ICMS will present its concrete floating breakwaters at Metstrade in Amsterdam next month.
The Seawork exhibitor and marine civils engineering firm also celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, when it began with its first products - which are used to attenuate waves to protect inner marinas or harbours, or berth larger vessels.
In the ports and harbours sector, the breakwaters are generally used to berth vessels such as tugs and workboats, where leisure pontoons would not be suitable.
“There is an increasing level of interest in the ports and harbours sector as the concrete breakwater is seen as a versatile piece of infrastructure,” Maeve Parker, senior design engineer, told Maritime Journal. ”Quay space is valuable so being able to get some of the vessels out on floating moorings offers harbours more options.”
Floating structures can be used when cost or geography make fixed breakwaters impractical or difficult, such as in poor ground conditions or very deep water, she says.
“The main advantage of floating over fixed is cost, but there are limitations - generally in wave periods over four seconds the floating breakwater is less effective at wave attentuation.”
Metstrade, an event for the leisure marine industry, is on between November 15-17.
