Client: DIO - HMNB Portsmouth
Contractor: Volker Stevin
Duration: 5 days
Date posted: 04-05-2019
A new dolphin has been constructed within The Camber, adjacent to the historic Nelson's Quay in Portsmouth Harbour. This listed, prized piece of British heritage needed protection prior to the piling operations to stop the large, granite-block quay wall shaking loose during any of the piling works. The structure is part of the upgrade facilities in HMNB Portsmouth for the new aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
MMC divers installed large, hardwood blocks and wedges into the open joints between the granite blocks. We then fabricated two vertical steel beams, wrapping the blocks in a Tecco T3 tensioning galvanised mesh. This particular mesh is FiA approved and was designed for Formula 1 racing as a crash debris barrier.
Once the two vertical beams were in position, our rope access team fixed anchor bolts in the underside of the soffit and divers installed anchor bolts into the concrete base to secure the steels. The mesh was then tightened around the blocks using screw gates attached to the vertical steels every 250mm up either side.
Piling works were undertaken, the granite blocks were continuously monitored and once completed the steel and mesh were removed following the successful piling operations.
