Hull Thickness Gauging When Vessels Are Working And Everyday Port Activities
Most people who stand by a working vessel will be unaware when Hull Thickness Gauging is being performed as cranes load containers aboard a vessel and crews perform routine maintenance on and to the vessel. Tugboats navigate busy channels in the harbour while marine surveyors conduct their work below deck using ultrasonic testing devices located inside ballast tanks, cargo compartments and confined structural areas. Even though the survey process has little to no effect on everyday port activity, it has a large impact on vessel safety during the vessel's operation and on shipping company's long-term structural planning for vessels that operate throughout the Baltic Sea and Eastern European Sea regions. Surveys conducted using UTM technology are now part of standard marine operations for the majority of commercial shipping fleets. These surveys are typically scheduled during dry docking periods, Class renewals, pre-purchase evaluations, steel repair planning, or scheduled ro...