The Department of Infrastructure (DOI) have said the completion of the King Edward VIII Pier has been delayed due to issues encountered around the installation of the two mooring dolphin piles at the end of the pier.
According to the Department, all six piles required to create the temporary drilling platform for the permanent dolphin piles have been successfully installed – but this process has suffered significant delays due to how uneven the bedrock is in this area.
It says a test borehole (BH) first indicated the depth of the bedrock to be around 10 metres beneath sea level, and while TP1 and TP3 have been installed a little over that, TP2 connects at more than 17m and TP4 at almost 15m below sea level.
This has required longer and more powerful specialist drilling equipment to be deployed, to ensure the temporary piles can be secured into the bedrock at a deeper level.
Since the issue came to light, test boreholes have been drilled for both of the mooring dolphins with bedrock found at 12.7m and 13.4m.
The next step will see the creation of the temporary drilling platform and then drilling taking place.
King Edward VIII Pier works
While some disruption is unavoidable, the Department and contractor are said to be “collaborating well” with the Steam Packet to ensure the project can continue to move forwards while ensuring there is minimal effect on sailings and the overall passenger experience.
The three new 100-tonne mooring bollards have been successfully installed and are now available for full use tying up the Manxman.
Around 80 cubic metres of concrete were removed during the construction, which included drilling down through the quay and into the bedrock to make a secure connection.
Around half of the rockbags have now been placed beneath the water at the foot of the quay wall as an added layer of protection from fast moving water around the vessel’s propellers and thrusters.
The installation process remains ongoing and involves the bags, which weigh up to 4 tonnes each, being placed on to a catamaran and then lifted down into the water.
Specialist divers help to guide them into place against the wall. While this process has been taking place, planned repairs to the quay wall have been undertaken and are now close to being finished.
Find out all about the project, at its dedicated webpage: https://www.gov.im/pierproject
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