Costa Concordia...

johnthed0g · #1 (**permalink**) May 18th, 2012, 06:39 PM

Costa Concordia Wreck Removal Plan Revealed -- Friday 18 May 2012
The plan to remove the massive wreck of Costa Concordia, which lies half submerged off the Italian island of Giglio after capsizing in January, was revealed today in Rome. In an unprecedented effort, Italo-American consortium Titan-Micoperi will use pulling machines connected to a custom-built subsea platform to hoist the hull upright in one piece. The firms won the right to perform the work during a months-long bidding process. The first step in the project, which will begin in a few days and expected to last a year said Costa in a statement, will be to stabilize the ship to prevent further slippage down the sloped seabed on which it rests. This will be achieved by attaching "tieback chains" from the submerged part of the ship (starboard side, closest to shore) to a structure built nearby. After Concordia is stabilized, the subsea platform will be built along the port side (the non-submerged side) and huge caissons, in essence steel boxes, will be welded onto the exposed side of the ship. The caissons will be filled with water. "This gives the ship extra buoyancy," explained Mark Hoddinott, general manager of the International Salvage Union (Hoddinott previously worked for Titan). "Caissons have the effect of making the ship wider, and the water will add mass, which improves the 'turning moment' to bring it upright." Pulling machines will then be connected to the subsea platform, and two cranes fixed to the platform will pull Concordia upright -- facilitated by the water-filled caissons. (The ship will still be flooded, so it won't float; instead it will rest on the platform.) When the ship is upright, caissons will be welded to the starboard side of the hull. The caissons on both sides will then be de-ballasted -- after treating and purifying the water to protect the marine environment -- and filled with air. "This strategy has been used on a smaller scale by both the US and Royal Navy," added Hoddinott. "But no one has removed a ship of this size." Concordia is 950 feet long and weighs 44,612 metric tons (or nearly 100 million pounds), according to Titan-Micoperi. Once upright, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of Italian authorities. Gianni Onorato, Costa Crociere S.p.A. president, told Cruise Critic in early May that the ship will ultimately be scrapped. No details on the cost of the project have been officially released, but a Costa spokesman told CNN that the figure could exceed $300 million. According to today's statement from Costa, the "one piece" approach -- rather than slicing the ship up and barging it off bit by bit -- will "minimize environmental impact, protect Giglio's economy and tourism industry, and maximize safety." After the ship is removed, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted. While the project is ongoing, the operation base will be located on the mainland near Piombino, where equipment and materials will be stored. This will mitigate impact on the island's port activities and leave Giglio's hotels open for tourists during the peak summer season.

Trip · #2 (**permalink**) May 18th, 2012, 08:18 PM

John, I hope you don't mind, but, this is a link to article about the Concordia. It will be easier to read...

Costa reveals plan to remove wrecked Concordia - Business - MiamiHerald.com

Donna · #3 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2012, 06:40 AM

Sure sounds like a lengthy process, hope what they actually plan, works.

Trip · #4 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2012, 08:09 AM

Donna, I thought the same thing.Not that it would happen 1- 2 -3, but a year? I'm sure the people of the island hoped it would be a quicker procedure...I hope all goes well.

Mike M · #5 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2012, 08:59 AM

I'm wondering how long it will take after she is refurbished before people will sail on her again.

I imagine that many people won't know or care but I do feel that it won't be the most popular vessel in whatever fleet she sails in.

I don't think I'd book a cruise on her.

Take care,
Mike

nlb1050 · #6 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2012, 10:11 AM

Mike M, from the article that John posted: "Gianni Onorato, Costa Crociere S.p.A. president, told Cruise Critic in early May that the ship will ultimately be scrapped."

I read this in another article as well. They decided that it was not worth refurbishing.

Mike M · #7 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2012, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nlb1050

Mike M, from the article that John posted: "Gianni Onorato, Costa Crociere S.p.A. president, told Cruise Critic in early May that the ship will ultimately be scrapped."

I read this in another article as well. They decided that it was not worth refurbishing.

Ooops: Missed that. Then again who listens to Cruise Critic.

Take care,
Mike

johnthed0g · #8 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2012, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike M

Ooops: Missed that. Then again who listens to Cruise Critic.

Take care,
Mike

Not me, can't see why anyone would want to either!

Donna · #9 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2012, 07:25 PM

I personally, think the cost alone to re-build it would be way more than just starting from scratch....Glad to hear it will be scrapped.