The perils of navigating huge container ships in stormy British weather has been keeping HBPW busy with a steady stream of specialist repair work at two of the UK’s busiest ports.
When the Port of Immingham was built in 1912 engineers never anticipated that ships as big as modern day vessels would ever sail in their waters. However, many are so large that there are only inches either side of them as they squeeze through the entrance of Immingham Lock.
HBPW Managing Partner, Paul Withers, said: “Despite designing giant spring-loaded fenders which are set into concrete in order to absorb the energy of any ships ‘bumping’ the lock wall, ships can still unintentionally damage the lock and / or lead-in jetties.
“There is little a highly experienced ship’s Master can do when the weather changes and wind descends, creating a sail effect that can easily sweep a huge vessel into a concrete jetty, causing a slow but massive impact.
“Consequently we have, over the months and years, been called on by Associated British Ports to design and detail repairs to jetties at the ports of Immingham and Hull.”
Eighteen months ago the inner lock gates at King George Dock, Hull were damaged by a ship and, as a result, shipping could not enter or leave the facility, however HBPW, together with Humber Workboats and ABP, managed to get them working again within 48 hours.