SMS Avonmouth Completes Refit of Tarmac Hopper Dredger

SMS Avonmouth, part of the Southampton-based SMS Group, has completed a major refit alongside in Bristol Port for Tarmac, and relocated to larger premises to meet localized demand.

The business has completed a major refit onboard the hopper dredger the City of Cardiff for Tarmac whilst simultaneously relocating to a new, larger, footprint.

“The City of Cardiff was built in 1997 and has been maintained to a high standard by Tarmac ever since; the refit was completed in a dedicated, controlled berth alongside in Bristol Port,” SMS said in its release.

SMS took ownership of the site, to include permits-to-work and site security, as well as the program of repair works.

Access works included removing and repairing hatches to machinery spaces, arranging a scaffold staircase into the hold and fabrication of a walkway around the upper funnel.

“SMS then U/T’d the cargo drainer sumps, overhauled the dredge pipe sliding piece and renewed the travelling discharge hopper. The company arranged scaffolding and U/T’d the discharger gantry thereafter repairing the discovered defects,” they stated.

Works included renewing gland water pipework, repairing the discharger torque arm, assisting with the dredge pump service/overhaul, repairing the trunnion carriage, replacing the discharge grab closing winch drum and de-scaling the calorifiers and overhauling the associated valves and pipework.

A separate team overhauled the windlass brake, changed out the intermediate gantry hydraulic cylinder (with the pins and cheek plates renewed), changed out the drag head hydraulic cylinder with pins and renewed the cheek plate.

They installed new EMS cables and installed new energy chain cables. The company also load tested fixed lifting points, renewed bulkhead skirting in the accommodation and bridge, serviced the rescue boat outboard motor, renewed F/W filling pipework and valves, made paint repairs to ballast tanks and renewed the hydraulic.