Scale-model tests on caisson motions in waves and ballasting operation
| Period: | 09/2006-09/2007 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Port of Gijón, Spain |
| Client: | UTE Dique Torres |
assignment/short description
The Port of Gijón is in the process of building a large extension to the port, a new basin seawards of the present port facilities. The northern boundary of this extension, the Dique Norte, is formed by caissons, placed on a gravel bed. The approximate dimensions of the caissons (length x width x height) are 52 x 32 x 31 m. The construction process of the Dique Norte is hampered by the fact that the wave climate at Gijón is dominated by swells from the NNW and it was known from previous studies that the wave conditions at Gijón would limit the available time for placing of the caissons to 40 days per year or less. This would not be sufficient to place all caissons within the time available. Deltares | Delft Hydraulics (in combination with Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) was requested to perform physical and numerical model tests to perform a detailed investigation of the workability and to optimize the proposed placing method of the caissons.
