The KSB Group supplied 328 pneumatically actuated butterfly valves used in the salvaging of the cruise ship Costa Concordia that capsized off Giglio Island in January 2012.
The valves serve to fill and vent tanks located in giant steel boxes, called sponsons, the first 15 of which were welded to the portside hull and acted as ballasting bodies when righting the wreck. At a later stage, these sponsons, together with the other 15 to be installed on the starboard side of the cruise ship, will be flooded and used to stabilise the wreck.
Prior to being used in the recovery, the pneumatically actuated butterfly valves were subjected to special pressure tests at the Italian KSB location in Concorezzo. KSB Italia’s technicians simulated an ambient pressure corresponding to a water depth of 40m. The valves’ actuators are designed to ensure that a pre-set fail-safe position is adopted in the event of insufficient compressed air supply. If the actuators cannot be controlled due to a power supply failure, it is also possible for divers to operate them manually.
