Port of Brisbane’s new $177 million Brisbane International Cruise Terminal is progressing well, and the team at Madsen Giersing have been heavily involved in designing the project’s mooring dolphins.
Engaged by Brady Marine and Civil (BMC), we were challenged to design the most effective and constructible solution to safely and securely moor the world’s biggest cruise liners when they come to town.
Peter Madsen led the design team “We love a challenge, particularly when it comes to marine engineering and are delighted with the outcome we have designed for BMC and Port of Brisbane.”
“Working in any marine environment poses its challenges, and the Brisbane River is no exception. The riverbed is notoriously soft, which makes constructing marine structures challenging, especially when we factor in the forces at play when a cruise ship is moored.”
The conforming mooring dolphins design for the anchor points involved a four pile system with rock design anchors, but upon analysis, we worked with BMC to come up with an alternative that was not only more cost-effective but easier to construct.
“The four piles system was a great concept, but instead, we used a single pile on a much larger scale, to be able to withstand the forces involved. The Oasis of The Seas is one of the largest cruise ships afloat at 225,782 gross registered tonnes, and our approach would enable ships up to 300,000 gross registered tonnes to safely anchor in Brisbane.”
The design comprised a single pile, 41m long and a 4.3m diameter with a concrete cap which removed the need for rock anchors and was significantly quicker to construct.
For more information on the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, please visit: https://www.portbris.com.au/cruise/
