Construction of Su-Ao Harbor Project, Taiwan

Su-Ao Harbor is surrounded on three sides by mountains, and the opening, approximately 6550 ft (2000) wide, is directly facing the Pacific Ocean. Besides the monsoon season, during which the wave height in the harbor is usually as high as 6.5 ft (2 M) to 13 ft (4 M), it suffers from typhoons for a period about three months every year. According to the planning and design, there are a number of caissons, piles, and shaped concrete blocks to be placed and piled in the sea. For overcoming geographical and oceanographical disadvantages, floating docks and slip forms were used to construct the huge caissons in floating state, tug boats to tow the huge caissons in rough water were designed, and methods were arranged for protecting various caissons under construction from typhoons. Special machines for launching small caissons, and a long-distance belt-conveyor for earth-moving were also designed.