Brazil: Engineering Club Pays Visit to Acu Superport

Directors of the Engineering Club and the Regional Engineering, Architecture and Agronomy Board for the State of Rio de Janeiro visited the Industrial Complex of Açu Superport on Tuesday (13), which is being built in São João da Barra (RJ).

Consisting of 13 engineers, the group saw the works’ progress, up close and could see that they are on schedule and in compliance with the strictest engineering standards. During a visit they watched videos about the construction method LLX is using to build the venture.

Luiz Carneiro, Director of the Club and a representative of the CREA-RJ Board, said the visit was requested so that its members could get to know the venture personally. “This is an excellent venture. This is the first such initiative in this country and all of us engineers are pleased to be able to share information about the Superport’s construction“, he emphasised.

Currently with some 6000 workers, the works are making consistent progress, are on schedule, and operations are forecast to start at the end of the year. At TX1 (offshore terminal), which will handle iron ore and oil, the engineers visited the 3-km bridge and iron ore pier (with 2 mooring berths) in addition to the supply boat pier, the approach channel and the turning basin – all of which are now ready. The committee also visited the machinery assembly and installation sector in the iron-ore terminal.

The group also watched the construction of the concrete profiles that will make up the breakwater. A ground-breaking technology in Brazil, the use of profiles to build breakwaters is standard practice in Europe and Asia. In addition to using less rock, this method makes it possible for the breakwater to be used as a ship mooring pier. The TX1 breakwater, for example, will also be used as a terminal for handling oil.

Nine of the blocks that will be used to build the breakwater were transported from Porto de Algeciras, in Spain, to Rio de Janeiro. They were transported between the months of May and June in one of the largest such operations ever seen. The dredging and laying of rocks to prepare the foundations of the other blocks is in progress.

At TX2 (onshore terminal) the group visited the works building the approach channel, which began to be built in 2011 and now has a length of nearly 6 km, a width of 300 meters and a depth of 14.5 meters. In total, it will have a length of 6.5 km, wharf line of 13 km, width of 300 meters and depth of between 10.5 and 18.5 meters. The engineers also visited the Kugira, the world’s largest floating dyke, which is at Açu Superport producing the profiles to be used in the breakwater’s construction.

The group also saw the works building the offshore support wharfline, which started this year. Three cranes which can move up to 250 tons are currently being used in these works.

Luis Osório, LLX’s engineering officer, said the Engineering Club’s visit was of huge importance. “It is an honour to welcome the representatives of the Engineering Club and CREA to a venture of such importance to the Brazilian engineering sector. We have shared information about the construction methods and the works, have demonstrated our commitment to the construction of Açu Superport and shown our pride in spearheading this huge venture which will associate Eike Batista’s name with unparalleled advances in regional development and the logistical infrastructure of our state and Brazil“, he added.

[mappress]

Press Release, August 21, 2013