Hareket Dock Launch Sets Turkish Record

By Malcolm Ramsay

Hareket’s successful maneuver of a mammoth 11,350-tonne floating dock has been hailed as the largest single item ever transported in Türkiye. We find out how the heavy-lift specialist pulled off this record-breaking feat.

From Issue 3, 2025 of Breakbulk Magazine.

(5-minute read)

Modern floating docks represent a remarkable feat of engineering. Often weighing over 10,000 tonnes, moving one of these mega units poses vast challenges - from ensuring structural integrity during transit, to navigating complex routes and coordinating with various stakeholders.

Yet the challenges also present opportunities for the project cargo industry to showcase its capabilities, and push the boundaries of what is possible.

Turkish heavy-lift specialist Hareket rose to the challenge for one such project, carrying out a highly complex transportation and engineering operation to launch the country’s largest floating dock into the water. This was not just a simple launch from the quay; rather, it involved detailed planning and specialized equipment.

Headquartered in Istanbul, Türkiye, Hareket has operated in the breakbulk sector for over 60 years and today specializes in engineered heavy-lifting and transportation. The company’s services include project planning, route surveys, lift engineering and installation works, tailored to meet the unique demands of project cargo operations.

This project required meticulous planning and expertise in land and marine logistics to transport a dock weighing a staggering 11,350 tonnes and measuring 222 meters in length, 48 meters in width, and 23 meters in height.

“The project came to us one year before it was executed, so we were well prepared to plan this complex move,” Samet Gürsu, general manager at Hareket, tells Breakbulk. “The first step was to conduct a range of field studies and feasibility assessments for the project.”

Handling a unit of these dimensions required precision engineering and coordination and the team at Hareket applied a meticulous approach to the planning process. This ensured that all potential challenges were anticipated and addressed before mobilization and there were adequate opportunities to discuss every aspect of the move with relevant stakeholders.

International Reputation

For the transit, the team from Hareket worked closely with prominent Turkish shipyard Kuzey Star, known for its expertise in constructing floating docks. Through this close collaboration, the team at Hareket were able to define the key constraints for the move and structural limits of the floating dock.

Established in 2010, Kuzey Star operates two shipyards in Türkiye, with the floating dock built at its Tuzla site, located on the outskirts of Istanbul. Over the last decade and a half, the firm has developed an international reputation for repair, maintenance and new build services.

In this time, the firm has become the second largest shipyard in Tuzla, with an area of 108,000 m². Featuring a total pier length of 2,000 meters, two berths of 150 meters and 125 meters respectively and a sea width of 280 meters, the shipyard also comprises 30,000 square meters of covered working areas, three slipways and 28 cranes with capacities up to 250 tonnes.

Engineering considerations were paramount from the outset, with the team focusing on load distribution and structural integrity. The selection of equipment, including self propelled modular transporters (SPMT) and hydraulic modular trailers, was crucial. As Gürsu notes, “the maneuvering area in the transportation zones” was a key parameter, with careful consideration also given to “the load tonnage, turning angles, maneuverability, and the trailers’ load-carrying capacities.”

To meet this challenge, the team selected 384 axle lines of Scheuerle SPMTs and Goldhofer powered modular trailers (PSTs) to deliver a total carrying capacity of 17,500 tons. This not only ensured stability and safety during transportation, but allowed the move to progress at a steady pace without any disruptions.

All the modular transporters selected for the project were designed to handle extreme loads with precision and flexibility. The Scheuerle SPMT allows for a load capacity of up to 60 tons per axle line, enabling it to support immense weights when multiple axle lines are combined. Its hydraulic suspension and electronic steering systems provide precise control and maneuvrability, essential for navigating complex routes and tight spaces.

Complementing this, the Goldhofer PST offers a load capacity of up to 45 tons per axle line, with advanced steering capabilities that ensure optimal load distribution and stability.

The dock itself was destined for Russia, on behalf of nuclear power firm Rosatom, which required the giant structure for repair of icebreaker vessels. The type NB 110 dock was designed to serve Rosatom’s fleet of Project 22220 icebreakers and will be based in Murmansk, at the Atomflot base for nuclear icebreakers.

While the weight of the floating dock is impressive enough, at more than 11,000 tonnes, its lifting capacity of 30,000 tonnes is even more remarkable. It also features a slipway deck of over 200 meters and can accommodate up to 30 people for seven days at sea.

“Serious Engineering”

With all the pieces in place, the execution phase began with the careful loading of the dock onto the transport system.

“The loading was carried out using various mobile cranes,” Gürsu explains, noting the use of 100, 160, and 200 tonne-capacity units. With these units strategically positioned to lift the dock, the SPMTs and hydraulic modular trailers were rolled into place, and the giant floating dock was carefully hoisted.

“It is not easy to carry such a load in one piece,” said Abdullah Altunkum, CEO of the Hareket Group. “There are 440 axles and 3,520 tires under the load - and serious engineering and teamwork behind this transport. The work done is a source of pride both for the shipyard and for us.”

Once securely loaded, the transportation phase commenced. The dock was moved using the 8-axle lowbed trailers, which offered the necessary stability to navigate the route. Each trailer was also equipped with advanced hydraulic systems to distribute the load evenly and maintain balance throughout the journey.

“The main partner for the project was the shipyard itself, which arranged the necessary clearances and scheduling for the move,” Gürsu said. "The transported load then needed to be shifted to align with the center of the dock, with a 7-meter adjustment at the front and a 23-meter adjustment at the rear.”

Communication also played a critical role during the move, with all team members utilizing radios to coordinate the synchronized movement of the SPMTs. This ensured that each section of the transport system moved in unison and any changes in the dock’s ballast status could be reported directly to the dock captain.

“We had one person on both the port and starboard sides of the dock continuously monitoring the dock’s ballast status,” Gürsu notes. “After receiving the dock captain’s approval, communication was established with the SPMT operators, and the load was moved. The entire team maintained constant communication throughout the process.”

Landmark Project

As well as the stability concerns, the route itself also presented challenges, as the dock had to move through tight industrial areas. However, thanks to the meticulous planning by the Hareket team, all turning angles and obstacles had been accounted for.

Despite the testing conditions, the team’s expertise and adaptability ensured a successful operation with the dock transported to its final location without incident, setting a new benchmark for heavy transportation in the industry.

Altunkum of Hareket hailed the landmark project, noting that the firm “broke its own record once again,” setting a new milestone for the largest single-piece load successfully transported in Türkiye. “Our heavy transport team lowered a floating dock, measuring the size of two football fields and weighing 11,350 tons, into the sea in Tuzla for our client.”

The successful completion of the project not only demonstrates the scale of the logistics challenges in moving modern floating docks, but also Türkiye’s growing importance as a hub for heavy-lift and breakbulk operations. As the demand for transporting oversized and heavy cargo in Asia Minor grows, Türkiye is well-positioned to play a pivotal role.

“As load engineers in heavy-lifting, transportation and assembly works, we represent our country,” Altunkum states, noting that records such as this strengthen both the firm’s and the nation’s position as an “important player in the world league.”

By pushing the boundaries of what is possible, companies like Hareket are setting new standards for the industry and paving the way for even more ambitious projects in the future. Atomflot is already looking to the future and the potential need for another floating dock as the upcoming vessel Rossiya, the first Project 10510 (Lider) icebreaker, will be too large for repairs and service using current floating docks.

Hareket, Scheuerle and Goldhofer will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Europe 2025.

Top photo: Hareket maneuvers the colossal 11,350-ton, 220-meter-long floating dock. Credit: Hareket
Second: The company utilized 384 axle lines of Scheuerle SPMTs and Goldhofer PSTs. Credit: Hareket