Projects Harbour Construction

Innovative steel sheet pile solutions for modern ports

Global traffic continues to increase steadily and so does the size of the container vessels. This expansion places a considerable strain on the infrastructure of the ports they call, and the ports need to invest massively to meet the requirements of the new ship generations. Steel sheet piles offer a sustainable and cost-effective solution for modern ports, be it for increasing the dredging depth by simply installing a sheet pile wall in front of an existing structure, or to build a brand-new quay wall. The straightforward and fast installation allow the new structure to be operational within a short period of time. Additionally, the installation works only require a reduced workforce and equipment.

ArcelorMittal’s research team develops new sheet piles and accessories so that we can continue offering the best products on the market and meet the ever-changing requirements of the dynamic shipping and logistics industry. The latest developments include the AZ-800 range, the 750 mm wide U-piles and the unmatched HZ-M king piles with a section depth of up to 1 100 mm designed specifically for quay walls with draughts of 20 m and more. Today the construction industry needs to be more resilient and sustainable. New projects must be designed with a low environmental impact over its whole life cycle if we want to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the target imposed by the governments in 2015. Steel is a perfect material to illustrate “circular economy”: it can be recovered at 100%, and reused several times before being 100% recycled. 

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Voisey’s Bay | Labrador | Canada

 

Voisey’s Bay is situated in a remote area on the north-east coast of Labrador, in the Canadian Arctic. One of the richest nickelcopper- cobalt finds in the world, the Voisey’s Bay deposit was discovered in 1993, some 350 km north of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. 

The Voisey’s Bay Nickel Company (VBNC) built an integrated mine at the site which is now in operation. A harbour was required in order to import mine consumables and export the nickel concentrate. Construction of the wharf in nearby Anaktalak Bay began in summer 2004, and the main structure was completed in December 2004, with some ancillary work completed in late spring 2005. The new deep-sea wharf received its first ship on schedule in November 2005.

Hamburg | Germany

 

As one of the world’s most important ports, Hamburg will handle an expected 14 million TEU by 2010. This represents a major rise from today’s 8.5 million TEU container handling capacity. The European mega-port is currently confronted with a 15% yearly rise in container volume and close to 10% growth for total cargo throughput. It was therefore decided to increase the investment funds to approximately 1,000 million euros for enlargement of the following four facilities: 

  • Burchardkai Container Terminal: Current quay length: 2,850 m. Current quay depth: 16.5 m. 
  • Altenwerder Container Terminal: Current quay length: 1,400 m. Current quay depth: 16.7 m. 
  • Tollerort Container Terminal: Current quay length: 395 m. 
  • Eurogate Container Terminal – Predöhlkai: Current quay length: 2,100 m. Current quay depth: 18.8 m.

La Spezia | Italy

 

The city of La Spezia is situated about half way between Genoa and Pisa, the part of the country with the largest concentration of harbours. Among these ports are the harbours of Genoa, Savona, Livorno and La Spezia which have a joint annual cargo handling capacity of more than 100 million metric tons. It is from here that the industrial north of Italy exports its products.

Following a study that predicted a rise in cargo traffic beyond the present capacities, a modernisation programme was launched in 1995, with the goal of expanding the Ravano, Malaspina and Garibaldi terminals. In 2004, the port of La Spezia handled slightly more than one million TEU, a rise of 3.4% compared to the previous year. The modernisation programme called for a total of 27,500 t of sheet piles to be installed in the following parts of the harbour.

Mersin | Turkey

 

Mersin is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, on the south-east coast of Turkey. Several international contracting companies were invited to bid for the upgrading of the Mersin Seaport of Debarkation. Closing date for the tender was September 2002. A steel solution was chosen for upgrading of the existing concrete solution partly because the project was constructed in an active seismic region. Being a ductile material, steel offers higher load reserves during earthquakes. Purchase and installation of the steel sheet piles account for roughly 15% of the total project cost. The following material was required (tender amounts):

Wall area: 14,968 m²;
Material quality: ASTM A690;
Section modulus: 6,000 cm³/m;
Thickness: 10 mm;
Painting: 3 layers of epoxy coating.

Marsden Point | New Zealand

 

Marsden Point is situated on the northeast coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It is here where the country’s most modern and deepest port was constructed. Offering permanent shipping access and guaranteeing a continuous increase in traffic, the harbour is undoubtedly a key factor in the development of New Zealand’s economy. 

The idea of building a new port in this region goes back several decades. The Northland Port Corporation, which operates the nearby port of Whangarei, purchased the site in the 1960s when New Zealand’s forestry was still in its infancy. With the passing of the years some 190,000 ha of pine forest reached maturity, resulting in sustained growth of exports of forest products from Whangarei. Exports were predicted to increase fourfold between 2000 and 2004. Port Whangarei, whose wharf structures were not designed to carry today’s heavy handling equipment, is incapable of handling this growth.