Page 10 - Towards better compaction v0.5

Towards Better Compaction

Air draft

The air draught is the distance between the water level and the top of the hatch coaming, and a
maximum is set for each port. This maximum must never be exceeded as this is the maximum height
from which the jet slinger can be retracted from the hold (especially important if the vessel moves
away from the wharf due to windage – excessive wind).

Physical damage

Physical damage to woodchips can prevent them from lying flat with a resultant decrease in the
compaction factor.
From a loading perspective, damage to the chips is most likely to occur when chips they are flung
against the inside of the hull while the loader is trying to fill the corners. Care must be taken to
ensure that the belt speed and plough angle are adjusted to provide maximum throw without
flinging the chips against the side of the hull and damaging them.
Damaged chips have raised edges which cause the next layer of woodchips to sit up and introduces
air gaps into the loading process.

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