Removal & Transportation of Newport Medieval Ship Timbers to a New Location within Newport

Descriptions

The Newport Ship is a fifteenth-century sailing vessel discovered by archaeologists in June 2002 in the city of Newport, South Wales. It was found on the west bank of the River Usk, which runs through the city centre, during the building of the Riverfront Arts Centre; from which process it sustained some damage. The ship was originally around 35 metres long, making it quite capable of continental voyages.Newport Medieval Ship timbers need to be moved from Unit 22, Maesglas Industrial Estate, Newport, NP20 2NN to a new storage unit , Unit 19, Queensway Meadow Industrial Estate, Newport, NP19 4ST, a road distance of c.3.8 miles one way (8 minutes driving time). The timbers are currently being stored in a water–soluble wax solution in 5 x 10 x 0.5 metre (L x W x H) tanks within an industrial unit with 5m eaves. The tanks, solution and timbers need to be moved to a new facility (it has 6m eaves). A total of four tanks of wet material need to be moved.Due to space constraints, only three tanks will be erected inside the new industrial unit, ready to receive the material. The material in the partially full fourth tank (primarily planking) will need to be laid on top of the framing and stringers in the other three tanks. The PEG solution in the 4th tank will need to be distributed into the other three tanks to cover the additional material.The timbers in the wax solution will need to be removed, transported and placed back into the wax solution as quickly as possible. The timbers vary in size and weight, while some are light enough to handle many of the timbers will need to be handled using a gantry or forklift, due to their size. Approximately 300 timbers are of a size and weight that will require mechanical lifting aids.Care must be taken when transporting the timbers, necessitating the use of significant amounts of padding between timbers to prevent surface damage.The Council are inviting bids from experienced suppliers in the removal of historical items to re-locate and site the timbers no later than Friday 28 November 2014.