Dock Refurbishment
Grand Canal Docks, Dublin
Client: Waterways Ireland
Contract Duration: 30 weeks
Grand Canal Dock is a 200-year-old basin between the Grand Canal and River Liffey in Dublin. The area underwent massive commercial and residential development, which included refurbishment of the docks.
By using innovative underwater shutters and micro-concrete, we were able to offer the client considerable savings on their original design. The innovative design reduced time, cost and possible risk of collapse of the existing wall by the removal of hydrostatic pressure.
The works consisted of dredging 2000m3 of excess material close to the canal wall over a 240m length, shuttering underwater to a depth of 4m and pumping over 200m3 micro concrete to consolidate the structure. A total of 600m2 of stonework was also repaired and re-pointed both above and below water.
Due to the age of the structure and its environment, the following considerations were taken into account with the methods used:
- The age of the existing structure and the requirement to carry out the works from the water side
- The 200-year-old walls contained little or no mortar and great care was required to maintain its integrity.
- The shutters used were designed with buoyancy aids that allowed them to be filled with air to float them into place then filled with water to sink them into position.
- The shutter face was fine plastic gauze which meant that water was dispersed through the face while pumping concrete, without causing undue pressure on the wall or the shutter fixings.
The result was a high strength concrete wall with an excellent finish. All completed within a 30-week programme.