When Costa Concordia sank last year off the Tuscan Coast, one of the biggest questions that loomed was – what will happen to the ship?
It
started last spring when maritime salvage company Titan Salvage, in
partnership with the Italian firm Micoperi, was awarded the job of
refloating and removing the stricken liner.
Titan
Salvage, part of the Crowley Group, is an American-owned specialist
marine salvage and wreck removal company, known as a world leader in
the field. Micoperi is a well-known Italian marine contractor with a
long history as a specialist in underwater construction and
engineering. This is the biggest maritime salvage operation the world
has ever seen.
Currently,
divers are working around the clock to re-float the ship; reports are
that it could take up to until late summer 2013 for completion the
whole project.
To
chronicle this process, a website – The
Parbuckling Project –
launched last year. It has a step-by-step map of how the
114,000-ton vessel will be raised off the sea floor and floated away.
What’s
parbuckling, you ask?
It refers to the reversal of the wreck by the action of cables and
tie rods. It’s quite a delicate operation because you need to
deploy forces in an optimal way to rotate the wreck without deforming
or damaging the hull.
The
Parbuckling Project website highlights:
- A progress report of the project
- Project phases
- News Updates from the island
- Animations of floating
- Environmental care and issues
- Glossary of terms
image:
The Parbuckling Project
If
you are intrigued by the salvage operation of Costa Concordia be sure
to book mark this interactive site.