Busan Port Authority installed 23 ultra-large caissons at the 2-6 stage quay of the Busan New Port West Container Terminal.
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The installation of ultra-large quay wall caissons, totaling 1.75 km in length with 5 berths, has been completed at the West Container Terminal of Busan New Port.
Busan Port Authority (BPA) announced on the 9th that it has completed the installation of 23 ultra-large caissons, each 568 meters long, for the 2-6 phase of the West Container Terminal at Busan New Port.
With this, the installation of quay wall caissons for 5 berths in phases 2-5 and 2-6 of the West Container Terminal, totaling 1.75 km in length, has been completed.
Caissons are structures installed on the front of quay walls where ships berth. Most of the quay walls at the currently operating Busan New Port container terminal have been constructed using the caisson method.
The caissons installed this time are ultra-large structures measuring 24.7 m in length, 41.5 m in width, and 19.5 m in height?equivalent to a six-story apartment building?and weigh 6,600 tons each.
BPA introduced that these caissons are more than 10 meters wider than those previously applied at Busan New Port, allowing the entire area between the seaward rail and the landward rail of the quay cranes to be manufactured as a single unit, fundamentally preventing uneven settlement of the quay cranes and ensuring stability and economic efficiency.
The caisson installation work began in January last year and took a total of 18 months. BPA applied new construction methods to enhance the safety of the West Container Terminal caissons and reduce construction costs.
The front wall features large protrusions that reduce water resistance, increasing the berthing stability of ships, and includes long slits that allow waves to pass through, enhancing wave-breaking functionality.
The caissons are designed with an interlocking structure to prevent movement between units, dramatically improving stability, and by using the patented open-cell caisson method, the amount of infill was reduced, lowering construction costs.
To strengthen port construction capabilities, BPA conducted training on caisson launching and related topics for Busan Port construction personnel at the final launching site of the patented caisson.
The 2-6 phase of the West Container Terminal, where the caisson installation was completed this time, is scheduled to complete the remaining land reclamation work by 2024, followed by the completion of the upper yard construction, and is expected to open in 2026.
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