Salt loading jetty, Delfzijl
For Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), our client at Chemical Park Delfzijl, Solid Services inspected the concrete and steel parts of a salt loading jetty. In addition, we drew up the renovation specifications and supervised the tendering process. Solid Services is currently carrying out project supervision and quality control.
Since the mid-20th century, rock salt has been extracted in the vicinity of Winschoten (Heiligerlee) and Veendam, where the soil is lined with kilometres of thick salt strata. The salt is pumped to the surface as brine, transported to Delfzijl, and processed into salt in salt factories. Some of the salt is sold to customers in Europe and the United States. The salt loading jetty is critical for loading sea-going vessels with salt destined for overseas destinations.
Solid Services carried out inspections on the concrete foundations, the concrete swivel arm arch, the steel tubular piles and the fender wall. Based on the results of the inspection, Solid Services provided a renovation recommendation.
The renovation of the top section of the shipper started in July 2017. The extendable arm, used to load salt anywhere in the ship’s hold, was replaced in its entirety. In addition, the conveyor belts and the tracks across which the shipper can move sideways while loading ships have also been renovated.
Everything could not be done at the same time, which is why the concrete arch on which the extendable swivel arm of the shipper rests will be renovated in 2018. Solid Services drew up the renovation specifications for these activities and supervised the tendering process.
Due to damage to the concrete parts as a result of chloride penetration, Solid Services opted for cathodic protection (CP) as the repair principle. CP is used to stop and control corrosion of reinforcement in concrete structures. Reinforcement corrosion is harmful because it affects the structural abilities of the reinforcement and because rust formation can cause the concrete to crack.
Additional information
In many cases, as well as being an effective way of stopping or preventing reinforcement corrosion, cathodic protection can often be an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional concrete repair. The amount of construction waste to be transported and processed is considerably less than with traditional repairs and as there is less demolition, the environmental impact in the form of dust and noise is reduced significantly. This is favourable because the work needs to be done above water, so contamination must be prevented. The shorter lead time also reduces the inconvenience for loading operations. Furthermore, the need for repeated repairs is avoided, ultimately making the application a more attractive long-term option from a cost-related point of view.