Shipyard weight reconciliation

The engineering challenge

Weight reports must remain useful as a project moves from design into fabrication and actual shipyard conditions. Differences between reported and physical conditions need to be understood and reconciled.

My contribution

• Supported weight control plans, budgets, monthly reports, and fabrication procedures for an offshore drilling unit replacement for a spar buoy.
• Helped verify allowances and construction contingency using client specifications, ISO standards, and SAWE recommended practices.
• Spent two weeks in an Abu Dhabi shipyard in 2008 reconciling dry dock weight conditions against the weight report.
• Assisted the 2009 exit dry dock weight estimate, with favorable agreement between the actual floating condition and the weight report.

Deliverables & documented results

The 2009 estimate showed favorable agreement with the actual floating condition, as documented in Alfred’s résumé. His earlier shipyard assignment focused on reconciling differences between the dry dock condition and reported weights.