The process of salvaging wrecks can be costly and time-consuming, making it crucial for salvagers to select the appropriate technique(s) and accurately estimate the total costs to minimize expenses and optimize efficiency. Salvagers typically use their expertise, experience, and data from previous projects to make these estimates. Diamond wire cutting is a material-cutting technique with much potential for use in wreck salvaging. However, a previously conducted literature review revealed a lack of sufficient information in the existing literature to determine the cutting rates of diamond wire used in wreck removal, indicating a gap in current knowledge. A deeper understanding of the technique is needed to evaluate salvagers' capability of cutting diamond wire in wreck removal. Therefore, the primary focus of this paper is to provide a method to estimate the cutting rate of diamond wire when used in wreck removal. The effect of wire speed, normal load on the workpiece, various materials encountered in wreck cutting, different geometries, and environments on cutting rate have been investigated. Filling this knowledge gap is of particular interest to Boskalis, as they currently have limited knowledge and experience with diamond wire cutting, making it challenging to estimate costs. Additionally, research into wreck removal techniques is socially significant, as the ability to remove wrecks efficiently and with minimal environmental impact is crucial. Therefore, this thesis aims to provide a deeper understanding of diamond wire cutting in its application in wreck removal.


Main factors determining the potential of a technique for removal include the total duration of removal, the required assets, and the associated risks. The primary focus of this thesis is to develop a method to estimate the cutting rate of diamond wire when used in wreck removal. The cutting rate will be predicted using the Archard wear equation, which requires an unknown coefficient ($K$) that can be determined through experiments. A real-world set-up with diamond wire was used to obtain data.

The results show that for the steels and cast iron in this survey, Archard's assumption that the wear volume is inversely proportional to hardness is not supported. Consistent with Archard’s equations, the wear volume has been found to be proportional to normal load, sliding distance but independent of speed within the range of tested conditions. As such, the Archard wear equation can be applied to the materials tested, but its applicability to materials that differ significantly from those tested is uncertain. Furthermore, results show that cooling significantly impacts both wire life and cutting rate. Specifically, fully submerging the workpiece resulted in a
XX\% improvement in the cutting rate as compared to spraying with coolant. It should be noted that these results were obtained under controlled conditions where normal load, wire speed, and cutting angle were kept constant, and proper cooling was possible. These operational parameters may vary in real-world scenarios, such as cutting through a shipwreck, leading to deviation from the predicted cutting rates. ... Read more

Irmão is a beach restaurant located in the region of Lisbon in Portugal and has been taken over by the new owners one year ago. Since the takeover, the owners of Irmão have been trying to work in a sustainable way, but there is always room for improvement. In addition, Irmão may have to move 100 metres inland due to a possible change in local regulations. Because of the uncertainty in the course of events, this report is written as guideline in order to make the current restaurant more sustainable and as a guideline during the design of the new beach restaurant, should the restaurant have to be relocated.

The aim of the report is therefore to provide beach restaurant Irmão with a consult on how to establish and operate a more sustainable beach restaurant, in present or future times. The study, executed at Irmão, focused on three main themes; the water system, waste management and the energy system. The level of sustainability in these areas is quantified in three ways, namely: the use of resources such as fossil fuels and groundwater; the emission of greenhouse gases CO2, NOx and CH4; the pollution of the direct environment, for example waste that ends up in nature or polluted waste water that flows into the soil. The present and future times refer to the two different scenarios used to implement sustainable solutions. If the restaurant is allowed to stay at its current location, it is referred to as the Improved Irmão Scenario. If the location has to be changed, it is referred to as the Future Irmão Scenario. For the Improved Irmão Scenario, the boundaries and limits of the current restaurant are taken into account and the design is carried out within these limits. For the Future Irmão Scenario on the other hand, these limits are loosened and the design is carried out from scratch.

To provide Irmão with a consult how to establish and operate a more sustainable beach restaurant, three steps were taken. First, the current situation of the three subjects is analysed to get a clear understanding of the current situation. This is done to have a baseline against which the final improvements can be compared. Secondly, different solutions to make Irmão more sustainable, within the three main topics, are compared using a multi¬criteria analysis to determine the most promising solutions. Thirdly, the final solutions are elaborated for the Improved Irmão Scenario and for the Future Irmão Scenario.

Regarding the Water system, the analysis showed that the water consumed at Irmão partly originates from the water grid and partly from the borehole in the dunes. The water use is estimated to cause an emission of 182 kg CO2 annually, leaving little room for improvement in emission reduction as this is a relative low amount. However, the water system is currently not water-efficient because it does not contain any water circularity and the water system does not contain any water saving equipment. Improvements regarding water usage are therefore possible. Regarding waste management, the analysis showed that currently, only residual waste is not recycled. Therefore, the section on waste management focused on making residual waste more sustainable. Regarding the energy system of Irmão, it became clear from the analysis that Irmão currently consumes propane gas and electricity from the local electricity grid. Both the consumption of propane gas and electricity from the local grid contribute to an emission of 26.8 tonnes of CO2 annually. From all processes carried out during the operation of Irmão, only the consumption of propane gas leads to an emission of NOx, namely 382 kg NOx annually… ... Read more