Unsinkable Replacement Pontoon Brings Wapping Great Success

Working with consultant Carillion Services and contractor Crispin & Borst, the Met awarded the contract to design, construct, deliver and install the replacement pontoon to Middlesex UK-based DockGuard Engineering in February of this year.

With site work due for completion in April, DockGuard set about manufacturing the 2.5m by 28.0m pontoon, which is fitted with special DockGuard Pontoon Fendering 1m high running along the berthing face to accommodate the wide variety of Police, RNLI, commercial and private craft that will use it on a day to day basis.

The pontoon, which is too long to be transported by road in one piece, was built in two halves at Penweld Fabrications in Cornwall. Each half was then transported to the Royal Albert Docks in London where it was assembled, lifted into the river by crane, towed up the Thames to Wapping and successfully installed first time, completing an operation that was critical to the success of the contract.

The new pontoon is fitted with overhead lighting, mooring bollards, fendering, handrails, electrical supplies, life buoys and a deck coated with special non-slip resin.

At each end of the pontoon there is a concrete dolphin and an adjoining boatlift is also supported by two concrete dolphins. The existing timber fendering for these four dolphins, which span approximately 15m for tidal variations, was badly worn and corroded.

The scope of works called for DockGuard to conduct a detailed site survey and to replace worn vertical and horizontal timbers with new hardwood ‘Ekki’ fendering. Working closely with Marine Engineered Timbers (MET), and under a tight work schedule, the new timber was fast-tracked to London where it was cut and drilled on site to match the large variation of fixing positions on each dolphin. This necessitated the hire of work barges and special handling equipment.

Working around unpredictable and fast turning tides, this project was completed on time and on budget. The representative for the Metropolitan Police at Carillion Services has expressed satisfaction with all products, services and site work delivered by DockGuard.

MJ Information No: 17102