Webb Dock East Controlled Modulus Columns
Container trade at the Port of Melbourne was projected to increase to approximately 5.5 million containers by 2025, an increase that could not be accommodated in this time frame by Swanson Dock (two container terminals) nor Port of Hastings (longer-term development).
The Webb Dock precinct, Port Melbourne, offered the best potential to provide increased capacity in the short term. This involved dredging, installing navigation aids, and upgrading infrastructures.
CMCs
VICTORIAN INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL developed modules to stack up
containers (5 high, 10 wide), with a rail running perpendicularly to the stacking beams. In total, an area of approximately 22,000m2 required ground improvement to allow the ASC Rail Beam Foundations and Container Stacking Beam Foundations to comply with the design criteria and reduce the maintenance requirements.
BMD awarded Menard Oceania with a Design & Construct contract for the ground improvement of six modules (13,500m2), with Controlled Modulus Columns being designed as a bridge over the Coode Island silts layer to transfer the load down to the more competent Fisherman’s Bend silts layer.
Menard Oceania installed 3,663 CMCs, which are 360mm in diameter and 16m deep on average.
Approximately 58,000lm were drilled in 67 days cumulatively over the two periods, Nov 2014-Feb 2015 and Oct 2015.
The adequacy of the technique was evidenced by the excellent results of the 16
loading tests averaging 3mm settlement. The collaborative works of Menard Oceania and BMD led to the project’s technical success and its completion ahead of the program.
