Frances Bay Mooring Basin Lock Upgrade
The project
Frances Bay Mooring Basin offers safe berthing and loading facilities for commercial vessels. The lock, constructed in 1987, had reached the end of its design life. The recent upgrade works have extended the lock's life by 30 years.
Advance Civil Engineering was awarded the project based on an alternative design approach. The existing structure featured 9.5-meter-high precast concrete walls supported by steel tie rods. Initially, the plan was to replace these steel tie rods. However, our innovative design introduced a stabilized earth block behind the existing lock walls, significantly reducing the load on the wall while effectively resisting earth, hydrostatic, and surcharge loads.
This decision was validated when several original tie rods were found to have snapped. The failure of these tie rods necessitated temporary wall support during the completion of the works.
Scope of Works
• Design and documentation of repair works
• Fabrication and replacement of two new steel lock doors, each weighing 72 tons
• Replacement of the gates' hydraulic drive system
• Replacement of the lock control system
• Removal of existing steel tie rods and installation of a mass concrete retaining block, including:
o 10m deep, 30m long, and 6m wide excavations on each side of the lock, followed by concrete backfilling
o Bored piles into the underlying rock to anchor the new mass concrete block
• Fabrication of new drop-in cofferdams to enable complete dewatering of the lock, allowing for the necessary works to be carried out
This completed project ensures the longevity and reliability of the Frances Bay Mooring Basin lock, supporting the continued safe operation for commercial vessels.
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PO Box 37719 Winnellie NT Australia 0821
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