Background

The St Mary's Harbour project invovled the redevelopment of St Mary's Harbour in the Isles of Scilly. The Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin announced a £7.8 funding package that would allow the quay to be extended and widened, along with the provision of new freight facitlities and improved access for passengers.

Scope of Works

The existing quay had to be extended with a new precast concrete structure and the foundations had to be located on firm rock on the sea bed requiring heavy excavation and dredging works in challenging weather conditions.

Solution

WM Plant Hire provided their 60 tonne CAT 345 long reach excavator with GPS dredge system and specialist attachments to remove rocky dredging spoil from the sea bed.  The fractured rock was broken out and the sea bed levelled with the machine mounted on a barge, using heavy anchors to stabilise the platform during severe weather conditions.

The specialist nature of our long reach machines and attachments, together with the experience of our highly trained operators, helped lead to the success of the project despite the challenges of the extreme weather conditions in that coastal location.