GB2228717A

GB2228717A - A pontoon in the form of a floating container port

Info

Publication number: GB2228717A
Application number: GB8902991A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Karl Arne Kjell Eriksen
Original assignee: FLEXIPORT SYSTEMS Ltd
Current assignee: FLEXIPORT SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date: 1989-02-10
Filing date: 1989-02-10
Publication date: 1990-09-05
Also published as: GB8902991D0

Abstract

A pontoon (1) in the form of a floating container port comprises an upper deck (2) for receiving containers and a lower hold (3) fer storing containers. There are means for transporting containers between the upper deck (2) and lower hold (3) and for positioning containers in predetermined storage locations within the lower hold (3). Collision tanks (10) extend along the sides of the pontoon (1) to protect the pontoon (1) against collision damage. <IMAGE>

Description

A PONTOON IN THE FORM OF A FLOATING CONTAINER PORT The present invention relates to a pontoon in the form of a floating container port.

The increasing use of intermpdal freight systems in world cargo distribution as well as increasing transport costs, has created a demand for a container vessel of increased size. If such a vessel is to operate economically, the time spent in port loading and unloading containers should be kept to a minimum. Accordingly, there is an increased demand for a floating container port which can handle larger numbers of containers or the like, at a faster handling rate.

The disadvantages of known container ports are numerous. A factor to be improved upon in existing cargo handling techniques is the flow of containers in and out of the reach of container cranes. Traffic congestion in the crane working area is thus a major drawback. There have been attempts to overcome traffic congestion by introducing automatically operated stacking systems where the feed of containers to the loading or unloading crane is pre-programmed. However, such automatic stacking systems are limited by the dimensions of the load out pier and the stacking height. For practical purposes, the containers should not be stacked more than 3 or 4 units high.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a pontoon in the form of a floating container port comprising an upper deck for receving containers and a lower hold for storing containers, means for transporting containers between the upper deck and lower hold and positioning containers in predetermined storage locations within the lower hold and collision tanks extending along the sides of the pontoon to protect the pontoon against collision damage.

With such a port the stacking capacity is approximately doubled.

Preferably, the pontoon is provided with a plurality of ballast chambers which selectively and automatically admit water to maintain the pontoon substantially horizontal at all times.

Preferably, the pontoon has a double bottom.

Preferably, ballast chambers are provided in the double bottom.

Preferably, the lower hold is divided into a plurality of water tight chambers by water tight bulkheads.

Preferably, there is at least one hatchway connecting the upper deck and lower hold.

Preferably, there is an elevator in the hatchway.

Preferably, the upper deck and lower hold are provided with container lifting means.

Preferably, the container lifting means in the lower hold is at least one overhead gantry crane.

Preferably, the container lifting means on the upper deck comprises at least one container crane and at least one transtainer.

Preferably, the pontoon is anchored to the water bed by mooring posts extending upwards from the water bed and slidable within conformal shafts in the pontoon thereby enabling the pontoon to rise and fall with changing water levels.

Preferably, the mooring posts are covered to form a flush surface at deck level.

Preferably, the pontoon is connected to adjacent similar pontoons by bridges which allow relative movement between adjacent pontoons.

Preferably, adjacent pontoons are anchored to the water bed by mooring posts extending upwards from the water bed and slidable within the space located between adjacent pontoons.

Preferably, there is a causeway connecting the pontoon to the shore wherein the causeway and pontoon are able to move relative to each other thereby enabling the pontoon to adapt to changing water levels and various loads.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a pontoon according to the present invention with a container vessel in the loading/unloading position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the lower hold in a pontoon according to the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a pontoon 1 in the form of a floating container port. The pontoon has an upper deck 2 for containers and a lower hold 3 for containers. At least one gantry crane 6 (known as a "transtainer") is provided for moving containers 7 between the upper deck 2 and lower hold 3. The pontoon 1 has collision tanks, 10 running along each side to protect the containers 7 within the lower hold 3 should the pontoon 1 be involved in a collision with a container vessel 8 or the like.

The pontoon 1 is also provided with ballast chambers 12 (see Fig. 2) located in each corner of the pontoon. The ballast chambers 12 are watertight compartments which selectively and automatically admit water on the side of the pontoon which is not being loaded to maintain the pontoon substantially horizontal. The ballast chambers 12 are automatically emptied when ballasting is no longer required.

The pontoon 1 is provided with a double bottom 16 to improve buoyancy and strength. Ballast chambers may be located within the double bottom 16.

In Fig. 2 the lower hold 3 of the pontoon can be clearly seen. The lower hold is divided into four separa-te chambers by watertight bulkheads 9. Each chamber 17 has a hatchway 14 connecting the lower hold 3 to the upper deck 2. The hatchway 14 could house an elevator.

The upper deck 2 is provided with at least one container crane 4 for lifting containers and at least one transtainer 6 which serves the container crane or cranes and stacks the containers. Preferably, each container crane is served by a plurality of transtainers 6. The lower hold is provided with one or more overhead gantry cranes 5, preferably, one overhead gantry crane 5 is allocated to each chamber 17. In this example, there would be two container cranes 4, four transtainers 6 and four overhead gantry cranes 5.

Fig 2 shows three connected pontoons 1. Each pontoon 1 is anchored to the water bed by mooring posts 11 extending upwards from the water bed. The mooring posts 11 are either slidable within conformal shafts in the pontoon or are located between adjacent pontoons such that the pontoons can move relative to the mooring posts. In Fig. 2 the mooring posts 11 are located between adjacent pontoons 1. The pontoons 1 are connected by means of bridges 13 which allow relative movement between adjacent pontoons.

The bridges 13 must be flexible enough to accomodate the various relative movements of the pontoons they link e.g., the rising of one pontoon with respect to its neighbour or the rising of just one part of a pontoon which causes the bridges to twist. A typical bridge 13 would be of the type described in GB 2154637.

The pontoon 1 may be connected to the shore by a causeway (not shown in the drawings). The link between the pontoon 1 and the causeway should allow relative movement between the pontoon 1 and causeway so that the pontoon can adapt to varying water levels or differences in load. Again, a suitable bridge link would be of the type described in GB 2154637.

Alternatively, there may be a shuttle system operating between the container vessel and the shore which is capable of transporting the containers, in which case there would be no need for the causeway link.

As can be clearly seen in Fig. 1 a container vessel 8 is moored along side a pontoon 1 and the container crane 4 is able to load or unload the containers from the vessel to the upper deck 2. The transporting means 6 can then move the containers from the upper deck 2 to the lower hold 3. The upper deck 2 has various paths or roadways 15 to allow vehicles to move between the stacked containers 7.

The stacking of containers can be preprogrammed for optimum logistical expediency. The overhead gantry crane 5 working under the deck will operate automatically in unison with the transtainers 6 which can position themselves to synchronise with the container crane 4. The container crane 4 is able to guide itself automatically to the platform where a container is to be stacked and then presents the container to a suitable transtainer 6. Any of these movements can be reversed to enable the floating container port to be loaded or unloaded. A single computer capable of controlling all of the cranes on the container vessel is preferred and it should be possible for the operator to instruct the computer to select a specific container located in a specific storage area.

Claims

1. A pontoon in the form of a floating container port comprising an upper deck for receiving containers and a lower hold for storing containers, means for transporting containers between the upper deck and lower hold and positioning containers in predetermined storage locations within the lower hold and collision tanks extending along the sides of the pontoon to protect the pontoon against collision damage.

2. A pontoon as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pontoon is provided with a plurality of ballast chambers which selectively and automatically admit water to maintain the pontoon substantially horizontal at all times.

3. A pontoon as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the pontoon has a double bottom.

4. A pontoon as claimed in claim 3 wherein ballast chambers are provided in the double bottom.

5. A pontoon as claimed in any preceeding claim wherein the lower hold is divided into a plurality of water tight chambers by water tight bulkheads.

6. A pontoon as claimed in any preceeding claim wherein there is at least one hatchway connecting the upper deck and lower hold.

7. A pontoon as claimed in claim 6 wherein there is an elevator located in the hatchway.

8. A pontoon as claimed in any preceeding claim wherein the upper deck and lower hold are provided with container lifting means.

9. A pontoon as claimed in claim 8 wherein the container lifting means in the lower hold comprises at least one overhead gantry crane.

10. A pontoon as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the container lifting means on the upper deck comprises at least one container crane and at least one transtainer.

11. A pontoon as claimed in any preceeding claim which is anchored to the water bed by mooring posts extending upwards from the water bed and slidable within conformal shafts in the pontoon thereby enabling the pontoon to rise and fall with changing water levels.

12. A pontoon as claimed in claim 11 wherein t?ie mooring posts are covered to form a flush surface at deck level.

13. A pontoon as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 which is connected to adjacent similar pontoons by bridges which allow relative movement between adjacent pontoons.

14. A pontoon as claimed in claim 13 which is anchored to the water bed by mooring posts extending upwards from the water bed and slidable within the space located between adjacent pontoons.

15. A pontoon as claimed in any preceeding claim further comprising a causeway connecting the pontoon to the shore wherein the causeway and pontoon are able to move relative to each other thereby enabling the pontoon to adapt to changing water levels and various loads.

16. A pontoon in the form of a floating cargo port substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.