Offshore Technology Utilized to Accelerate Nearshore Barge Terminal Construction

When a client required that an existing barge terminal in northern British Columbia, Canada, be moved to a new, exposed site in ten weeks’ time and with only a few days of downtime, innovative solutions were required to design, complete environmental and navigational permitting, and construct the new facility. The solution involved using components traditionally used in the offshore industry such as large drag anchors and high-capacity mooring chain attenuators to significantly reduce potential environmental impacts to streamline permitting, reduce the procurement lead time, and reduce construction time. A large barge was retrofitted into a floating breakwater and mooring lead, and modular floats were used to support the relocated loading ramp. A floating breakwater on chains and anchors at this site would typically have been difficult to design due to the potential for resonance with waves that regularly form in the long channel. However, by using high-capacity mooring chain attenuators intended for offshore vessels, the motions were significantly decreased. After permitting approvals were obtained, removal and modification of components from the existing terminal and construction of the new terminal were completed in just seven days. The new terminal, which was originally designed to operate for only 18 months, is now planned to be removed and relocated for use at a different site.