In this feature Livvy Williams, Head of Compliance at Suttle Projects discusses the importance of identifying and removing the potential risks to the users of public quaysides, jetties and the waterborne mariners when undertaking the repair and replacement of coastal structures.
Repairing and reconstructing sea walls, piers and jetties have very specific marine technical challenges working in intertidal zones. These structures are typically located in busy public spaces with users engaged in leisure and businesses activities or potentially can directly impact private residences.
At Suttle Projects we do not only seek to simplify the technical solutions we also strive to make it easy for the public and stakeholders to be kept informed. When choosing our methodologies first and foremost our decisions are concentrated on ensuring the users of the public, private and business spaces are free from any personal risk and that their absolute safety during our operations will be guaranteed.
At Poole Town Quay Suttle Projects had to renew 100m of the quay wall. The historic Poole Quay is an attractive, busy, amenity that is frequented by many visitors and over recent years Poole Quay has benefited from an ambitious regeneration programme, attracting new businesses and increasing the numbers of revellers creating a vibrant and jovial environment. An example is bike night when the quayside is closed to traffic and this event alone attracts over 1000 motorcycles in just one night. Traffic management and segregation of the public from our works and ensuring public safety was key to the success of the project, with the reconstructed asset delivered to the local harbour commissioners on time, safely and within budget.
At Panorama Road in Sandbanks a Jetty was required to serve a luxury property on the waterfront. Our approach demanded great care and consideration to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both the neighbouring residents and the general public using the numerous forms of waterborne leisure craft.
Within Weymouth harbour we undertook repairs to the 235m North Quay wall where some sections of the seawall are extremely old; parts of the masonry are Victorian and the reinforced concrete elements date back to the 1930s. The wall supports the adjacent public highway so our methodologies had to take account of both the heavy levels of traffic and the immediate quayside area being open public realm. Weymouth has 1.6 million staying visitors and 2.1 million day visits each year, the bustling harbour area is a major attraction for those visitors so our care for public safety was paramount to the project’s success.
As innovative engineers we are of course focused on creating the most efficient and effective technical solutions for sea wall and jetty projects, but first and foremost it is being able to fully consider the potential risks, remove those risks and thereby guarantee public safety is at the very heart of every decision we make.