Collaborators : CASA Engineering (Brisbane) (Construction), Mateenbar (GFRP suppliers), Department of Defence
Completed : July 2021
Located at Horn Island (part of the Torres Strait Islands group at the tip of Cape York Peninsula; 17 kilometres off Queensland’s coast and just south of Papua New Guinea); this project renewed corroded elements of the boat mooring services at Australia’s northernmost point.
The design decision was made to use glass fibre reinforced polymer rods in the place of steel reinforcement in concrete of the new Dolphin; a structure that protects jetties from impact by boats, that otherwise consists of driven piles and pre-cast concrete.
The advantage of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) rods in concrete is that they never rust. This removes the possibility of “concrete cancer” forming, that particularly affects many marine and coastal projects; often leading to the full replacement of the structure in an accelerated timeframe. Without rusting of steel reinforcement within the concrete, the serviceability is extended without the need for any other treatment. GFRP also allowed the Dolphin structure to lowering the strength of concrete required from 50MPa to 40MPa.
Accompanying the new Dolphin was a new vehicle access road and boat ramp – the latter was also completed with glass fibre reinforced polymer rods to extend its longevity in the saline oceanic environment.
Completed in 2021, these durable facilities will provide far better in-service duty that did the facility they replaced.
