Finch Consulting’s, Dom Barraclough recently presented the M&CCE best project award at this year’s European Commercial Marine Awards, held in Southampton on the 12th June 2019.
The award, sponsored by Finch Consulting, recognises companies who have made innovations and overcome challenges within the marine civil engineering industry.
This year’s award was presented to Vanessa Masters on behalf of Kaymac Marine & Civil Engineering for their work on the Swansea Tawe Barrage Project.
Commenting on the awards, Dom Barraclough said “I was delighted to present the M&CCE Best Project Award at the European Commercial Marine Awards. The judges saw that the project deployed a wide range of skills and services in adverse conditions, which were delivered on time and in budget – a clear achievement and shows the depth of marine civil engineering offerings.”
Adding he said “I was also equally delighted to be able to give a special mention to Fugro for their central role in de-commissioning the UK’s first offshore windfarm. The two turbines at Blyth were installed 20 years ago with support from Fugro, and the judges saw that it is an indication of their key role in renewable energy that they returned to the site to remove the assets. Fantastic work.”
About the project.
The lock gates at the Swansea Tawe Barrage were installed circa 1990 in order to allow passage of vessels from the estuary into and out of the retained river Tawe Marina. The works contracted to Kaymac comprised three phases; scour repairs to spalling/deteriorating Quay wall above and below waterline, and scour protection installation, refurbishment main Barrage lock gates and installation of new post and rail fencing.
In order to achieve masonry repairs to the harbour wall a dive team was required to initially install environmental protection measures in the form of a silt curtain around the perimeter of the working area to prevent contamination. The new concrete apron was poured in two lifts, the formwork was removed by divers and lifted out using a small crane. Due to the curve of the quay wall the formwork was a bespoke design and constructed by our in-house fitters at our Swansea workshop and delivered to site prior to installation.
The work above the water line was carried out from a pontoon platform that could manoeuvre by hand or with a small work/safety boat. Open joints in the quay wall were pressure grouted and re-pointed, cracks were broken out and steel bars installed and sealed with an approved marine grade mortar and any voids were filled with concrete. The repairs to the wall were finished with concrete spraying.
Kaymac’s repairs and installations were highly time sensitive as it was crucial they were carried out in the planned two week shut down period.
