Our inspection works identified that the jetty would require some repairs to maintain its operational safety and desired life span. At this stage, the project was split into 4 key phases with Frankham acting as Principal Designer:
1. Condition Inspection & Recommendations
2. Repair Designs & Marine Licence Pre-applications
3. Procurement & Marine Licence Applications
4. Construction

Frankham were responsible for the design and preparation of a tender specification that included a new fender system, protective coating for steel piles, a berthing aid system and concrete repairs. The design works included preparation of construction drawings in addition to structural calculations and, berthing and mooring analysis. Alongside Aggregate Industries’procurement, legal and project teams, Frankham oversaw the procurement stage of the project. This included selecting specialist contractors to be invited to tender, handling any technical queries relating to the works and preparing a tender analysis report with a recommendation for award.

In the final phase of works, Frankham will be acting as Project Manager under the NEC4 contract and providing site supervision for quality assurance and contract administration on behalf of Aggregate Industries. This will be a fantastic opportunity for our technical staff to witness the implementation of their hard work and designs.

Challenges
The key challenge behind this project is the operational downtime of the jetty while repairs are being undertaken. Extended periods of operational downtime have significant impacts on Aggregate Industries’ landside operations and overall business activity of the site. To reduce the risk of extended periods of downtime, Frankham structured the tender to allow for a maximum of 4 week periods of downtime, allowing Aggregate Industries to restock the site and supply their customers. The project team have been collaborating with prospective contractors to develop a method of working using marine plant and equipment to alleviate risks.

Innovation
In addition to the use of specialist mooring and ship berthing software, Frankham were also given the freedom to explore alternatives to tropical timbers for fender use. An innovative method of combining softwood (accoya) and resin has helped develop a highly durable composite that is suitable for marine environments and is being explored for use on this project. The benefits it would bring include resistance to marine borers, high durability and therefore improved lifecycle and embedded carbon costs.

Client:
Aggregate Industries

Services:
Infrastructure engineering
Maritime engineering