The early 2000s were a pivotal time for underwater engineering.
And our technology was at the centre of it.
A TIME OF CHANGE
Thanks to an industry-wide push into deeper and more hostile offshore environments, demand grew for robust, powerful equipment that could rise to evolving challenges.
At this time, our client CTC was expanding into new areas of the North Sea and needed a vehicle that kept pace with its ambitions.
In 2008, they came to us with two key challenges:
- To trench in the hard seabed conditions in the North Sea
- To bury increasingly large cables and pipelines
With subsea infrastructure evolving rapidly, greater diameters, heavier coatings, and stricter burial specifications for cables and pipelines meant that more was demanded of the vehicles that laid them.
A BESPOKE SOLUTION
In response, we engineered SMD RT-1, the world’s largest hard-ground trencher.
Weighing 200 tonnes and measuring 16m by 13m, RT-1 features six electric motors that deliver 2.3MW of power for cutting and jetting operations. Laying and burying 1.5m pipelines at genuine 2m depths, it offers an efficient and reliable solution.
Unlike SMD UT-1, RT-1 employs a chain-cutting system to create stable 45° trench profiles. A technique previously only implemented on plough systems, this V-shaped trench avoids unwanted backfilling, an advancement that expanded the scope of trenching applications and set a new industry benchmark.
ONGOING EVOLUTIONS
At SMD, our engineering approach is driven by the evolving needs of our clients. The continued refinement of RT-1 is a leading example of this.
In later years, we developed this vehicle to contain a slot cutter and rear jet cutter for use in known seabeds, extending its capability while reducing its power consumption. This adaptability not only broadens RT-1’s operational scope but also laid the foundation for a new generation of SMD hard-ground trenchers.
To find out more about our custom-build capabilities, please contact our Key Account Manager, Adam Batsford.
