FCC reaches a new milestone: construction of the capping beam at the Port of Açu
On 6 August, the team at the Port of Açu reached the fourth turning point by finishing the concreting on the capping beam 3 days before the contractual deadline was due to finish. Compliance with this deadline has led to the project receiving a bonus worth 7.5 million Brazilian real (1.9 million euros).
The capping beam is a linear concrete component measuring 3,096 metres-long which is built on the crest of the vertical dam in order to achieve correct alignment of the dock. It also enables defence anchors, bollards, rapid release hooks and scaling.
Its construction began on 6 February 2015. It was necessary to use a vital combination of human resources, machinery equipment and auxiliary resources. It is worth noting the use of a total of 4 formwork carriages, with a staff headcount of some 80 workers operating in 3 daily work shifts 7 days a week.
It was a very ambitious challenge to be able to mount a structural element with such a critical length within such a tight deadline. The team also had to resolve an environmental constraint caused by the nesting of seabirds in one of the berths where it was necessary to construct the capping beam. The presence of these birds made it impossible to enter this area until all birds and nests were removed. This was carried out just 3 weeks before the contractual deadline.
After finishing the harbour wall and the capping beam, the team is currently carrying out the concrete slab paving with the goal of completing works on the superstructure in October 2015.
Congratulations to the entire team for reaching this new stage!
