Dragados UK, principal contractor for the Aberdeen Harbor Expansion Project, has just installed the second of the 22 enormous concrete units that will form the closed quay sections at Aberdeen South Harbor.
These caissons, 50 meters long, 17 meters wide and 16 meters high, have been floated from Cromarty Firth to Nigg Bay, Aberdeen, in a 160-miles journey.
“Dragados’ caissons are advantageous for this project due to the fact that they can withstand higher working loads than the open quays – made with piles,” according to their latest release.
“In addition, caissons require less concrete than other construction techniques, given that they have empty chambers that are later filled with granular material – part of it will be the material dredged from Nigg Bay’s seabed, which will be reused for this purpose.”
The use of caissons is more environmentally-friendly than other marine building techniques, said Dragados.