A Guide To Lifting Beams and Spreaders

Invited paper for World Maritime Technology Conference, San Francisco October 2003
Revised after review comments 18Apri2003
Rigging Selection and Lift Point Design for Heavy Lift
Y.S. Choo
BSc, MSc, PhD, FASCE, FIMarEST, FRINA, CEng, PEng
National University of Singapore, Singapore
ABSTRACT
This paper presents examples to highlight the engineering considerations for rigging
selection and associated lift point designs for a number of heavy lift projects. It also highlights
results from systematic field instrumentation on doubled slings that show that current industry
recommendation for a 55/45 ratio for sling tension distribution is un-conservative for skew
rigging arrangement. This has significant implication on the lift point design, especially for
plate trunnions, with regards to moments resulting from the uneven doubled sling tension acting
on both sides of the main-plate. Selected results on fabricated pipe trunnions establish the
superior performance of pipe trunnions with through-brace arrangement. The associated
considerations for attachment of lift point to structure are also highlighted. The paper
demonstrates that successful solution for heavy lift project can be readily found through expert
knowledge, with consistent selection and proportioning of key components of the lift system.
Keywords: Heavy lift, knowledge-based system, padeye, trunnion, lifting, strength, design,
fabrication, installation
AUTHORS BIOGRAPHY
Dr Y.S. Choo is Associate Professor in Department of Civil Engineering and Director of Centre
for Offshore & Maritime Engineering in National University of Singapore. He was President of
Singapore Structural Steel Society (in 1992-94) and served in the Board of Directors,
International Society of Offshore & Polar Engineers (in 2000-02). He serves as technical
consultant on fabrication and lift installation of major marine and offshore projects. His
research interests include installation engineering, knowledge-based system development, and
strength of tubular and plated structures.
INTRODUCTION
Heavy lift is one of the major operations in marine and offshore installation, and is also
extensively deployed in shipbuilding. Due to the advancement in heavy lift technology, large
modularised ship blocks may be fully outfitted, and then lifted and joined to form the entire ship.
Similarly, an offshore structure may be fabricated in a yard, transported to the selected offshore
location, and then installed by lifting. Sheerleg crane barges (vessels) are suitable for operations
in relatively shallow waters and provide requisite capabilities for lifting large ship blocks or
offshore modules.
This paper presents the engineering and installation considerations with regards to
rigging selection and lift point design for heavy lift through projects which the author has been
involved in. The lift installations of these structures (or modules as generically referred to in this
paper), each weighing more than 1000 tonne, have been successfully carried out using the Asian
Hercules II sheerleg crane barge, and the projects are chosen to illustrate different rigging
systems and associated lift points adopted. The module structures were lifted near shore, where
lift dynamics was observed to be minimal.
RIGGING SELECTION
The importance of good conceptual and preliminary designs in the development of safe
and cost-effective lifting schemes and procedures has been highlighted by Crowle1 and Fern and
Griffin2. Offshore hook-up and commissioning costs are very high as compared to those for
doing the same work onshore. Thus, it is necessary to focus on the installation phase and to
design the structures for ease of construction and installation. Fern and Griffin2 highlighted that
the structural design of the Piper B and Saltire A topsides was dominated by the installation
considerations. Incorrect selection of rigging arrangement may lead to damage of components,
structural failure or personal injury and may thus have major implications to the project cost and
schedule.
In recognition of the importance of installation engineering, the author and his colleagues
have been involved in research and development on various aspects of heavy lift. Choo et al.3
presented a knowledge-based approach for lift installation using case-based reasoning and
demonstrated the capability of the C-LIFT software through liftability studies. The knowledge-
based approach was further enhanced over the period, and Choo et al.4 presented the heavy lift
design system (H-LIFT) that provided computer-based support to engineers involved with heavy
lifts using sheerleg crane barges. The knowledge base incorporated the domain knowledge on
heavy lift, design criteria5,6 and research results reported by his group on strength of lift point
components, including padeyes7,8, fabricated plate trunnions9-11, fabricated pipe trunnions12,13
and sling load distribution14-16.
It is recognized that the maximum dimensions of modules are constrained by the crane
capacity and reach of the crane barge, and the minimum clearance requirements between the
module and the crane boom due to the rapid fall off in the crane capacity with lift radius
(Mayfield & Zimmerman17; Corcoran18; Mawer et al.19). The selection of appropriate rigging
configuration is thus an integral part of heavy lift engineering, and is illustrated through three
projects in this paper.
In Fig 1, a single hook-4 lift point rigging arrangement using 3 spreader bars was used to
lift and position a 1200 tonne module onto the Laminaria FPSO (Floating Production, Storage
and Offloading) vessel in Sembawang Shipyard (Singapore). In the figure, it can be noted that
the module was sitting on the transport barge during preparations for lifting. The transport barge
was then towed away after the module was lifted from the barge. The module was then placed
onto the FPSO vessel. It can be observed that process equipment was positioned above the main
deck level and this excluded the use of a simple single hook-4 sling arrangement. In this case,
the provision of an appropriate length top bar, and correct sling lengths to suit the centre of
gravity of the lift system, helped ensure that the two bars at the lower level were vertically above
the lift points. In this configuration, the adoption of plate trunnions at four strong points of the
module enabled placement of the doubled slings to be completed very quickly for lift installation
(as illustrated in Fig 2).
Hook
Rigging
Module
Crane Barge
Transport Barge
FPSO Vessel
Site
Fig 1. Lift installation of process module using 3-bar rigging system onto FPSO vessel
Doubled slings
Plate trunnion Plate trunnion
Fig 2. Rigging up for module lift. Riggers positioning doubled slings onto plate trunnions.
Fig 3 shows the lift installation of the second deck module of the Cajun Express semi-
submersible vessel using a single hook-4 lift point rigging arrangement In this case, each of the
four lift points adopted to connect the slings to the module structure was a fabricated pipe
trunnion, which will be described in detail in later sections of this paper. One key consideration
in the lifting of the module was potential interference between the module and the A-frame
structure of the crane barge (as can be observed in Fig 3).
Hook
Rigging
Module
Semi-submersible
Vessel
Crane Barge Site
Fig 3. Lift installation of side block using single hook-4 slings rigging arrangement
Another lift installation example is shown in Fig 4, with a multi-tier rigging system
involving doubled slings (around special sheaves which enabled sling tension equalisation for
the doubled slings) and twelve lift points at the module to ensure minimal deformation of the
flexible deck panel during lifting. The plan dimensions of the deck panel measured
approximately 90m length and 45 m width, and the lift weight was approximately 1100 tonne.
In this project, special techniques and algorithms were developed to enable the engineers to
optimise selection of the available slings, and to maintain the stresses in the system to be within
allowable limits. With the available strong points at the deck column positions (which were
located along reference grid-lines with somewhat different spacings), and known sling angles
based on the centre of gravity of the lift system, padeyes (such as one shown in Fig 5) were
designed for the lift operation. It can be noted from Fig 5 that due to the high bearing stress
imposed by the shackle pin onto the padeye hole, cheek plates were welded on both sides of the
main plate to ensure that the stresses were within allowable limits. The main plate was slotted to
the circular pipe extension and the weld provided resistance to the sling load through in-plane
shear and bending. Reinforcement gusset plates were placed to provide out-of-plane support to
the main plate.
Hook
Rigging
Module
Crane Barge
Site
Fig 4. Lift installation of Malampaya weather deck using multi-tier rigging system
Main-plate
Reinforcement
gusset plate
cheek-plate
Pin-hole
Attachment to structure
Fig 5. Padeye Detail (with main plate slotted to pipe extension for offshore deck structure)
HEAVY LIFT DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Figs 2 to 4 have shown three different module structures successfully lift installed using
different rigging systems, and the associated lift points. In each of the figures, the crane barge,
site, module, rigging and hook are highlighted to show the variety of rigging systems selected.
It may be mentioned that the objective of a heavy lift operation is to safely lift a module from
the start (pick-up) site and accurately install it at the target (put-down) site. In heavy lift design,
as illustrated in Fig 6, the basic input data from sites (start and target sites), module, and crane
barge are consolidated and processed to derive the lift procedure, rigging arrangement and
details for rigging components while satisfying the constraints due to structural behaviour,
geometrical arrangement and other contingency requirements. Some of the tasks and
considerations for heavy lift design involving the use of a sheerleg crane barge are discussed
below. Details on design criteria and recommendations can be found in API5, DnV6, Mayfield
& Zimmerman17, Mawer et al.19 , Bunce & Wyatt20, Brown & Root21 and Shell22.
Site Structural Behaviour

Heavy
Module Lift Geometrical Constraints
Design
Barge Contingency Requirements
Lift Operation Rigging Arrangement Component Design
Fig 6. Heavy Lift Considerations and Associated Design Tasks
The start and target sites should be investigated for the necessary barge access and
manoeuvring. The start site may be the location where the module is fabricated, while the target
site may be the location for final system integration. The water depth at the location, geometrical
details of the module and other adjacent objects, and relevant characteristics at both start and
target sites will affect the accessibility, movement and gesture (that is, barge orientation, boom
and jib angles) of the crane barge, and the associated rigging configurations should be
considered.
The inclination angles of main boom and fly jib of the chosen sheerleg crane barge
should be appropriately selected to accomplish the lift task. The selection of these angles is
subjected to constraints such as the lift capacity, outreach, module weight and geometry, rigging
arrangement and the clearances between various objects involved. Hook height limitation,
which is a function of crane boom angle (with associated outreach tied to the boom length) and
draft of the crane barge are also important considerations.
Lift points are generally located at the available strong points in the module to prevent
excessive structural deformation or damage during the lifting operation. These lift points should
be selected to allow the lifting forces to flow smoothly into the main structural members. In
addition, the compatibility of the rigging selected and the associated lift point type (padeye,
plate trunnion or pipe trunnion) requires detailed considerations. In certain cases, reinforcement
may be required to strengthen the module and to maintain the geometric dimensions to ensure
tight tolerances for assembly. Special attention needs to be given to the local deformation and
stresses of the lifted module, as well as the assembled blocks during the assembling operations
to ensure that contact and impact forces are minimised.
The rigging arrangement to be selected should consider the available strong points in the
module and other installation requirements. A spreader bar or frame, with appropriate rigging
arrangement, may be used to prevent physical interference and protect the exposed equipment
from damage (as seen in Fig 1). A greater sling angle, with respect to the horizontal plane,
generally results in proportionally smaller compressive forces acting on the module structure.
For the proposed sling angle, the strength and associated capacity of the crane hook prongs
needs to be checked.
KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEM FOR HEAVY LIFT (H-LIFT)
Based on the research and development efforts and knowledge generated over the last
decade, the author and his colleagues have developed a knowledge-based system for heavy lift
(H-LIFT) which served as an assistant for engineers to evaluate possible rigging schemes and
check the suitability of designed components. Choo et al.4 presented details on the H-LIFT
software and illustrated its features through design examples.
The multi-tier rigging system adopted for the lift installation of the Malampaya weather
deck was first developed and implemented within H-LIFT. This enable pre-planning and
visualisation of the lift sequence, and Fig 7 shows the crane barge lifting the module from the
pick-up location. The actual lift installation using the multi-tier rigging scheme was
successfully carried out, as shown in Fig 4.
Fig 7. Pre-planning of the Malampaya weather deck using the H-LIFT knowledge-based system
The use of more lift points helps to prevent the module from local over-stress and
excessive deformation during lifting, as shown in Figs 4 and 7 for the lift installation of the
Malampaya weather deck. As reported by Selvakumar and Choo23, the flexible module required
twelve lift points to be provided such that a rigging system with multiple tiers of doubled slings
minimised the distortion during lifting. It is also pertinent to re-iterate that each of the doubled
slings for the Malampaya deck lift passed through a smooth sheave system which minimised the
frictional effect on the doubled sling.
FORCE SPLIT RATIO FOR DOUBLED SLING
Doubled slings are commonly used in lift installation of structures, as illustrated in Figs 2
and 4. Current industrial practice recognises that the frictional effect at the hook on the doubled
sling may result in a force split ratio (i.e. ratio of larger to smaller tension experienced by the
two arms of the doubled sling, for example T1/T2 as shown in Fig 7) of 55/45=1.22. The author
and his colleagues14 found that the force split ratio for un-symmetrical rigging arrangement was
higher than 1.22. As a result of the preliminary findings, the author worked with Heerema to
conduct systematic field measurements on the effect of sling friction on force split ratio15. The
sling friction measurement was conducted on board of the semi-submersible crane vessel,
Hermod, in Singapore.
The objective of the field measurement is to obtain realistic values of the force split ratio
for doubled slings. Three series of tests for the doubled sling arrangement, including different
sling diameters and lengths, and hook blocks with greased and un-greased hook surfaces, were
conducted.
Fig 8 is a snap-shot of one of the test series B in which each of the two slings is doubled
at the crane hook prong. Fig 9 shows the schematic arrangement of the test setup, in which two
specially designed padeye assemblies (with rotating feature to cater for different combinations of
sling lengths and sling angles) were welded to the Hermod deck. At each end of the doubled
sling, one of the two shackles was instrumented with strain gauges attached to the two arms of
the shackle and pre-calibrated with given sling tension. Continuous data logging was carried out
during the load cycle as the hook load was incrementally increased to the planned magnitude.
Post-processing was subsequently performed for each load level, and the force split ratio
corresponding to the ratio of TA/TB or TC/TD (as indicated in Fig 9) was computed.
T1
T2
Fig 8. Doubled-sling tension measurement on-board heavy lift vessel, Hermod.

(Tension on two arms of doubled sling indicated as T1 and T2 respectively.)
Hook Load
TD
T
TA TB
Z X
Y
Rotating padeye assembly
Fig 9. Schematic arrangement of doubled slings connected to instrumented shackles

attached to rotating padeye assembly.
For series B-6, the loading cycle consisted of two stages, in which stage one
corresponded to symmetrical rigging configuration when the hook was first positioned vertically
above the geometric centre of the test set-up (as shown in Position 1 in Fig 10a) before the hook
load was incrementally increased, and subsequently unloaded. For stage two, the crane boom
was lowered such that the boom tip had a horizontal offset of 1m (to Position 2 in Fig 10b). The
hook load was then incrementally increased, resulting in an un-symmetrical (or skew) rigging
configuration.
Position 1 Position 2
Hook Hook
Contact angle
T1 T2
T2 T1
after boom
before down
boom down
Z
(a) (b)
Y
Fig 10. Doubled sling arrangement (shown in Y-Z plane) to measure sling tensions T1 and
T2 for symmetrical rigging arrangement (before boom down) and skew rigging
arrangement (after boom down).
The force split ratio observed in series B-6 is plotted against time for the two different
stages in Fig 11. The measured results show that under symmetrical rigging configuration, the
assumed force split ratio of 1.22 provides a reasonable basis for design. However, when the
inclined hook load or an unsymmetrical rigging arrangement is adopted, a higher force split ratio
(>1.5) may exist in the two arms of the doubled sling. Based on the other measurements, a
larger contact angle (i.e. longer contact length around the hook prong) is found to result in a
higher force split ratio which is significantly larger than the value of 1.22 as assumed by
industry. The details of the test arrangement, procedure and results are reported by Choo and
Ju15, and Choo et al.16. The measured results have direct implication to plate trunnion design
with un-symmetrical rigging arrangement as the higher force split ratio for the doubled sling will
introduce additional out-of-plane moment to the main plate of the trunnion and may therefore
overstress the plate trunnion.
1.8
Force split ratio
1.6
= (T1/T2)
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6 Time to pick Time to pick

ratio before ratio after
0.4 boom down boom down
0.2
0.0 Time (s)

0 50 100 150 200
Fig 11. Variation of force split ratio for Test B-6 for symmetrical rigging configuration (before 100
seconds) and ratio for subsequent skew rigging configuration . Curves with solid squares and circles
correspond to doubled slings AB and CD respectively
FABRICATED PIPE TRUNNIONS FOR PLATED STRUCTURES
In this section, the concept of fabricated pipe trunnions which the author has extended to
lift installation of plated structures is presented, as indicated in Figs 12 and 13. In Fig 12, the lift
installation of the 2400 tonne centre block using a dual hook four lift point system was
adopted for the Cajun Express project. It can be readily observed in Fig 12b that the deck
longitudinal bulkhead has been utilised in the installation of the side blocks onto the four column
tops of the semi-submersible. In order to ensure compatibility in the deck deflections for the
centre block and the side block (with the longitudinal bulkhead imparting the structural
stiffness), a temporary truss consisting of circular hollow section members and two support
girders were provided on each of the open sides of the centre block. Upon final placement of the
centre block onto the four column top supports, the support girders rested on top of the main
deck, thus resulting in a total of eight support points and ensured good matching of the deck
plating which was essential for integration of the deck blocks.
It is appropriate to highlight that the four locations selected for attaching the pipe
trunnions to the centre block were the most appropriate locations due to the intersection of the
primary transverse and longitudinal bulkheads. If additional lift points were selected, this might
have resulted in relative distortion of the deck during lifting and thus would be counter-
productive.
The flexibility in proportioning the dimensions of the fabricated pipe trunnions and the
more efficient load transfer to the plated structure have demonstrated its distinct advantages over
the more conventional padeye design (which would have required significantly thicker main
plates and associated reinforcement around the padeye area in view of the diagonal sling
configuration). The lower portion of the pipe trunnion, which was pre-slotted, facilitated the
placement onto the longitudinal-transverse bulkhead cruciform. After welding, the resulting
structural arrangement enhanced the load carrying capacity of the pipe trunnion.
Support girder
Pipe trunnion
Support seating
Fig 12. Installation of centre block using dual hook four sling scheme with pipe trunnions.
(a) Crane vessel approaching semi-submersible
(b) Structural arrangement on centre block to ensure compatible deformation of deck plates
Fig 13 shows the structural arrangement for one of the pipe trunnions designed for lifting
the two side blocks of the Cajun Express. For this pipe trunnion, the lower portion of the
circular chord was first welded to the cruciform (consisting of the side shell, transverse bulkhead
and additional plate). Based on the rigging arrangement which was consistent with the known
module centre of gravity and other requirements, the upper pipe chord axis was aligned along
the sling direction, with full penetration weld provided to connect the lower chord section (with
the line of full penetration weld visible in Fig 13). Additional gusset plates connecting the pipe
chords to the side shell provided reinforcement to the overall lift point connection.
Fig 13. Pipe trunnion use for side block lift of Cajun Express. Note provision of gusset plates to
strengthen trunnion-to-structure attachment
Another effective use of fabricated pipe trunnions is for overturning of a module, which
involves the sliding of the doubled sling (connected to either side of the pipe chord) around the
circumference of the side braces of the trunnion. Fig 14 shows the arrangement for a dual
hook-four lift point rigging scheme which relies on trunnions 1 and 2 to serve as pivot points
during the complete overturning cycle while trunnions 3 and 4 (connected to slings to Crane B)
are only used during half the overturning cycle. These two slings are then disconnected from
trunnions 3 and 4, before attachment to trunnions 5 and 6 to complete the overall lift cycle.
Fig 14. Schematic view of flip-over procedure for offshore module through use of pipe trunnions.
STRENGTH OF FABRICATED TRUNNIONS
Although fabricated pipe or plate trunnions have been used in many offshore engineering
projects, the recommendations (such as Brown & Root21 and API5) do not provide sufficient
guidelines for design. In view of the growing importance of fabricated trunnions for heavy lift,
the authors and his colleagues9-13 have conducted research into the behaviour and strength of
trunnions. This section highlights the superior performance of a structural scheme, termed the
through-pipe trunnion, as compared to a standard X-joint arrangement through systematic tests
and nonlinear finite element studies.
Choo et al.12 presented experimental and numerical results for seven large-scale tests on
fabricated pipe trunnions with different chord diameter-to-thickness ratios (with 20= d0/t0=24.5,
33.4 and 40.6) and three structural arrangement: chord with side braces (X-joint), chord with
through pipe brace, and chord with through shear plate and side braces. Fig 15 shows the test
arrangement within the test frame with the 10,000 kN displacement-controlled actuator. The
actuator incrementally applied a downward displacement onto the pipe chord, and the two
saddles supporting the pipe braces provided the associated reaction within the self-reacting test
frame.
Fig 15. Test arrangement for fabricated trunnions using the 10000 kN computer-controlled actuator in
NUS.
Table 1 summarises the geometric dimensions and material properties, and maximum
load, Pu,test applied to specimens CT5 (with side braces) and CT7 (with through pipe brace). It
can be noted that for CT5, both the chord and brace wall thicknesses (t0 and t1) and the chord
yield stress (y0) are larger than those of CT7. In Table 1, the chord and brace diameter-to-
thickness ratio is referred as 20=d0/t0 and 21=d1/t1, while the brace-to-chord wall thickness
ratio is =t1/t0. After the tests, the observed failure modes are shown in Fig 16, with significant
chord plastification for specimen CT5 and brace yielding for specimen CT7. From the tests, it is
clearly shown that the through-brace trunnion specimen CT7 attained higher strength than CT5,
despite thinner chord and brace wall thicknesses. This is due to the direct load path for the
continuous brace pipe which places less demand on the pipe chord for CT7, while the side
braces of CT5 transfers the brace shear load through chord wall bending, which is less efficient.
Similar observations were made for other specimens as reported by Choo et al.12
Table 1 Sectional Properties and Strength of Fabricated Trunnions
Specimen Chord Brace Geometric Ratios Pu,test

d0 t0 y0 d1 t1 y1 20 21 (kN)
(mm) (mm) (MPa) (mm) (mm) (MPa)
CT5 508 15.2 467 406 17.0 250 33.4 23.9 1.1 4260
CT7 508 12.5 350 406 12.5 376 40.6 32.5 1.0 5160
Through
Brace Brace
Chord Chord
Fig
16. Front view of fabricated trunnion test specimens CT5 and CT7, showing
(a) failure due to chord plastification
(b) failure due to brace shear failure
The left-hand side of either Fig 17a or 17b shows the view of one quarter of specimen
CT5 or CT7 (after flame cutting and grinding). The right-hand side of either Fig 17a or 17b
shows the deformed shape and stress distributions of the specimen obtained through nonlinear
finite element analysis. It can be observed that the computed deformed shapes match those of
the tests closely. The thick bearing plate which was provided to transfer the support reaction to
the brace can be observed.
Side
Through
Brace
Brace
CT5 CT7
Fig 17. Comparisons of cut-away views of deformed shapes of test specimens CT5 and CT7
with nonlinear finite element predictions:
(a) significant yielding and distortion of chord wall, with brace remaining elastic
(b) significant shear yielding of brace, and minimal distortion of chord wall
For CT5, it is seen that the brace remained relatively un-distorted while there is
significant chord wall bending at the top position of the brace-chord intersection. In addition,
the pipe chord section below the brace is seen to be pulled away from the chord longitudinal
axis. For CT7, the through pipe brace is seen to have significantly deformed through shear
yielding outside the chord pipe region, while there is no noticeable pipe chord deformation.
Thus, the through pipe brace arrangement does not require through-thickness property of the
chord material whereas there may be more stringent requirements for the side brace arrangement
(as indicated in Fig 17a).
As summarised in Table 1, CT7 with the through pipe brace arrangement sustained
higher load than CT5 which has thicker chord and brace wall thicknesses. The through pipe is
observed to provide more efficient load transfer with no direct through-thickness requirement on
the pipe chord material. With proper proportioning, this structural scheme can be readily
adopted for heavy lift installation of structures.
DISCUSSION
The previous sections have covered project examples which illustrate various rigging
arrangement selected, field instrumentation for doubled sling arrangement, and research into
fabricated pipe trunnions to highlight recent efforts which aim to better understand the
engineering issues related to heavy lift. In this section, the considerations for sling load
distribution, lift point attachment to structure and fabrication aspects are discussed.
Sling Load Distribution
A single hook-4 point lift is statically indeterminate and is thus significantly influenced
by sling length inaccuracies, sling stiffness and structure stiffness5,6,20-22. The variations of skew
load factors versus sling length misfit are presented by Mawer et al.19. A tandem crane lift is
generally statically determinate, and variations in sling lengths within normal tolerances give
insignificant deviations in sling loads.
For a doubled sling, the tension on each arm of the sling will be different due to
frictional effects over the hook or the trunnion brace. These frictional effects are supposed to be
taken into account by a force split ratio of 55/45=1.2 in the sling tensions T1 and T2 on the arms
of the doubled sling21. However, recent studies14-16 and selected results presented in this paper
have indicated a larger force split ratio for skew rigging configuration. There is therefore a need
to ensure that a padeye or plate trunnion is designed for the additional out-of-plane moment
resulting from the uneven load distribution.
For fabricated pipe trunnions, the inherent bending and torsional strengths of the pipe
chord is able to sustain larger force split ratio for doubled sling arrangement, and thus offer
distinct advantages over padeyes or plate trunnions. There is an associated requirement to
ensure that the attachment of the lift point to structure transfers the sling tensions efficiently onto
the module structure.
Lift Point Attachment to Structure
It is strongly recommended by Shell22 that lifting points (such as padeyes and trunnions)
are designed to transfer load in shear rather than tension. The concern on through-thickness load
through the plate thickness relates to possible problem with lamellar tearing of the plate. The lift
point (which may be padeye, plate or pipe trunnion) should be attached to locations on the
structure that are capable of resisting the lift point design load. The orientation of the padeye
and plate trunnion is also significantly dependent on the rigging configuration adopted for lift
installation, and the connection of the main-plate to the adjacent structural elements should be
designed appropriately.
Fabrication Aspects
Based on the results of the plate trunnion tests10, failure occurred at the heat-affected
zone of the side brace or shear plate after significant material yielding. For fabricated pipe
trunnions, the test results have been reported by Choo et al.12. In accordance with industry
recommendations5,6,22, compatible welding consumables and processes should be adopted and
the trunnion components should be 100% non-destructively tested. In addition, the accurate
orientation of the main plate of the padeye or plate trunnion (depending on the chosen design) to
the sling direction needs to be checked to ensure proper load transfer from the sling.
CONCLUSIONS
This paper has presented examples to highlight the considerations for rigging selection
and associated lift point designs for a number of heavy lift projects. It can be observed that
proper selection of rigging scheme for given module structure and design of lift points is
essential for successful lift installation.
The systematic field instrumentation of doubled slings with various combinations of

sling lengths and diameters, sling angles and hook blocks for symmetric and skew arrangement
has shown that current industry recommendation for force split ratio of 55/45 is un-conservative
for skew rigging arrangement (if no special design features to minimise friction between sling
and hook prong, or sling and lift point is provided). This has significant implication on the lift
point design of padeye or plate trunnion type which is not efficient in transferring out-of-plane
loads.
Selected results on fabricated pipe trunnions have demonstrated the superior performance
of pipe trunnions with through-brace arrangement. The sling load transfer from the brace to the
pipe chord is efficiently transferred with no detrimental effect to the chord. The associated
considerations for attachment of lift point to structure are also important design issues that
require detailed assessment and solutions.
The paper has demonstrated that successful solutions for heavy lift projects can be
readily found through expert knowledge on rigging selection and consistent proportioning of the
key components of the lift system.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author acknowledges the significant support of Mr Prem Raj of Sembawang Marine &
Offshore Engineering Pte Ltd, Mr John Chua of Asian Lift Pte Ltd, Mr K. W. Kwan of PPL
Shipyard Pte Ltd, and Mr M. Ripping of Heerema Marine Contractors, and their permission to
present selected project details. The important contributions of his colleagues: Dr F. Ju,
Professor J. Y. R. Liew, Professor N. E. Shanmugam, Mr C. K. Quah and Professor K. H. Lee in
the National University of Singapore are gratefully acknowledged. The author appreciates the
helpful suggestions from the reviewers in improving the technical aspects of the paper.
NOMENCLATURE
d0 Outer diameter of chord (mm)

d1 Outer diameter of brace (mm)
Pu,test Ultimate capacity of test specimen (kN)
t0 Wall thickness of chord (mm)

t1 Wall thickness of brace (mm)
Diameter ratio d1/d0
20 Chord diameter to thickness ratio, d0/t0
21 Brace diameter to thickness ratio, d1/t1
y Yield stress of material (N/mm2)
Brace wall to chord wall thickness ratio, t1/t0
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A Guide To Lifting Beams and Spreaders

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A Guide To Lifting Beams and Spreaders

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Invited paper for World Maritime Technology Conference, San Francisco October 2003

Revised after review comments 18Apri2003

Rigging Selection and Lift Point Design for Heavy Lift

Plate trunnion Plate trunnion

HEAVY LIFT DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Site Structural Behaviour

Lift Operation Rigging Arrangement Component Design

Fig 6. Heavy Lift Considerations and Associated Design Tasks

KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEM FOR HEAVY LIFT (H-LIFT)

FORCE SPLIT RATIO FOR DOUBLED SLING

Fig 8. Doubled-sling tension measurement on-board heavy lift vessel, Hermod.

Rotating padeye assembly

Fig 9. Schematic arrangement of doubled slings connected to instrumented shackles

0.6 Time to pick Time to pick

0.0 Time (s)

FABRICATED PIPE TRUNNIONS FOR PLATED STRUCTURES

STRENGTH OF FABRICATED TRUNNIONS

Table 1 Sectional Properties and Strength of Fabricated Trunnions

Specimen Chord Brace Geometric Ratios Pu,test

Sling Load Distribution

Lift Point Attachment to Structure

The systematic field instrumentation of doubled slings with various combinations of

d0 Outer diameter of chord (mm)

t0 Wall thickness of chord (mm)

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