The Port Botany Expansion project involved the development of 60 hectares of reclaimed land with provision for five new shipping berths and over 1850 metres of new wharves. In addition, substantial community and enhancement works were delivered along the Foreshore Road promenade with all work constructed in close proximity to Sydney Airport’s third runway and existing live port operations.
The work required the undertaking of extensive dredging utilising a variety of dredging equipment to depths of 30 metres for the foundation trenches of the new wharf and to excavate the deep berthing basin and navigation channels.
The wharves themselves were constructed using reinforced concrete counterfort units, replicating the design of the existing Port Botany wharves. The counterforts were precast on site and then moved to an adjacent storage area. Each precast counterfort measures 20m high by 9m wide and weigh 640 tonnes.
Once cured they were transported 1.5kms by a special purpose built load out wharf and then positioned utilising a 1700 tonne capacity shear leg barge into the preformed trench on a prepared screeded bed.
Once the counterforts were installed the reclamation material from the dredging operation was pumped and then compacted in the reclamation area, the counterforts being treated with a combination of kentledge and surcharge loading to ensure settlement performance. On completion of the compaction a concrete coping beam was constructed along the length of the new wharf wall.
An exceptional project and a worthy winner.