A key feature of the new dry dock is a prominent jetty extension and mooring facility which requires the construction of a substantial new combi-wall cofferdam, being carried out by specialist piling sub-contractor, Steel Pile Installations of Morecambe, Lancashire.
Some 930t of sheet piles have been installed in just 11 weeks.
With piles up to 26m long and weighing up to 13t, the job required a crane that could operate a vibratory hammer as well as a hydraulic drop hammer (weighing 16t), at up to 18m radius. The heaviest lift was the combination of a single box pile and the vibratory hammer, with a combined weight of 21t.
The crane chosen was a 180t-capacity Kobelco CKE 1800 equipped with a 61m main boom, hired from BPH Equipment.
