Abstract: A system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge and to persons, where a barge is blast-cleaned with moving blaster units suspended from and traveling along an overhead track beam. In one embodiment, the moving blaster units are each controlled by a person in a moving operator capsule moving in tandem with a moving blaster unit. In another embodiment, the moving blaster units are robotically controlled from a robotic controller which has access to a three-dimensional plan of the barge, communicating with the robotic blaster units via RF antennae, and receiving real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations allowing review of any issue, such as damage, that might arise.

Abstract: A system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge and to persons, where a barge is blast-cleaned with moving blaster units suspended from and traveling along an overhead track beam. In one embodiment, the moving blaster units are each controlled by a person in a moving operator capsule moving in tandem with a moving blaster unit. In another embodiment, the moving blaster units are robotically controlled from a robotic controller which has access to a three-dimensional plan of the barge, communicating with the robotic blaster units via RF antennae, and receiving real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations allowing review of any issue, such as damage, that might arise.

Abstract: A system for blast-cleaning a barge bottom providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge and to persons, where a barge is blast-cleaned with a blasting tractor having a transverse track beam along which positioning units move blaster heads. In one embodiment, the blasting tractor is controlled by a person in a cab of the blasting tractor, where the operator can see the blaster heads. In another embodiment, the blasting tractor is robotically controlled from a robotic controller which has access to a three-dimensional plan of the barge, communicating with the robotic blasting tractor via RF antennae, and receiving real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations allowing review of any issue, such as damage, that might arise.

Abstract: A system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge and to persons, where a barge is blast-cleaned with moving blaster units suspended from and traveling along an overhead track beam. In one embodiment, the moving blaster units are each controlled by a person in a moving operator capsule moving in tandem with a moving blaster unit. In another embodiment, the moving blaster units are robotically controlled from a robotic controller which has access to a three-dimensional plan of the barge, communicating with the robotic blaster units via RF antennae, and receiving real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations allowing review of any issue, such as damage, that might arise.

Abstract: A system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge and to persons, where a barge is blast-cleaned with moving blaster units suspended from and traveling along an overhead track beam. In one embodiment, the moving blaster units are each controlled by a person in a moving operator capsule moving in tandem with a moving blaster unit. In another embodiment, the moving blaster units are robotically controlled from a robotic controller which has access to a three-dimensional plan of the barge, communicating with the robotic blaster units via RF antennae, and receiving real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations allowing review of any issue, such as damage, that might arise.

Abstract: A system for blast-cleaning a barge bottom providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge and to persons, where a barge is blast-cleaned with a blasting tractor having a transverse track beam along which positioning units move blaster heads. In one embodiment, the blasting tractor is controlled by a person in a cab of the blasting tractor, where the operator can see the blaster heads. In another embodiment, the blasting tractor is robotically controlled from a robotic controller which has access to a three-dimensional plan of the barge, communicating with the robotic blasting tractor via RF antennae, and receiving real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations allowing review of any issue, such as damage, that might arise.

Abstract: A system for blast-cleaning a barge deck, sides, and fittings providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge and to persons, where a barge is blast-cleaned with moving blaster units suspended from and traveling along an overhead track beam. In one embodiment, the moving blaster units are each controlled by a person in a moving operator capsule moving in tandem with a moving blaster unit. In another embodiment, the moving blaster units are robotically controlled from a robotic controller which has access to a three-dimensional plan of the barge, communicating with the robotic blaster units via RF antennae, and receiving real-time data from sensors located on each blaster head. Optionally, the system for blast-cleaning a barge can provide blaster-head cameras for real-time remote monitoring of operations and for recording of the operations allowing review of any issue, such as damage, that might arise.

Abstract: A system for conveying a barge over a levee in a level attitude providing for safety and avoidance of damage to the barge, the levee, and of persons, where a barge is to be conveyed from a waterway, over a levee, through a floodgate in a floodwall, and into a maintenance building, and the reverse operation, by placing a barge in a drydock, resting on support blocks, aligning the drydock with the floodgate, placing level-raising tractors with tractor controllers underneath the barge, raising the barge off of the support blocks, and rolling and lifting the barge over the levee while keeping the barge in a level attitude, optionally under the additional control of a person using a hand-remote tractor controller.