GDG design a 200m Pontoon Berth at Greenock Ocean Terminal for Cruise Vessels

GDG DEVELOPS BESPOKE PONTOON BERTHING SOLUTION FOR GREENOCK OCEAN TERMINAL?

The ports & harbours team at GDG were delighted to work on this novel terminal upgrade for Peel Ports to accommodate some of the worlds' leading cruise vessels.?Around 50 cruise calls were accommodated in 2021 after pandemic rules were relaxed and Peel Ports expects over 100 vessels to call at Greenock in 2022. Inverclyde Council are currently leading the development of a Visitor Centre to complement the Greenock cruise facility, expected to open in Summer 2022.

The pontoon solution, completed in early 2021, was developed and designed by GDG as an ideal solution for rapid delivery of a new high-capacity vessel berth. This pontoon solution included a number of unique and novel features that make it technically efficient and cost effective. Particular features of the GDG pontoon and piled solution included:

? Bespoke design of pontoons capable of accommodating some of the largest cruise vessels in the world such as Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas at 347m long and the 331m long Virtuosa from MSC Cruises ;

? Pontoons were fabricated in the nearby Inchgreen dry dock from in-situ concrete construction to minimise craneage and transport costs;?each pontoon was circa 1,000t of concrete and could be towed 3km directly to the site;

? Optimised weight and material usage through numerical modelling and enhanced structural analyses ;

? Single skin concrete with extra thin walls for improved buoyancy performance ;?

? Integral polystyrene core within cellular pontoon construction to maintain buoyancy regardless of water ingress ;

? Sliding connection from pontoons to the restraining piles and structural connections on each;

? Enhanced hydrodynamic performance to ensure robust performance in a range of sea states ;

? Removable pedestrian barriers along the seaward side of the pontoon so that level access is provided at side shell door locations

? Piles designed by GDG using grouted rock sockets and with 120t quick release hooks on an elevated platform for mooring of vessels.

? Fall restraint system on the access ladder to the mooring platform as it must be accessible at all tidal stages

Image Credit: Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions Ltd

The pontoons for the Greenock Ocean Terminal comprised 4 pontoon units with total dimension of 200m in length, 8m wide and an overall depth of circa. 5m. The freeboard was set high at 2m, to allow straightforward access and loading from the side shell doors of the cruise vessels. The pontoons were restrained using rock socketed monopiles, complete with torsion arm fenders to reduce vessel berthing loads. The total infrastructure design at this unique Peel Ports facility included dredging, landside mooring bollards, bankseats for 2 gangways and associated marine services.?

GDG would welcome the opportunity?to deploy our optimised pontoon engineering at ports and harbours around the world. Feel free to get in contact to determine how we can assist you to extend your marine infrastructure.

Image Credit: Peel Ports Ltd