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Thursday 26 September 2013

Large Structures - Thematic Photography

When working at Rosenberg Verft in Stavanger. Norway in the 1980s I was involved with the construction of a large structure which was to become the Statfjord B platform in the North Sea. The topside structure was built on dummy concrete leg supports at the Rosenberg yard.

Statfjord B Deck
To give you an idea of scale, the white living quarters at the right is 7 stories high.

The height of the deck from the concrete legs to the top of the drilling derrick in the centre of the picture below was 171m, if my memory is correct.

Statfjord B Deck
The concrete storage cells and the four concrete legs were slip formed and subsequently outfitted at Gandsfjord also in Stavanger.

Statfjord B Gravity Base Structure
The storage cell (effectively below the water line in this shot) are 23m in diameter and 64m high; four of the 24 cells are extended by the  111m high legs.

The deck structure was mated with legs at a deep water site at Vats, before the completed platform seen below was towed out to its position in the Norwegian North Sea. The concrete cells sit on the sea bed with most of the four legs also submerged..

By comparison the barrage across the River Tees at Stockton is a much more modest affair, but impressive nevertheless.

Tees Barrage with the river in flood.
You have seen shots of the next structure before but as it's from my local town I'll show it again.

Yarm Viaduct
For more large structures you need to check out the links at Carmi's Thematic-photographic-262.




9 comments:

21 Wits said...

Lucky for you Bob! The 1980's too, that must have been something. I don't think any of us can top those first two. How interesting to see the process unfold, or rather be built, piece by piece!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. those oil platforms are enormous aren't they .. almost makes me cringe thinking about them - fabulous photos - that you've brought out for your structure theme ..

Cheers - and Yarm I always love seeing .. Hilary

Gilly said...

Well yes, that first one definitely qualifies as large!! ;)

Love the photos, the viaduct is great, we had a big viaduct near where I lived as a child - it fascinated me!

Michèle et Jean-Claude said...

Wow, great shots of that platform that is very impressive!

Jo said...

What a huge structure. Amazing what man achieves sometimes. I love the Yarm aqueduct pictures. You can trot them out any time as far as I am concerned.

Unknown said...

Impressive structures (that oil platform is gigantic)!

Max Sartin said...

That deck is amazing.

carmilevy said...

That platform is breathtaking, Bob! I was processing the numbers in my head and still couldn't fathom the immense size. Instead, I took in your great pictures and it all made sense. What an experience that must have been for you!

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Seven story living quarters?

That's a lot of people to hang out with, out in the North Sea!
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