Piling work for new Lyttelton cruise berth passes halfway mark

Progress on Lyttelton’s new cruise berth has reached another milestone, with more than half of the main wharf piles now successfully driven.

Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) Engineering Project Manager Paul Kelly says 43 out of a total of 64 main wharf piles have now been driven to full depth of about 65 metres below ground level.

When complete, a total of 3.8 kilometres of main wharf piles will have been used in the project.

Mr Kelly says the project is on track to be completed by November 2020, in time for the 2020/2021 cruise ship season.

“The contractors HEB Construction and designers Beca have done an excellent job, as there is a lot that goes on technically to ensure piles are driven correctly and have the required capacity.”

A great deal of activity will be happening onsite from now on. Piling will continue with a small access bridge constructed at the mid-span of the wharf to allow servicing of the piling.

Construction of the permanent wharf deck has also begun.

Dredging along the berth pocket of the new wharf has been completed and the dredging team have almost completed dredging in the zone between Cashin Quay 4 and the Cruise Berth.

The Patiki barge has also assisted with the placement of geotextile fabric underwater, and more than 200 rock bags have been placed on the seabed slope to provide scour protection.

Just over 2000 four-tonne rock bag units will have been used when the project is complete.

LPC Infrastructure Manager Mike Simmers says the project team aims to have wharf piling completed by the end of this year.  Other land-based piling will continue in early 2020.