Comparative study for naval repairs using longitudinal slipway or airbags

Abstract

Ship repair has gained prominence as a service offered at the shipyards following a crisis in the shipbuilding industry, which has seen a fall in demand for new constructions, causing many companies in the sector to stall, especially shipyards. For a repair yard to be economically viable, in times of crisis, cost reduction is essential to make a sustainable business, so this comparative study aims to check the technical and economic feasibility of this change in the type of dry-docking. The present work deals with a comparative study between the use of the longitudinal slipway and the airbags for dry-docking and repair of river barges. The study sought to identify data from the vessels used for this project, to verify the average displacement of these vessels to analyze the airbags' carrying capacity, as well as the size of the winch to perform the dry-docking service. Since most repair yards use leased areas, the flexibility achieved with the use of airbags, as well as the reduced need for investments in the area, are benefits provided by using them. This work presented satisfactory results for the use of river barge docking airbags as a competitive alternative in repair services.