Frankham were commissioned to complete a structural inspection of RoRo Berths #2, #3 Terminals, Mooring Spine and associated mooring and berthing facilities at Thanet District Council’s site in the Port of Ramsgate, Kent.

The inspection was conducted by professionally qualified civil engineers from Frankham Consultancy Group, using both tactile and visual inspections, and taking advantage of low and high tides to identify Accelerated Low Water Corrosion (ALWC).

Frankham were responsible to produce a condition report that provides a comprehensive assessment of the structural integrity of the marine assets. The report is presented in a low, medium, high or very high-risk schedule, and includes defect location sketches. Additionally, the report contains recommended remedial repairs to address any identified issues, enabling Thanet District Council to prioritise repairs based on risk and budget constraints.

Challenges

The River Thames estuary in Kent has a tidal range of around 7m. Inspections were targeted during both low and high tides to maximise the amount of time spent at periods of low and high tides where required. Furthermore, tactile or visual inspection of the interior part of the pontoon was not possible due to limited access. Frankham was able to overcome this innovatively by using UAV to inspect the inner part of the pontoon.

Innovation

The inspection was conducted from a work boat and by foot. Frankham engineers obtained Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements (UTM) of piles at or close to the low tide levels, high water levels and at the splash zone. Additionally, to inspect the internal part of the pontoons Frankham utilised Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with live footage.

Sustainability

The Frankham infrastructure team made efforts to minimise their impact on the environment during the inspection process. For example, a desktop site investigation was conducted using satellite imagery instead of physically traveling to the site.

Frankham also targeted inspection timings to coincide with low and high tides, which provided the best opportunity for identifying Accelerated Low Water Corrosion (ALWC) while minimising the need for repeated visits.

Client:
Thanet District Council

Services:
Maritime Engineering