Ahoy,
From the same company's photographer[HAL]here a nice shot of her, taken in Alaska area.What will happen to her?That's still a mistery, ended up somewhere on a "crap yard" or will she be back in the city of Rotterdam?She 's still in Gibraltar and will undertake a removal for the asbestos.
Details:
In common with other ships of her age, many of the original construction materials were made of asbestos. Before a renovation could begin, an inventory of the asbestos risks was required. The objective of the asbestos risk inventory was to estimate the quantity of asbestos materials and the possible emissions of asbestos fibres into the atmosphere. It was at this point that RPS Advies BV became involved in the project. RPS operates one of the largest accredited asbestos laboratories in Europe and has a vast experience in asbestos management and risk inventories on ships from around the world.
In order to assess the extent of the asbestos problems, an RPS team visited the SS Rotterdam in the Bahamas in the autumn of 2003. The findings of RDM and RPS only increased their enthusiasm to keep the ship afloat. The SS Rotterdam was found to be almost in her original state with all her famous works of art, halls and lounges still in situ. However, the quantity of asbestos containing materials was enormous. It was concluded from the asbestos inventory that the asbestos in the ship must be removed as much as possible or otherwise coated so that no asbestos fibres could be released into the atmosphere during refurbishment.
It was decided to tow the SS Rotterdam to the port of Gibraltar where the renovation activities could take place. The huge and unique asbestos project is being carried out non-stop during a six month period from August 2004. The asbestos containing materials are being removed and treated by the Cuddy Group, the largest asbestos cleaning company in the UK. The project team “SS Rotterdam” and RPS are supervising the work.
The following techniques have been selected for the removal and coating of the asbestos:
- The asbestos containing insulation material of the pipelines is to be removed by an injection method. This involves inserting a needle into the insulation cladding at distances of 20 to 25 cm. The needle injects a liquid which dissolves the binder course within 24 hours. The cladding can then be easily removed and fibre emissions are prevented as much as possible.
- The sprayed asbestos which was applied to the ceilings is to be impregnated and coated in three coloured layers. The final white coat is about 6 mm thick and provides a completely smooth surface.
Both techniques are applied in an enclosure with a partial vacuum. This is in order to ensure that no asbestos fibres are emitted. Surface samples are taken before work begins and air samples are taken throughout the process.
Because all the asbestos removal takes place in a British territory, the whole operation is performed and supervised in accordance with British HSE directives.