Halcrow has been working with Sharjah Port Authority for over 30 years on the Khor Fakkan Port and Container Terminal.
Starting out as a simple fishing port, the port has expanded through demand, and now encompasses six berths, storage areas, small craft quay and a fishing port, with a 1.5km breakwater forming the final stage of the current phase.
Being responsible for design and construction supervision, Halcrow has seen the port expand, and sees scope for future expansions; this phase itself has grown from one berth and breakwater, to include two berths and a breakwater. Halcrow has helped ensure quality and progress, and has carried out checks on works, and assisted in valuing the contractor.
Rob Pack, resident engineer on the current phase of the project – phase five, is excited that some of the latest cranes have been brought into the port by operator Gulftainer, in berth six: “The cranes can pick up two 40ft containers simultaneously and place them on the trailers waiting below.”
The port is bringing benefits to container shipping lines by reducing sailing time by two to three days when compared to travelling to Jebel Ali, and is safer than sailing through the straits of Hormuz.
The port was constructed in the wet, meaning that the walls and works were placed with water still in the area. The current phase has meant that two 16m berths have been created using pre-cast block construction. Dredging the basin has deepened the approach to meet the client’s needs of bringing in larger ships, and a longer quay to accommodate their 350m length.
The use of block work quay construction has been economic – by removing reinforcement which gets corroded quickly, particularly in the salty sea of the area and with the salt that’s in the air. It is also cheaper to repair, as well as being more hardy to bumps from ships. By building with 50 to 60 tonne blocks, smaller equipment could be used, bringing down the cost further.
The breakwater is being constructed using rock bund, with a rock core and concrete armoury units (core-locs) on the outside. A relatively new system, it should reduce costs.
Later, 40,000 square meters of storage will be created for container storage.
The port is one of the most efficient in the world and has achieved a 10 per cent increase in throughput in 2009 despite the economic downturn.