The quay stabilization and soil bearing capacity restoration

The team of URETEK Baltic was approached by the Sillamäe commercial port, which is the second largest in Estonia and the fifth largest in the Baltic States. During the construction works, piles were drilled into the seaward side of the quay in order to secure the dock. The drilling caused access for seawater to the filling soil, which in turn caused the filling soil to erode, the concrete slabs to subside, and a decrease in the bearing capacity of the quay. In order to ensure smooth and safe operations of the port, access points to the water must be closed, the bearing capacity restored, and the subsided concrete slabs stabilized.

The purpose of the URETEK Baltic team was to close off the water access points, fill the voids in the filling soil, restore the bearing capacity of the soil, and stabilize the concrete slabs. The work had to be carried out without disrupting the port’s and cargo ships’ daily operations.

The URETEK Baltic technical team restored the bearing capacity of the port’s quay, restored the soil’s bearing capacity, and stabilized the concrete slabs in just 4 hours, without disrupting the port’s operations or ship traffic. The subsided concrete slabs were lifted 50 mm.