Concrete Mattresses

Concrete mattresses provide a recognised engineering solution for several of the challenges
faced in subsea pipeline construction, umbilical deployment and seabed and soil
protection/stabilisation. They are cost effective and may be readily deployed using standard
handling systems.

Typically, concrete mattresses may be used to provide :-

• Protection from dropped objects

• Added weight and stabilisation
• Protection from Trawl Boards
• Scour prevention
• Crossover support and separation for pipelines and umbilicals
• Supports or foundations for other subsea activities
• Riverbank erosion control

SPS manufacture a range of standard mattresses, but will also design and manufacture
mattresses to a client’s specific requirement. Quality and safety are the key issues in all SPS
designs and appropriate safety factors are applied to address lifting and handling in an
offshore environment.
Concrete Matresses Options

Concrete Density

The density of concrete used in the manufacture of standard mattresses, is generally between
2.3 and 2.5 Tonnes per cubic metre. Under certain conditions where there may be a
requirement for additional, or less weight in a mattress (or other SPS Products), SPS can
design and supply a concrete mix with a higher or lower density than the standard.

Protection Pads

Under certain operating conditions SPS clients require a low friction or anti abrasion material
between the concrete mattress and the asset, that it may be stabilising or protecting. SPS can
provide this by affixing a range of materials to its mattress segments.

Fronded Concrete Mattresses

The Anti Scour Frond Mattress (right) may be deployed directly into its location, or
alternatively attached to and deployed together with a concrete mattress. This latter method
simplifies deployment and provides additional protection and stabilisation.

General Options
SPS engineering and experience is available to address any particular requirements that
clients may have for special mattress designs and modifications.

Fleximats

The Fleximat is a standard SPS product. It

provides a high degree of flexibility, allowing it to closely follow the contours of a
pipeline/umbilical cable and seabed. It is constructed using high strength concrete profiled
blocks and U.V. stabilised polypropylene rope. The Fleximat brick pattern matrix, reduces
the open line effect, thus offering additional protection and stability. Once installed the
Fleximat may scour into the seabed to increase the stability and overtrawlability.

Tapered (Wedged) Fleximats

Extreme seabed, current and wave conditions may determine that additional stability is
required beyond that provided by the standard Fleximat. In this case SPS can provide
Fleximats with enlarged tapered edge elements. This also offers an improved overtrawlability
profile.

Log Mats
 The Logmat is a standard SPS product, and
is flexible in only one plane. This provides an engineering solution to two particular
challenges:-

Load bearing

Where soft soil conditions exist a logmat may provide a foundation base for supporting a
pipeline or other subsea construction.

Stabilisation

In conditions of extreme environmental loadings, buoyancy forces, or loss of weight coat,

subsea pipelines may require additional weight beyond that provided by the Fleximat.
Logmats have a greater overall density and are ideal for this.

Logmats are constructed using high strength, reinforced concrete logs and U.V. stabilised
polypropylene rope. They can be quickly and accurately deployed using standard SPS lifting
equipment. Logmat lengths are supplied to meet a client’s individual requirement.

Anti-Scour Frond Mattress

 When a solid object, typically a pipeline,
offshore platform structure or bridge pier is put in place on a loose sedimentary sea or river
bed, the flow of water around this under certain conditions can cause erosion of the seabed;
this is called scour. It may be gradual or rapid but it is cumulative and the end result may be
unsafe spans on pipelines or an unsafe structure generally.

Natural seaweed reduces water velocity locally and correspondingly reduces scour. The SPS
Frond Mattress replicates this natural phenomenon. Over 1000 buoyant fronds per square
metre at nominally one metre high are built into the mattress and properly deployed (either
directly onto the seabed or attached to an SPS Fleximat). This will stop scour rapidly.

Revetment mats

The Revetment mattress is a fleximat

used for protection against river and sea embankment erosion. Its flexible construction
ensures that it can be laid to cope with variations in the embankment profile, maintaining
maximum protection against erosion.

Revetment mats are suitable for various environments including:

• Harbours
• Docks
• Lakes
• River banks
• Break waters
• Weirs
• Sea defences
• Slipways
• Outfalls
• Reclamation applications
• Environmental applications
• Slope stabilisation
• Roads