Freyssinet Australia was engaged to undertake a major rehabilitation of the Webb Docks in the Melbourne port. These works were part of a huge Port Capacity project, which reconfigured the docks to their original role as an international container facility, capable of handling the equivalent of at least 1 million containers per annum.
The Webb Dock East Berth 4&5 rehabilitation project is the largest wharf rehabilitation project ever undertaken in Australia, with a scope of work including: concrete repairs and coatings, crack injection steel pile patch welding, steel pile protective wraps and encasements, and the installation and ongoing monitoring of an impressed current cathodic protection system.
In order to meet our client’s deadline, our team was mobilized onsite within 24 hours of engagement.
Over the course of the project, an unparalleled volume of work was completed to meet the completion dates. The peak workforce has reached 100 workers, many working below the wharf in up to waist deep water at high tide.
Establishment of numerous working systems and methods which ensured safety, quality and environment standards were extraordinary. In particular, a submersible access platform has been designed and implemented specifically for worker access; it included an innovative containment system to avoid polluting the surrounding waters.
Building on the works delivered in 2016 for rehabilitation of the Webb Docks 3 & 4 at the Port of Melbourne, Freyssinet was entrusted a Design and Construct contract to design, install, commission and monitor an Impressed Current Cathodic Protection system to protect the submerged sheet piles at Webb Dock East Berth 1.
As part of the Port of Melbourne’s accelerated low water corrosion protection program, Freyssinet were engaged to design, install, commission and monitor an ICCP (Impressed Current Cathodic Protection) system to protect the submerged sheet piles at Webb Dock East Berth 1.
This berth is used daily by ships transporting goods between Victoria and Tasmania and normal shipping operations were maintained throughout the works.
A bespoke access system was used to work within the narrow space between the wharf face and the berthed vessels.
Diving works included underwater welding and installation of all submerged ICCP components.
Additional protection to anodes subject to thrust was designed to ensure long term operation under harsh conditions.
The installation included sourcing the electrical supply from the adjacent wharf approximately 230m away. The current is then distributed from Transformer Rectifier Units (TRU) along the wharf within a PVC cable tray system to reduce the risk of corrosion and provide longevity.
