Submersible cranes under development
31 March 2009
In response to news of the proposed trans-Atlantic bridge, IC has learned that several crane manufacturers and third party suppliers are rushing to develop conversion kits for mobile and crawler cranes so that they can assist in the underwater portions of the bridge's construction.
Project website
A special website for the project went live on the morning of 1 April. Click here for more details.
Conversion kits
The kits will turn the cranes into submersible lifting machines for deep water operation on the sea bed. "We spoke to our fenestration solutions provider who told us that it won't take long to come up with a spec for waterproofing the operator cabins and strengthening the windows to withstand the pressure. They plan to use high-modulus silicone sealer and self adhesive polyester window film (the plain clear one, not the patterned stuff)," one manufacturer told IC.
"As a supplier of air conditioning units this is our area of expertise so, to help the operators to breathe, we are developing a hybrid liquid-air system with a bank of scuba diving tanks on the rear deck," an OEM component supplier told IC.
All modifications should be suitable for DIY installation by mechanically competent owners. Manufacturers refused to comment on the prospects of developing the 5.6 km boom and jib extensions needed in the later stages of the project. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," was one response.
