HighWire Taut Wire System Upgrade
On behalf of its client Boskalis, Seatools has completed the upgrade of a HighWire survey grade taut wire system. The upgraded position reference system will be deployed to determine the position of a subsea cable plough during a subsea cable installation project. Initially delivered in 2001, the HighWire system has been used during the installation of submerged sewage outfall pipes in challenging conditions. Because of their positive experience using the HighWire system, Boskalis decided to rely on the system again. This time, however, the wire orientation needed to be changed from nearly vertical to nearly horizontal. Although the update required fundamental modifications of both the system’s mechanical design and its software, alterations were made in as little as three weeks. The upgraded system performed excellently during factory testing, outstripping the 2001 accuracy level of 1cm, measured across significant distances.
Jan Frumau, Managing Director at Seatools: “In our industry, taut wire systems are mostly commonly deployed as DP position reference systems. However, the technology can be used for all types of offshore operations that require the accurate and real-time measurement of submerged objects, such as uninterrupted pile driving, mudmat or caisson installation, and marine civil engineering projects. Particularly owing to their robustness, ability to cope with ambient noise, and mixed zone applicability, taut wires make an ideal choice for a wide variety of underwater operations.”