Art Anderson Associates was tasked by Young Mechanical Systems to perform a finite element analysis of Hanson Aggregate's dredge Millennium Star for the purpose of determining the adequacy of the gantry support structure. Several cracks have occurred in the deck and bottom structure of the pontoons and sections of deck plating have been permanently deformed. The pontoon assembly also appears to be warped. A number of inspections have led to considerable structural troubleshooting, repair, and reinforcement.

The models developed by Art Anderson Associates analyzed both deformation of and stresses in the pontoon structure using the finite element program ALGOR. No attempt was made to analyze the gantry structure. A global model and two local models were built. The global model included the gantries, gantry connecting beams, and assemblage of 14 pontoons. The two local models included the selected gantry support pedestal(s), pedestal foundation, and surrounding pontoon structure.