Safety

Proper securing of special cargo essential for maritime safety

Lifting and securing of heavy and over-sized project cargo for maritime shipments calls for expertise and customised engineering solutions. Finnish engineering company Alvars Oy has responded to this need by specialising in demanding hi-tech area of seafastenings – with main focus on safety.

Founded in 2007, Alvars Oy is a Finnish engineering company specialising in marine engineering. ”One of our core areas of expertise is seafastening design for demanding project shipments,” notes Mr. Mika Laiho, CEO for Alvars Oy.

”Special cargo may consist of anything. Prefabricated blocks of ship hulls and offshore modules, such as drilling platforms, are just a couple of examples of the projects we have been working on over the years. Lifting and securing of this type of cargo requires strength analysis and meticulous mechanical engineering. In some cases, the cargo may even be more valuable than the ship itself,” says Laiho.

To ensure safety for the transport of such objects, carefully prepared plans and calculations are needed before the ship carrying the special cargo is allowed to sail from the port.

”In many cases, fastenings of these types of special cargo are directly welded to the deck of the transporting ship. The Alvars engineers will design and analyse the necessary seafastening elements to ensure the durability required of the structures to secure the transportation. Furthermore, we check that the ship deck can endure the loads.”

”We take regulations and safety issues seriously. Reliable, precise and flexible engineering services are needed to ensure maritime safety during transport,” Laiho asserts.

More information: www.alvars.fi/en

Text by: Ari Mononen
Photos by: Meriaura Oy