Patent ID: 8657532

Claim:
A method of elevating a marine platform that is supported by a plurality of hollow metallic leg sections that extend above and below a water line of a body of water, comprising the steps of; a) cutting one of the leg sections at a selected elevation; b) attaching a plurality of hydraulic rams to the leg sections, each ram having a hollowed cylinder, an extensible push rod, and a middle section in between the hollowed cylinder and the pushrod, and first and second ram end portions, the rams being attached to the leg section at the ram end portions, one ram end portion being attached to the leg section above the cut and the other ram end portion being attached to the leg section below the cut, and wherein each ram has a retracted and an extended position; c) repeating steps “a” through “b” for the other leg sections of the platform; d) elevating the platform a first intermediate distance by extending each pushrod relative to the hollowed cylinder; e) providing pins and pin openings that enable temporary supporting of the leg section above the cut after step “d”; and f) elevating each ram a second distance that is greater than said intermediate distance by elevating the middle section relative to the hollowed cylinder.