Design, Build & Installation of Gripper Arms for MPI Offshore Wind Projects

Houlder was contracted in a turnkey arrangement by MPI Offshore to lead the design, fabrication, installation and commissioning of a pair of “gripper arms” to maintain offshore wind turbine piles in place during offshore wind projects. The bespoke arms are installed on MPI jack up vessel to achieve the following:•Aid the installation of piles in up to 40m of water •Handle piles of up to 650T weight •Handle piles of up to 65m length •Handle piles of up to 7m diameter The 200t hydraulic arms, built in to the MPI Discovery stern, provide the horizontal restraint required to support the piles in the vertical position while they are being driven. When the arms are stowed, they are mechanically and manually “latched” at main deck level, allowing the vessel to safely transit and the hydraulic system to be powered off. Peter Robinson, Managing Director of MPI Offshore Ltd said, “We are delighted with the final engineered solution created by Houlder Ltd. Both their engineers and ours have worked in collaboration to construct this equipment to exacting standards. Both arms can be controlled from a single console to be located on the deck. The console is fitted with a 1 X-Y joystick, emergency stop and one touch screen panel for information and mode selection. Structurally, the Gripper Arms and associated vessel reinforcement are designed against DNV Classification Rules and fully checked using finite element analysis. Houlder managed the project from initial concept design through to installation and commissioning with the support and involvement of MPIC and MPI Vessel Management.

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