How Frond Mats Work
SASMAP's purpose is to develop new technologies and best practices in order to locate, assess...
Arklow Bank is a shallow-water sandbank located 10km off the east coast of Ireland in approximately 3MWD. It is exposed to strong currents, frequently exceeding 2m/s, breaking waves and has a dynamic sand/gravel seabed.
Type25 SSCS frond mats were installed around the 1m-diameter met mast pile foundation standing in 5MWD to prevent scour and provide permanent scour-protection.
The post-installation survey showed the successful application and effectiveness of the mats with a build-up of sediment providing a stable protective sand bank, such that the buoyant fronds 1.25m in length were completely buried and no longer visible.
Specially designed SSCS frond mats were later installed around two of the 6.3m-diameter turbine pile foundations and along associated power cables to rectify scour and provide permanent protection following the failure of rock armour.
Rock armour, installed shortly after pile installation to provide scour-protection, was found during post-installation surveys nine months after installation to have dissipated and sunk below the natural seabed level, exposing the pile and cables and creating scour to a depth of 4m and extending to approximately 20m from the pile edge.
The SSCS frond mats were installed between and around the few remaining rocks to rectify this scour, reinstate the seabed soils and provide long-term protection.
The 2011 Completion Report of the remedial works provided by GE Energy and prepared by Island Maritime Ltd indicated ongoing successful performance of the SSCS frond mats:
SASMAP's purpose is to develop new technologies and best practices in order to locate, assess...
SSCS has been supplying Type 12 and Type 25 frond mats to major Chinese oil...
A quantity of SSCS weighted frond mats were delivered to the GMS Endeavour during June...
SSCS presents this timeline of noteworthy projects of the past ten years.Please download the timeline...