The strengthening involves an innovative and technically advanced strengthening method carried out by Belgian offshore construction company HSS.

The quay will be strengthened by drilling holes at approximately 20º into the quay face at low water level 2.5m apart.

Steel tie bars of 50mm will be inserted into the drill holes and held firm by epoxy grouting inserted under pressure. Once the epoxy grouting has set the steel rods will be capped with a large nut, tightened to further add to the strength.

This will allow the quay walls to withstand the increased water pressures which will occur after approximately 50,000 cubic metres of riverbed are dredged to create the required depth of water alongside.

The quay face will be further supported by the insertion of 900mm diameter epoxy grouting columns pumped into vertically drilled 160mm holes drilled into the quay walkway at 2.5m intervals.

As SCT Head of Engineering Cameron Waugh explained, this method of quay strengthening is quite innovative. Normally, the method used is to insert circular steel piles in front of the existing piles but that is more costly and takes more time.

Once completed, the project will provide sufficient depth of water to allow SCT to berth three deep drafted ships simultaneously, where currently it is restricted to two.

The dredging part of the programme follows an initial phase which involved strengthening 60m of crane rails where 205 berth meets 206 berth. The aim is to allow two of SCT's latest post Panamax cranes to operate on the stern or bow section of a vessel working on 205 berth.

This part of the work required the drilling of 160mm diameter bore holes to a depth of 16m, then plugging the holes with concrete grout pumped in under high pressure to form a 900mm grout column.

The deepened berth will be back in full operation in September.