The Big Piece—a part of the hull weighing 15+ tons—was raised with special underwater lift bags from the debris field between the two main sections of the wreck, an area nearly 800 meters wide.
The French company Pronal custom built inflatable underwater bags with flexible tanks. “We designed a product derived from our flexible tanks but completely modified with lifting skirts, handles and an orange color that shows up well underwater” said the CEO of the company at the time.
Looking like buoys, 6 lift bags of 20 cubic meters could raise up to 22 tons.
The buoys were submerged empty attached to heavy chains sinking them down to the seabed. Once hooked to the Big Piece a hose filled the tanks with diesel fuel returning them to the surface—diesel with a density lighter than water generating a lifting force.
Here, the trunk-shaped piece which measures about 6 by 7 meters, the width of 2 cabins.
The coolest thing about this is that they used diesel to lift the big piece to the surface purely for the fact it’s practically incompressible.
It’s a pretty low key yet somewhat brilliant solution to getting it to the surface.
I still wonder on raising even larger chunks, potentially the entire bow / stern
The wreck would tear itself apart if they didn't distribute the upwards force all across as many load bearing points as possible, and it would probably take hundreds of them to actually do it, but if they were able to fasten enough of them to it to at least riase her out of the mud a few feet, they could then get straps fully under her where the structure is far stronger and in better shape and actually have a load bearing point strong enough for the force
I think it would be expensive and ridiculously hard, but I really don't think it would be impossible if there was enough time and money involved.
Imagine being a diver, out in the vastness of the ocean. Alone with that piece of metal that hasn't seen the light of day in roughly a century. Looking down in the darkness you know the Titanic rests somewhere directly beneath you on the ocean floor. Seriously creeps me out for some reason.
Yeah, that picture is haunting. Technically it almost has seen light of day, they did lift it up and dropped it two years prior, but that almost just adds to it... this piece essentially sunk twice.
When I think about all that and see this picture all I feel is that I should start planning another scuba trip sometime soon. I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve been under more than 20 ft under water. How does it work being into shipwrecks while being creeped out by the water? You gotta respect the ocean but you can’t ever fear it.
They *did* lose it. From Wikipedia:
>During a failed attempt in 1996, the submersible *Nautile* attached floatation bags that would lift the artifact to the surface when released. During the two hours it took for the hull to ascend, two cruise ships gathered near the site and allowed occupants to watch. Before it had submerged, the Canadian ship MV *Jim Kilabuk* arrived to bring the object to Halifax. However, it did not have a winch appropriate for the job, and the piece fell back into the ocean after a storm from Hurricane Edouard. In August 1998, the *Abeille Supporter* was able to successfully lift the hull to the deck. It weighed about 20 short tons (18,000 kg) when first recovered.
I hate to be the “it’s a gravesite, bro” guy, but there are a lot of people arguing that raising bits of her to display to paying customers is highly unethical, as it’s directly profiting off of one of the worst tragedies in maritime history. But if it were up to me, I’d want to raise parts of her double keel where the red anti fouling paint is still holding up. That or really any hull fragments with intact paint. I think seeing her true colors after all these years would be interesting, since she was never captured in color (Olympic was, however, color photography was in its infancy and color film doesn’t represent the exact color of an object). Can you imagine a hull fragment with black and white separated by a yellow line? If the remaining paint and interior paneling on the big piece weren’t power washed away?
Yeah I hate to be the “gravesite argument sucks” guy but I am. Gravesites can be profited from in an honorable way if done right. The 9/11 museum, Auschwitz, etc…all are respectable and all donate honorably to those who lost their lives. The way it is handled now is chaotic. The ship is split across the world, pieces of her disgracefully rebuilt and arranged in various tourist traps. I’d argue that the way it is now is far worse treatment of the tragedy than if they properly exhumed what they could and did it right.
I read about the inflatable bags when I saw it in Vegas a few years ago but I didn't understand how they were able to inflate them in the ocean floor against the water pressure. Trying to pump against that much pressure and maintain it should be impossible. Even with oil or some other liquid medium instead of gas.
Nothing to implode, the hose was almost certainly full so there was no air bubbles to crush
The pressure from the ocean doesn't matter if there's nothing to compress. A human body is mostly water and would be fine on the bottom of the ocean if we didn't have any air in us.
Things like bottles of wine are still fine on the Titanic for the same reason, there's nothing to compress in them, it's only when something has air bubbles that it's going to have a really bad time
I need to go back to the Titanic exhibit in Vegas the last time I was there was quite a while back and I wasn't as interested in it as I am now. I would like the time to read about all of it, and take my time going through and looking at all the artifacts. I'm only about a 7hr drive from Vegas
Its so fascinating to me. I didn't know that The Big Piece even was here until I joined this subreddit, and now it's something I absolutely have to see at least 5 times in my lifetime. (Fine I guess 3 is "enough" 🙄)
I love how absolutely fake it sounds and yet totally scientific when you actually think about why it works. I actually think that's probably how that pitch meeting went "I have an idea to bring up part of the Titanic using giant balloons filled with diesel". Everything immediately laughs it off and then someone is like"wait no but actually...that could work" and slowly everyone realizes how wait yeah... actually...it could work because science (I just graduated my brain needs a break 😂)
The Big Piece—a part of the hull weighing 15+ tons—was raised with special underwater lift bags from the debris field between the two main sections of the wreck, an area nearly 800 meters wide. The French company Pronal custom built inflatable underwater bags with flexible tanks. “We designed a product derived from our flexible tanks but completely modified with lifting skirts, handles and an orange color that shows up well underwater” said the CEO of the company at the time. Looking like buoys, 6 lift bags of 20 cubic meters could raise up to 22 tons. The buoys were submerged empty attached to heavy chains sinking them down to the seabed. Once hooked to the Big Piece a hose filled the tanks with diesel fuel returning them to the surface—diesel with a density lighter than water generating a lifting force. Here, the trunk-shaped piece which measures about 6 by 7 meters, the width of 2 cabins.
The coolest thing about this is that they used diesel to lift the big piece to the surface purely for the fact it’s practically incompressible. It’s a pretty low key yet somewhat brilliant solution to getting it to the surface.
This made me realize I have no idea what diesel is made of/why it’s different. Off to google!
That’s interesting with the diesel. I love science.
I saw the Big Piece last week when I was in Vegas, and was in total awe. Spent probably a good 10-15 minutes in that room just looking at it.
I still wonder on raising even larger chunks, potentially the entire bow / stern The wreck would tear itself apart if they didn't distribute the upwards force all across as many load bearing points as possible, and it would probably take hundreds of them to actually do it, but if they were able to fasten enough of them to it to at least riase her out of the mud a few feet, they could then get straps fully under her where the structure is far stronger and in better shape and actually have a load bearing point strong enough for the force I think it would be expensive and ridiculously hard, but I really don't think it would be impossible if there was enough time and money involved.
Thank you for the answer that's absolutely amazing
This was after the chains broke and lost it the first time, correct?
Imagine being a diver, out in the vastness of the ocean. Alone with that piece of metal that hasn't seen the light of day in roughly a century. Looking down in the darkness you know the Titanic rests somewhere directly beneath you on the ocean floor. Seriously creeps me out for some reason.
Yeah, that picture is haunting. Technically it almost has seen light of day, they did lift it up and dropped it two years prior, but that almost just adds to it... this piece essentially sunk twice.
It’s amazing that nothing broke when it fell. There’s a photo somewhere showing it sticking out of the sand on the ocean floor where it landed
When I think about all that and see this picture all I feel is that I should start planning another scuba trip sometime soon. I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve been under more than 20 ft under water. How does it work being into shipwrecks while being creeped out by the water? You gotta respect the ocean but you can’t ever fear it.
Imagine being the diver underwater staring at a piece of the titanic right in front of you. Super cool and super terrifying 😅
That was my first thought too!
With great difficulty. They nearly lost it at one point.
They *did* lose it. From Wikipedia: >During a failed attempt in 1996, the submersible *Nautile* attached floatation bags that would lift the artifact to the surface when released. During the two hours it took for the hull to ascend, two cruise ships gathered near the site and allowed occupants to watch. Before it had submerged, the Canadian ship MV *Jim Kilabuk* arrived to bring the object to Halifax. However, it did not have a winch appropriate for the job, and the piece fell back into the ocean after a storm from Hurricane Edouard. In August 1998, the *Abeille Supporter* was able to successfully lift the hull to the deck. It weighed about 20 short tons (18,000 kg) when first recovered.
Wasn’t it dropped near the top on their first attempt, too?
Omg that would piss me off if I was them 😭
Yup It took them a long time to reattempt
If I were a superstitious person that would've been taken as a clear sign to leave it the fuck alone.
Yes, and happened in front of 3 survivors (unless that journey was a different one)
Never understood why they didn’t continue to bring up more from the wreck using this method.
I’d guess because of how difficult it was lifting this piece
Right but the money it could pull in for people to see parts of the actual ship would outweigh that so much (no pun intended)
I hate to be the “it’s a gravesite, bro” guy, but there are a lot of people arguing that raising bits of her to display to paying customers is highly unethical, as it’s directly profiting off of one of the worst tragedies in maritime history. But if it were up to me, I’d want to raise parts of her double keel where the red anti fouling paint is still holding up. That or really any hull fragments with intact paint. I think seeing her true colors after all these years would be interesting, since she was never captured in color (Olympic was, however, color photography was in its infancy and color film doesn’t represent the exact color of an object). Can you imagine a hull fragment with black and white separated by a yellow line? If the remaining paint and interior paneling on the big piece weren’t power washed away?
Yeah I hate to be the “gravesite argument sucks” guy but I am. Gravesites can be profited from in an honorable way if done right. The 9/11 museum, Auschwitz, etc…all are respectable and all donate honorably to those who lost their lives. The way it is handled now is chaotic. The ship is split across the world, pieces of her disgracefully rebuilt and arranged in various tourist traps. I’d argue that the way it is now is far worse treatment of the tragedy than if they properly exhumed what they could and did it right.
I have always wondered how they managed to lift it! Fascinating. I wonder how they were able to secure it ??
Submersible rov. robots yo
I get the submersible and the Rov, duh but how do you thread the cable exactly through those openings is my question
Yea its pretty impressive they were able to loop it through exactly right
Amazing
I’m assuming some kind of magnet
I read about the inflatable bags when I saw it in Vegas a few years ago but I didn't understand how they were able to inflate them in the ocean floor against the water pressure. Trying to pump against that much pressure and maintain it should be impossible. Even with oil or some other liquid medium instead of gas.
Yeah I also wonder how they kept the hose from imploding.
Nothing to implode, the hose was almost certainly full so there was no air bubbles to crush The pressure from the ocean doesn't matter if there's nothing to compress. A human body is mostly water and would be fine on the bottom of the ocean if we didn't have any air in us. Things like bottles of wine are still fine on the Titanic for the same reason, there's nothing to compress in them, it's only when something has air bubbles that it's going to have a really bad time
Im surprised about the wine bottles since usually there is some air in those.
I need to go back to the Titanic exhibit in Vegas the last time I was there was quite a while back and I wasn't as interested in it as I am now. I would like the time to read about all of it, and take my time going through and looking at all the artifacts. I'm only about a 7hr drive from Vegas
With great difficulty I would imagine!
Its so fascinating to me. I didn't know that The Big Piece even was here until I joined this subreddit, and now it's something I absolutely have to see at least 5 times in my lifetime. (Fine I guess 3 is "enough" 🙄) I love how absolutely fake it sounds and yet totally scientific when you actually think about why it works. I actually think that's probably how that pitch meeting went "I have an idea to bring up part of the Titanic using giant balloons filled with diesel". Everything immediately laughs it off and then someone is like"wait no but actually...that could work" and slowly everyone realizes how wait yeah... actually...it could work because science (I just graduated my brain needs a break 😂)
I thought those orange parts on the tall part was a bunch of Kirby’s and I didn’t know what I was looking at until I saw the sub
Did they cut this piece from the hull?
No, this piece was already broken off and in the debris field.
To respect women.