VolkerStevin Busy in Falkland Islands

VolkerStevin has just announced that the company is working on a £19 million project that will upgrade and improve defense infrastructure of berths at Mare Harbor, Falkland Islands.

The contract forms part of work planned by the Defense Infrastructure Organisation over the next decade, to modernize the local military infrastructure and capabilities for the Islands.

The project includes the design and construction of new berths, which will provide a facility suitable to cater for the larger POINT Class ships, with roll-on roll-off (RoRo) capability for the Falkland Islands Resupply Ship (FIRS). The FIRS delivers military supplies to the islands throughout the year, including hardware, food and infrastructure, as well as a small amount of commercial freight.

Earlier in the year all the materials, plant and equipment for the project were loaded onto a chartered vessel at Rotterdam prior to embarking on a five-week journey to the Falkland Islands. The piles, fabricated steel pile heads and fenders were shipped direct from Shanghai to the Falkland Islands.

The piles for the main RoRo berth are being installed and grouted into drilled rock sockets which are three meter diameter, and up to 20 meters deep. The piles are 35 meters long and weigh up to 75 tonnes, with 14 of the 16 piles now installed.

Part of the work includes new walkway bridges between the existing caissons that have been installed. Following completion of the piles, the company will be installing the pile heads, remaining walkway bridges and the fenders before commencing works to dismantle the marine plant for loading onto a chartered vessel for the return to Europe.

The project is on target for completion prior to the contract completion date of December 2017.