When VSEL decided to build the PWRZ reactor in Barrow the transportation of the PWRZ unit and its secondary machinery from Barrow to Dounreay was the responsibility of Smit International, from the start of the move until the reactor unit was positioned with millimetre accuracy in the receiving building at Dounreay. The scope of the project involved transport by sea and overland and utilized five separate and quite different methods of transport: hydraulic skidding, sea towage by barge, air bag rolling, water skating and hydraulic, stabilized platform trailers. Each of these techniques on their own were well proven, but they had never before been so integrated and to such an extent as required by the sheer size of the load and the obstacles envisaged overland.54. JMP Consultants became involved in this project as consulting engineers to Smit International as they were based in Scotland and had a reputation for road building, but this project was very different from anything the company had done before. There was nothing specifically dramatic about the construction for it is not a large complex piece of civil engineering. The challenge lay in providing satisfactory solutions in a dificult environment for what was effectively only temporary works. They had to be provided at a reasonable minimum cost to ensure that the project remained economically justifiable, and that had to be balanced against the substantial risk of possible failure that would impede the transportation process. The risk on completion was further increased by the need to carry out the work in the winter to meet a specific programme for the beaching.
Mr L. I. Wills, VSELWhat was the depth of the sand on the beach under Giant 2 when it was being levelled? Also, are there any loading characteristics for sandbags?56. In the Paper a tolerance of 30 mm vertically is mentioned for the skidding track; elsewhere it was said to be 3 mm on the same job for skidding into the hall. In other words, VSEL set up the track in Barrow and the track in Dounreay for the skidding operation and there was never more than 3 mm variation in height, but the Paper implies it was 30 mm.
Mr H. J. Moorhead, Engineering Power Development ConsultantsThe process which has been used here has great potential for many similar applications, particularly in the heavy construction industry. One of the main benefits this will give is that it will enable the manufacture and assembly of large and
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