with a crane capable of uprighting and lifting the 10,000-pound struc- 

 ture (Figure 5). The XSP in the 20-foot mode would need a 30-foot 

 triangular space with a 20-foot base, and the structure weighs 

 8,000 pounds. Once the structure is uprighted, it can be lowered to the 

 seafloor either by the crane (Figure 6) or switched to a lowering line 

 off an A-frame. 



Figure 5. XSP in 40-foot mode lying on deck of an LCU. 



If the XSP cannot be deployed in this manner, then the structure 

 can be hung horizontally from a pair of davits along the side of the 

 support vessel (Figure 7). For deployment, the base is lowered from its 

 davit until the structure is upright; then it is transferred to the 

 lowering line and placed on the seafloor. 



Operation 



At the sounding location, the support vessel must be anchored or 

 otherwise held stationary during the sounding operation. Once the XSP 

 structure is deployed and sitting on the seafloor, the water pump is 

 started up to initiate the jetting system if it is to be used for the 

 sounding, and the instrumentation is zeroed at the console. 



If any slope to the seafloor exists, the initial position of the 

 tilt-gage needles should be noted. The cone penetrometer is started 

 down for a sounding, and its progress is monitored by observation of the 

 strip chart recordings and the ammeter and tilt gages. A movement of 

 either tilt gage indicates that the cone has met refusal. The cone 

 penetrometer must be stopped immediately and retracted. Because the 

 cone is no longer penetrating the soil, continued operation of the 

 driving mechanism will cause the structure to crawl up the push rods. 

 Eventually, the frame will tilt, and the cone unit and extended push 

 rods will be broken off and lost. 



13 



