Transportation and Lifting Operations for Seismic Research Structure

Client background

GA Marine Engineering has over 50 years’ experience across all sectors and offers project management, ship repair, electrical, and welding and fabrication services.

They offer 24-hour / 365-day support and their engineers work all over the globe. Their passion, flexibility and fresh approach to ship repair allows GA Marine to offer an exceptional service.

The requirement

GA Marine has been an A R Banks client for many years. We’ve worked with them on a wide range of projects undertaking road transport, HIAB transport and lifting operations on their behalf.

GA Marine was undertaking a project to fabricate, assemble and install a large subsea deployment structure. This structure was designed to lower and secure seismic equipment to the seafloor, enabling the safe and stable operation of sound-based survey tools. GA Marine was delivering the works on behalf of the end client.

The initial project requirement was to undertake full road transport of all the items to be installed, as well as the rotation of the main lifting beam, and lifting operations to install the full structure and ancillaries.

The solution

We completed the physical site operations for this project in 55 consecutive days between 10th of April and 2nd of June 2025, including weekends and bank holidays. However, our involvement commenced approximately two months prior to mobilisation.

During this pre-operational phase, our team undertook extensive planning activities including technical meetings with the client, site surveys, detailed lift planning, method statement development and comprehensive risk assessments.

Engineering input was also required to ensure that all lifting operations were compliant with LOLER regulations and project-specific safety requirements. This preparatory period was critical to ensuring the successful and safe execution of the lifting operations once on site.

There were many elements to this project and we planned each phase carefully to ensure each part was delivered efficiently and effectively.

Feasibility planning

Our team played a key role in the feasibility planning by developing detailed lift studies for each stage of the operation. This included assessing how individual lifts would be executed in relation to the evolving structure, ensuring that newly installed components would not obstruct or compromise subsequent lifting activities.

We produced a series of technical drawings and lift plans that demonstrated the sequencing of lifts, crane positioning, load paths and clearances. Particular attention was given to structural tolerances, lifting radius and site constraints to ensure safe and uninterrupted progression throughout the build. These feasibility assessments were carried out in close coordination with the client’s engineering team to align with the overall construction methodology and schedule.

Transportation

Our scope included the transportation and lifting of all steelwork and associated components required for installation onto the vessel at the dockside. This involved:

The road transport of individual structural elements from the fabrication facility to the dockside staging area, carefully coordinated to align with the project schedule and site logistics.
Lifting operations to transfer each component onto the vessel berthed at the dockside, enabling GA Marine to carry out the final assembly of the deployment structure on board. These lifts were executed using mobile cranes, with precise handling to ensure safe placement and alignment on the vessel’s deck.
All operations were planned and conducted in accordance with marine and lifting safety standards, considering vessel stability and dockside constraints to ensure a safe and efficient workflow.

Lifting operations

The initial project requirements outlined our responsibility for the end-to-end handling and installation of a complex subsea deployment structure. Our scope included:

Complete road transport of all structural elements and ancillary components to the assembly site, ensuring timely and secure delivery, including any necessary abnormal load movements and compliance with transport regulations.
Precision rotation of the main lifting beam, which was a key structural element requiring careful handling to achieve the correct orientation for final integration.
Execution of all lifting operations associated with the assembly and installation of the main structure and its associated ancillaries, carried out in a staged sequence in line with the client’s build strategy.

All works required detailed lift planning, method statements and coordination with both GA Marine and other contractors on site to ensure a safe, efficient and compliant operation throughout.

The outcome

A R Banks Director Stuart Banks oversaw this project from start to finish. He said: “The project went smoothly and we completed it on time, largely thanks to many days of excellent weather. Having operational oversight of both the road transport and lifting operations ensured the overall project ran smoothly and in a safe and diligent manner. There were many additional items to install as the project progressed, as well as Lift Plans and Method Statements to complete along the way to keep the overall project on schedule. Our team worked well with the GA Marine team to overcome any obstacles and ensure a successful outcome.”

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