Apparatus for transporting and installing a deck of an offshore oil production platform

Apparatus for transporting and installing a deck (1) of an offshore oil production platform using a floating barge (10) adapted to support the deck (1), said apparatus comprising:

• a system for moving the deck (1) between a position resting on the barge (10) and a position resting on legs of the platform;
• a support framework (11) for supporting the deck (1) on the barge (10) and being coupled to said system, said support framework (11) comprising at least one top beam (12a) supporting at each end portion a rack (21) and a drive mechanism (20) to vertically move said rack and at least one bottom beam (12b) connected together by spacers (13) and extending generally horizontally;
• and
• a connecting device (35) for connecting each said rack (21) to the deck (1) in a manner that each said rack (21) can be disconnected from the deck (1) after ballasting the barge (10), said connecting device comprising a rod (40;50) a first end of which is connectable to said rack (21) and a second end of which is connectable to the deck (1), a connection finger (45;53) movably mounted for transverse movement relative to a longitudinal axis of said rod between a rod connecting state in which said connection finger connects one of said first and second ends of said rod to a respective one of said rack and the deck, and a rod disconnecting state, and an actuator unit (44;52) to actuate said connection finger (45;53) to move between said rod connecting state and said rod disconnecting state.