VESSEL REVIEW | Tiejian Daqiaoqi 2 – Chinese crane barge built for inland and offshore waters

China Railway Construction Corporation (CRC) has taken delivery of a new non-self-propelled crane barge built by local company Dajin Heavy Industries.

Tiejian Daqiaoqi 2 (铁建大桥起2; “Iron Bridge 2") is notable for being one of the first Chinese-built revolving crane barges designed to comply with seagoing vessel regulations as well as the height limitations being enforced in the Yangtze River.

The vessel will be operated by CRC's Bridge Engineering Bureau and will be used primarily for bridge construction projects, particularly the lifting and installation of prefabricated bridge segments. The deck equipment therefore includes a fully rotating, retractable crane with a maximum lifting capacity of 1,300 tons.

Tiejian Daqiaoqi 2 has an LOA of 130 metres (430 feet), a beam of 37.2 metres (122 feet), a draught of 6.5 metres (21 feet), a depth of 8.8 metres (29 feet), a maximum sailing height of 24 metres (79 feet), and a deadweight of 6,500.

Positioning and ballast systems ensuring safe lifting operations

Also fitted are two smaller auxiliary cranes, a DP1 system, an eight-point mooring system, and intelligent systems such as those for load adjustment and roll damping.

When the vessel is conducting full-rotating lifting operations, the ballast water in the relevant ballast tank of the vessel will be ballasted, discharged, and adjusted as necessary. The vessel is then able to adopt the necessary inclinations applicable under a broad range of installation scenarios, thus ensuring safe lifting operations under mild to moderate sea conditions.

Versatile platform for various types of installation projects

The vessel's initial deployment will be in Zhejiang province, where it will assist in the construction of the Qinglongmen Highway Bridge near Zhoushan Port.

Tiejian Daqiaoqi 2 was designed by the Marine Design and Research Institute of China in compliance with China Classification Society rules. It is the ninth vessel to join CRC's current active fleet of marine construction assets.

In addition to being used for bridge construction projects, the crane barge may also support other offshore installation works such as steel pipe pile driving and steel cofferdam installation.