HBK Ensures Safe Passage for Viking Ship Relocation

Transportation of a Viking-era burial ship is set to go ahead, following the use of weighing technology that provided the project team with accurate data to ensure the ancient structure would not be damaged.

The artefact is the biggest of three ships, all of which are moving to an extension of Norway's Viking Ship Museum.

Moving and weighing ships is a challenging task as changes in loads or stresses must be minimised or preferably eliminated. The biggest ship proved especially challenging, as weighing points along the keel support beam were already being utilised in the moving rig, so the engineers had to use three 24mm hardened steel rods at the lifting point. These had to be placed with high precision, large holes had to be carefully drilled, whilst causing minimum vibration to the ship.

To ensure this step went smoothly the engineers installed Z6 load cells, provided by HBK, on various measuring points. These cells were connected to HBK's QuantumX MX1615B Strain Gauge Amplifier with catman® AP software, which processed the data and enabled the engineers to monitor the ships condition as it was weighed.

Located on the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo, the Viking Ship House extension sits within the Museum of Cultural History, which is part of the University of Oslo and is due to open in 2025/2026.

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