Interbeton bv – the group company of HBG, Hollandsche Beton Groep nv, operating outside Western Europe – has been awarded the contract for the construction of a quay wall in Durban, South Africa. The project, in joint venture with South African construction companies Grinaker-LTA and BCW, is for the National Ports Authority. The contract value amounts to €33 million, of which HBGÂ's share is more than €13 million.
The port of Durban is one of the biggest on the African continent. Two extra berths will facilitate the growing transfer of goods. The joint venture will build a quay wall with a length of 1,200 metres, to service ships with a maximum depth of fifteen metres.
The project also includes the construction of a prefabrication yard for the production of 52 caissons. These prefabricated elements – 24x17x18 metres – will be built on land and lowered in the water by a synchro lift. The caissons will be towed to the construction site and submersed to a foundation bed. The new quay wall will be built 200 metres in front of an existing berth. In between, the joint venture will carry out land fill, for which three million cubic metres of sand is needed.
The project starts this month with the construction of the prefab yard and is scheduled to be completed mid 2003. After completion of the project, the production yard and other facilities will be handed over to the client.
(source: HBG)