Client: Private Owner
Project: Totland Pier Restoration Work
Principle Contractor: MMC Diving Services
Duration: 6 days
Date posted: 25-08-2015
Totland Bay Pier was constructed of a light girder framework on cast iron piles and a timber deck. It was built, like many other piers, to encourage tourists to the area by providing a safe and convenient steamer landing stage. Over the years continued restoration work was hindered by vandalism. Currently this privately owned pier is still in a dilapidated state, a private owner has undertaken the challenge of its complete restoration starting from the sea bed up.
MMC island divers undertook the original survey NDT testing the piles for corrosion and wall thickness to identify the true state of the piles. Many years later MMC were requested to tender for the pile clamp design and fabrication, followed by installation of the pile clamps to help prevent any further deterioration of scour and to reinforce the cast iron legs.
Scope:- Lift bags were used to float the 28 clamp half’s from the pebbled beach to the base of each pile. The piles had to be needle peened and cleaned up back to good metal to accommodate the clamps, once the clamps were fitted lift bags were used to support the pile brackets just off of the sea bed, whilst an air lift was used to hover out 600mm below bed level. Unfortunately, the discovery of thick tar mixed with pebbles around the bed level deterred the pile clams from being lowered to their required depth. Hydraulic breaking equipment was used to break out the tar then the clamps were lowered into the required position and hydraulically tightened before being filled with grout.