Project
As the first salvage operation to raise a ship of this size without dismantling it, the USD 400 million Wreck Removal Project challenge was to remove the Costa Concordia cruise ship in Isola del Giglio, Italy, while preserving the environment and restoring the site back to its original state. The joint venture Titan (USA)-Micoperi (Italy) won the challenge, proposing to pull the whole wreck back to vertical position on temporary supporting structures, designed by partner TECON.
Solution
TECON designed six underwater platforms to create a flat plane over which the wreck could stand vertically. These auxiliary structures provided the anchoring system for parbuckling pulling lines, while withstanding gravity and wave forces before the re-floating phase. The three main platforms weighed 1,500 tons each and were supported by large diameter steel piles. Designed and modeled in SACS, the platforms met the high quality requirements for offshore structures.
Outcome
Thanks in part to this innovative solution, the wreck was righted and removed intact from this environmentally sensitive reef. The time and money saved by utilizing Bentley software was undeniable, especially related to the continuous and frequent requests for changes in input data, and the study and verification of the new results.
Software
SACS was used for all structural analysis: in-service, transportation, in-air and in-water lifting, pile/soil interactions, wave forces, and load combinations. To reduce uncertainties in the foundation modeling and design, geotechnical data from several sources was entered into SACS. This avoided underestimation of nonlinear soil behavior. SACS’ user-friendly 3D output facilitated clear communication among the multi-discipline, international team.