For this project, Keller treated hydraulically placed fill to form a new quay.

Keller UK completes vibro compaction at Felixstowe Port
Felixstowe Port where Keller UK has completed vibro compaction

The project

Felixstowe is the largest container port in the UK and the twentieth largest in the world. Phase 1 of its expansion consisted of providing a 730m-long new deep water quay and 200,000 m2 container handling area to accommodate larger container ships.

The challenge

To treat hydraulically placed sand fill deposited in a reclamation area behind a combo sheet pile wall and meet tight performance criteria without damaging the quay wall.

The solution

Using 4 no S-type vibrators, assisted by water jetting to achieve general densification of clean sand fill, Keller installed 133,200 linear meters of vibro compaction columns to a depth of up to 20m. The design loading was 40KN/m². The work was carried out between tides on a seven-day working programme over a six-month period. It was validated by post-treatment CPT tests.

Project facts

Owner(s)

Hutchison Ports

Keller business unit(s)

Keller UK

Main contractor(s)

Costain