King George Docks
Constructed in 1914, King George Docks resides in the Port of Hull, on the north bank of the Humber Estuary. With the Humber overseeing nearly one quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade, and serving the whole of the British Isles, it is crucial that the structural integrity of the port is maintained.
What we did
VolkerLaser was awarded the North Quay project from Associated British Ports as a result of previous success in delivering strengthening and repair works to the Saltend Jetty in 2013.
North Quay is a 750m long suspended quayside, devised into a series of bays, upon which cranes are stationed in order to unload incoming shipments. The hostile nature of the coastal environment not only challenges the quayside’s structural integrity, but also limits opportunities for safe access to areas in need of refurbishment.
Access to the quay was also restricted by tide times, port activity and weather conditions, which all cause the water levels within the dock to fluctuate. Our team collaborated with project engineers to design and manufacture innovative steel workboats, which could be adjusted to alter the height at which the boats would sit in the water.
With safe access obtained, the first major element of the works could be undertaken. High pressured water jets were employed in the hydrodemolition of existing delaminated concrete on the quayside beams and columns. Subsequently, any exposed link reinforcement bars (rebars), which were shown to be corroded or damaged, were replaced to reinstate the substructure strength. Approximately 10,800 galvanic anodes were then attached to the new and existing link rebars, in order to prevent any further corrosion.
Approximately 370m³ of Sika 133F spray applied concrete was utilised in order to achieve a superior level of structural integrity.
For the crane beams, where the structure was compromised, extensively due to the corrosion of the rebars, additional strengthening was required. We collaborated with design engineers Curtins, in developing a unique and innovative solution of applying carbon fibre Sika wrap to restore integrity to the beams. King George Docks marks the very first time carbon fibre wrapping has been successfully utilised for structural strengthening within a marine environment.
"As a construction project, the challenges accompanying the King George Docks quayside repairs were quite different from the norm. Our team was able to overcome unpredictable complexities, and created a successful and collaborative ongoing relationship with the client."
Andy Hart Site Manager
