Design of Marine Habitat Mitigation Structure

Completed in the spring of 2009, the US$883 million expansion to the existing convention centre and cruise ship terminal in Vancouver, Canada is a stunning world- class facility and a landmark addition to the Port of Vancouver's waterfront. The sharing of ideas, technologies, and technical knowledge by the design team resulted in the incorporation of innovative and sustainable features, including a marine intertidal habitat skirt that has replaced portions of the shoreline habitat now shaded by a structure built almost entirely over the water. The three offshore perimeter faces of the marine foundation were fitted with 500 lineal metres of bioengineered habitat skirt structure: a series of stepped, precast concrete benches supported by precast concrete frames attached to a cast-in-place perimeter concrete beam. A special focus on installation procedures during the design process allowed for both the 43 tonne habitat skirt frames and 8 tonne benches to be installed faster and more efficiently than anyone had anticipated. The habitat skirt is a prominent example of how specific social objectives for public development can be met while at the same time significantly enhancing the natural marine environment.