Recovering a shipwreck using a diamond rope

How can a stranded shipwreck be salvaged when conventional methods fail? In the case of the M/S Osfjord in Norway, the vessel was cut into transportable sections using a Tyrolit diamond wire saw. Kristiansand Bygg required seven cuts, 350 metres of diamond wire saw and a total of 26 days to complete the task.

The M/S Osfjord ran aground off the Norwegian coast in September 2018.

After several attempts to salvage the wreck had failed, it was cut into individual sections using a wire saw in 2019.

The following were used: Tyrolit Diamond Saw Wire DWH-S and two hydraulic FZ-4S wall saws on VAS rails.

The dismantling operation required seven cuts, 350 metres of diamond wire and 26 days.

A remotely operated underwater vehicle monitored the seabed for any potential debris whilst the work was being carried out.

The Norwegian company Kristiansand Bygg was awarded this contract. From the outset, Kristiansand Bygg consulted with Tyrolit, drawing on its previous experience in this field. However, due to the very poor weather forecast, the work had to be carried out as quickly as possible.

Which diamond tools were used?

To implement this project, the Tyrolit Diamond Saw Wire DWH-S selected in conjunction with a wire saw from the Italian machine manufacturer Benetti.

Tyrolit also installed two hydraulic FZ-4S wall saws on VAS rails that could move upwards to ensure a sufficiently aggressive cutting angle at all times.

The result: seven cuts in 26 days

In total, Kristiansand Bygg needed just 26 days and seven cuts to safely load the shipwreck onto the barge. The DWH-S diamond wire saw did a brilliant job, and at 350 metres, 100 metres less wire was required than originally anticipated.

In addition to the time constraints, care had to be taken throughout the project to ensure that the sea was not polluted. The Norwegian Coastguard therefore carried out regular inspections of the seabed using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to ensure that the project left no contaminated residues behind.