Development of Armour Block Removing Equipment (Grab Type)

Abstract

Recently, enlargement of port facilities towards offshore zones or reconstruction of existing facilities has been requiring the removal or replacement of armour blocks used in breakwaters or quay walls. During the blocks removal, usually a diver slings a wire rope around each block and then crane lifts it. This task may be therefore inefficient and very dangerous for the diver. In this paper, the authors introduce an improved orange peel type grab bucket which makes the removal of armour blocks safe and efficient. The results obtained from tests performed with both a model of this equipment and its prototype are also presented.