Jack-up barge

Geomechanics Non-Executive Director Dave Rossiter designed, and sister company Geostruct custom built, a jack-up barge that can be used to do geotechnical drilling surveys in up to 8m of flowing water.

The self-propelled barge is used as a platform for the drill rig and crew for surveying the ground conditions in rivers and dams. Drilling and in-situ Standard Penetrometer, Lugeon, Lefranc and Piezometer testing have all been managed from this platform. Projects include surveys for the founding piers and abutments of the Kazungula bridge between Botswana and Zambia and for an oil pipeline in Uganda.  

The Geostruct not only had to build the barge, but also needed to build slip ways to allow the barge access to the water and ramps for the rigs to drive up onto the platform.