed a tailor-made linkspan in the port of Rothesay, Scotland
TTS has designed, supplied and installed a tailor-made linkspan in the port of Rothesay, Scotland. The linkspan, part of the Rothesay Pier Ferry Berth Improvement Project, meets the stringent classification regulations required by Lloyd’s Register.
“The rules by which classification is secured, even for a small linkspan, are very demanding,” says Petri Syrjänen, project leader at TTS Port Equipment. “The entire process, from initial drawings through production and installation to final approval, has taken approximately one year.”
This is a considerable achievement, since most linkspans have to be tailor-made for each port in order to address specific conditions such as tidal variations. Lloyd’s Register is currently the only classification society with regulations covering linkspans. “In terms of rules and regulations, linkspans are something of a grey area between ship and dock,” says Mikael Jimmerfors, technical manager at TTS Port Equipment AB. “People writing purchasing specifications often use bridges and other shore-based steel constructions as a point of reference.”
Following approval of the designs by Lloyd’s Register in London, the linkspan was built under TTS supervision in Poland. Lloyd’s Register inspected the linkspan throughout the building process, and then carried out the testing following installation.
“We have enjoyed a very positive collaboration with Lloyd’s Register regarding inspections and tests,” says Syrjänen. “They have a very good understanding of problems within the field and consequently the work went smoothly.”
The linkspan measures 29.5 metres long by 5.7 metres wide, with a driving width of 4.5 metres. It anticipates the introduction of the MV Argyle, one of a series of new vessels in operation on CalMac’s most frequented route between Rothesay and Wemyss Bay. These new vessels have been designed with bow and stern ramps for use with parallel berth linkspans at both ends of the route.
The new linkspan features a slope to accommodate a variety of vessel ramp geometries, such as those of the MV Coruisk and MV Bute currently in operation. A hinged flap at the front towards the vessel, also operated by hydraulic cylinders, means that vessels without ramps can use the linkspan, which will follow the vessel’s movements once positioned on the vessel shelf.
For more details, contact:
Håkan Jönsson
Sales Manager
TTS Port Equipment AB
Tel: +46 31 725 7900
E-mail: info@tts-port.se