CASE STUDY

Project:

To repair and strengthen the Wet Dock Quay, allowing it to service the new Astute class submarines.

The Wet Dock Quay falling within the nuclear licence boundary meant that the work had to be carried out to impeccable standards.

With extensive experience in this field, Ocean Kinetics were selected by BAE to undertake this job of plating works to the sheet pile wall under the quay.

Solution:

Two of our most experienced welders, Michael Fox and Joe Coughlin, who both have AWS class A welding certificates, carried out more than 300m of underwater welding to the highest standards.

The welds were inspected by means of MPI and ultrasonic techniques as well as 100 per cent close video inspection, which was viewed by a BAE welding inspector.

Submarine Solutions welding and inspection department supported the works, checking sample welds at the weld test centre and reviewing video images. Within the 300m of underwater welds carried out, only three very minor defects were identified.

The project was completed within the two-month period allowed for the works, well ahead of the launch date of the next submarine.