Technical overview
The Kingston port expansion project consists, among other tasks, in changing all dock equipment, dredging the access channel, reinforcing the soil, recuperating 50,000 square metres of land for traffic purposes, and anchoring new, larger port cranes – all of this work to be carried out at a busy site.
To conduct this mandate, VINCI Construction Grands Projets is relying on EMCC’s specialised knowledge in maritime works and on Sodraco International for its dredging expertise.
The consortium was selected for the project on the basis of its enhancement of the basic initial solution that called for micropiles. Having to meet seismic standards and install cyclone-resistant port cranes dictated the need for an especially robust solution. That is why a variant – a pile-driving approach requiring the use of tubular and H piles – was put forward for this port-rehabilitation project.
To reinforce existing structures and protect them from the “instability” created by dredging operations next to the dock, an underpinning structure consisting of a fully immersed contiguous pile curtain was installed. Innovative methods and tools were required to implement the underpinning structure – truly a technical challenge.
The infrastructure was designed to withstand earthquakes and cyclones and bear the weight of the port cranes. In addition, it was scaled to accommodate Post-Panamax container ships in complete safety. Speaking of which, safety was a priority throughout the project, right from the design phase. That is why the initiative was designated as a pilot project for the deployment of our Safety in Design approach.
