Ferrovial Agroman expands the Port of Valencia to take ships carrying over 18,000 containers

From 2 January 2017, Ferrovial Agroman has been carrying out works in a joint venture (UTE) with Pasaval to increase the draught of the eastern quay at Valencia Port, which from September will be able to take ships of over 18,000 containers. The works are being carried out for the Port of Valencia Authority, and constitute the first of three projects to be implemented in Valencia Port. These current works are located in the TCV quay, which has been bought by the Maersk group. The depth of the berthing channel will be increased over a total length of 600 ml, from the current 15.2 metres to 17 metres. To achieve this, the foundations of the existing box-structure quay have been strengthened through the construction of a shield of super jet grouting columns at the water-side pier, as well as through substitution of the existing berthing system for one suited to the new ships (new A-120 and A-150 channels, 150 Tn guides for the cables to bollards, and double SC 1150 H type fenders with shield). Two stretches of the current superstructure of the quay have also been demolished over a total of 300 ml, substituting them for a new reinforced concrete beam which is being built with a special sliding formwork carriage with a service gallery inside. For supporting the new 100-ft, 1,600-tonne cranes that the Maersk group will install on the quay, a new beam has been put in place along said quay, 3 km in length and with piles of DN 1000 mm. Additionally, the services which previously ran along the old quay gallery have been diverted through a new bank of tubes (comprising low and medium voltage power supply, optic fibre, lighting –including three 30-metre towers and 36 LED-type projectors–, a fire prevention network and drinking water supply). All the above works, which will allow an increase in docking frequency and the berthing of fully-loaded ships, will be finalised in September. The contract awarded to the joint venture is worth over 5 million Euros. The Maersk group is a large international business conglomerate working in a number of sectors, particularly transport and energy. From 1996, it is the largest maritime cargo transport company in the world. The works teams, led by Óscar Viñuela, Director for Valencia, Baleares and Murcia, and Jorge Sanz, Civil Works Manager for Valencia and Civil Works and Building Manager for Murcia, is comprised by Gonzalo Fernández León, Site Manager and Head of the Joint Venture, Jose Mª Marqués Llora, Works Manager and Head of Production for the UTE, Jose Nogueras Sanz, Manager, and David Marco Delgado, Administration.