Continuous Ship Unloader CSU 800/30

Seaforth Dock (also known as Royal Seaforth Dock) is a purpose-built container terminal on the River Mersey north of Liverpool (UK). As part of the Terminal's logistics modernization and reorganization activity, the client Cargill (https://www.cargill.co.uk/en/liverpool-location) requested the design of a new unloading machine to replace the current unloader soon to be decommissioned due to reaching operating limits.

LMSTEEL Consulting sagl was involved in the structural design of the new Continuous Ship Unloader (CSU) with a nominal discharge capacity of 800 Ton/h from the preliminary phase up to the construction design.

The machine is composed of the following parts:

• Base with portal structure resting on 4 trolleys sliding on rails along the axis of the platform
• Access plan for inspection and maintenance operations under the fifth wheel
• Revolving upper section formed by horizontal and vertical booms moved by oleo-dynamic cylinders
• Chain conveyors for bulk material collection, "buffer" tank for material storage awaiting transport on existing dock belt

For the structural design, the most stringent regulations on the subject were used including Eurocode UNI EN 1993 "Design of steel structures", CNR-UNI 10011 and FEM 2 131/ 2 132 "Rules for the design of mobile equipment for the movement of bulk materials". In particular, our mission has developed the following activities:

• Basic and detailed Structural Design through the development of a finite element model of the entire steel structure using "beams" type elements considering the various operational orientations of the arm during the operational phases, and the creation of "plates" type local models for checking the local tension state of the fifth wheel support, the anti-hurricane pin, and the lifting eyebolts
• 3D BIM geometric design with the “Tekla Structures” software considering all the equipment: trolleys, electrical cabins and motorization generator, lyre and cable reel, chain elevator, horizontal conveyor belt, counterweights, winch, shutters and filters, lifting cylinders and boom rotation , cutter group
• Workshop and assembly plans for the construction of metal carpentry
• Calculation report including stability and balance checks