Projects

ICCP Steel Pile Corrosion Protection Program, Melbourne

Port of Melbourne Corporation
Location: 
Melbourne VIC
Australia
Date: 
Apr 2016 to Mar 2017

ICCP Steel Pile Corrosion Protection Program, Melbourne

Description: 
Spanning seven separate sites within the Port of Melbourne area, this design and construct project was undertaken for the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoM). It was part of their program to minimise accelerated low water corrosion (ALWC) of steel piles that form part of wharves and piers.
 
ALWC is a type of microbial induced corrosion of submerged steel elements in marine and brackish water environments. ALWC can result in local rapid loss of steel cross section that can impact the structural strength of steel sheet piling, circular steel piles and other steel substructure elements.
 
The project involved the design, installation and commissioning of an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system to each of the seven sites.
Key Aspects: 
The ICCP system designed, installed and commissioned by Freyssinet included 312 anodes and references, 425m of underwater continuity bar, over 1.5km of cable tray, 35km of cable and pile wrapping of 225 tubular steel piles.
The design was tailored to meet the specific requirements of both the client and the tenants of each site.
Work was carried out in close proximity to live shipping so the safety procedures for working around ships were carefully planned and closely monitored throughout.
Access to the work locations presented a number of challenges in terms of providing a safe and efficient access system for the workers. Access arrangements were designed to suit site conditions and included pontoons with handrails and guardrails, boats with scaffold arrangements and also a gangway and scaffold towers to access the water.