Victaulic Case study on Damen Cam River Shipyard piping system

The Damen-Cam River shipyard is a 42 hectare joint-venture development between the Damen Group (Netherlands) and Cam River Shipyard (Vietnam). The first phase of the yard will accommodate the building of 6 ships simultaneously.

Located in tropical Haiphong, Vietnam, storm water drainage systems play a critical role in maintaining safe and functional operations at the shipyard. Because of the heavy annual rainfall in the area, three pump sets were specified for the drainage system to handle the volume, along with large diameter piping from 24-28”/600-700 mm O.D.

The pipe joining method was carefully considered by the consultant, Royal Haskoning. Welding large diameter pipes of this size in humid conditions can potentially affect the joint integrity of the weld. In addition, limited availability of skilled welders was a consideration, so Royal Haskoning preferred a cold-formed, easy-to-assemble joint. The consultant also considered the challenge of equipment servicing and future maintenance when dealing with a welded and flanged system, which make it difficult to access components and require the disassembly of dozens of bolts and nuts in larger diameter sizes. Ultimately, the consultant chose the Victaulic Advance Groove System (AGS) to overcome these challenges.

Faced with a tight 6-month installation schedule, strict Quality Assurance requirements and a commitment to on-site safety during installation, the contractor Sigma Engineering readily agreed to use the Victaulic grooved piping method. Not only did Victaulic AGS couplings and valves offer a cold-formed solution that eliminated the need to weld onsite, visual confirmation of correct installation gave the contractor confidence that their installation team was properly installing components. Victaulic Flexible Couplings were able to replace rubber bellows and flex connectors to absorb the pumps’ vibration, further reducing potential leak paths in the system. Finally, as a two-bolt, two-housing union, Victaulic couplings make future system maintenance fast and easy.

- Source: Victaulic.com -