Port Of Brindisi Quay “Punta Delle Terrare”

Urgent work has been carried out to secure the dry dock and construct a berth for RO-RO vessels at Costa Morena, in the Port of Brindisi.
The survey carried out on the dry dock revealed large cavities at the foundation level caused by significant erosion beneath the caisson base.
The cavities were classified into two types:

• the first affects the caisson and extends inward from the base;
• the other extends to the seabed immediately in front of the caisson.

The issues related to the two different types of cavities were addressed and resolved differently.
Regarding the filling of the cavities beneath the caisson, after thorough cleaning, a non-woven sheet was laid to confine the concrete pour, which filled all the empty spaces, suitably reinforced with hot-dip galvanized steel bars.
On the other hand, natural boulders of various sizes, ranging from 100-200 kg and 1-2 t, were installed to fill the cavities at the base of the caissons. The boulders were deposited directly on the seabed after a layer of 700 g/m2 polypropylene geotextile was applied.
The boulders thus arranged not only fill the cavities but also protect the base of the caissons from similar phenomena.