Demystifying Ship Recycling - Issue 05

Impermeable Floor at the Recycling Facilities in India. 

End-of-life vessels are delivered to the recycling facilities located on the coast of Alang, India. The Hong Kong Convention (HKC) compliant recycling facilities in India have built impermeable floors in recycling plots adjacent to the beach. The impermeable floors are constructed from multiple layers of gravel, coarse sand, plain cement concrete, and reinforced cement concrete. The usual thickness of the concrete floor is observed between 60 cm to 100 cm.

In fact, some yards have designed impermeable floors beyond the requirement and such yards have provided extra layers of geomembranes. The geo membranes have very low permeability, and they are made from synthetic materials such as High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE). Geo membranes used in impermeable flooring at ship recycling facilities are tear, impact, and puncture-resistant. These geomembranes prevent seepage of any fluids into the soil. 

The concrete floors are further protected from damages occurring due to heavy slices of the vessel’s hull by covering them with steel plates in secondary and tertiary cutting zones. These steel plates absorb the impact due to the heavy slice of the vessel’s structure. The damaged concrete surfaces are promptly repaired to avoid any seepage. Furthermore, these impermeable floors are connected to the drainage system.

The fluids such as oil, bilge water, and chemicals falling on the impermeable floor can be easily contained and cleaned on the impermeable floor. The rust particles, paint chips, and dust are collected and properly disposed of. The metal slag generated during the gas cutting is also collected and disposed of suitably.

Markings for emergency escape, muster stations, and various other identifications are done on the impermeable floor which keeps the markings intact for a longer time and makes convenient recognition for the workers. 

The scientific approach perceived by the HKC-compliant recycling facilities for sustainable ship recycling is noteworthy. 

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