Marine construction support

We deliver safe and reliable solutions for marine construction projects. Our international track record is underpinned by a unique combination of leading edge tools, technology and simulation facilities, and an exceptional team of scientists, engineers and technicians, including international leaders in their own fields. Our capabilities allow us to validate data and assumptions, and to think smartly. As a result our advice and support brings lower risk levels, enhanced reliability, safety and productivity for our clients.

We have developed international standards and recommended best practice for developments in the marine environment. Our extensive research programme has helped to inform environmental criteria and threshold values for dredging and dredged material disposal, marine sediment, contaminant and thermal dispersion models, beach protection and coastal land reclamation projects. This gives us a unique level of insight when we provide support with environmental assessment and environmental compliance.

With our wide range of expertise and capabilities in hydrodynamics, coastal and marine structural engineering, we can devise alternative designs for marine contractors to include in their bids for marine construction projects, which provide competitive advantages in fabrication and construction productivity, safety, quality, cost and schedule, and ultimately minimise potential liabilities.

We evaluate marine contractors’ technical proposals to help our clients fully understand the soundness of the proposed technical approach, the risks posed by the environmental conditions at the site, the planned method of construction, the QA/QC programme, and potential liability during the design life of their investment.

We define how safety, productivity and risk interact, given the conditions, circumstances and uncertainties of a marine project and its location. We translate this into engineering designs, material selections, construction methodologies, temporary works and proper timing of construction. To manage weather risk we undertake productivity simulations for a range of construction options and provide real-time metocean forecasting services to inform construction activities at site. The result is higher safety and productivity and with lower risk during construction.

Some marine projects require non-traditional approaches to construction. Offshore gravity structures for marine terminals, coastal protection or wind power generation, for example, may need a particularly detailed level of analysis, along with research to develop novel design and construction methods. We have played a fundamental role in the delivery of many challenging marine projects over the last 70 years, helping  industry, governments and research bodies to develop leading-edge solutions.

Our experts can provide a range of marine construction support services, including the verification/ validation of change orders and variation requests by contractors, non-compliance notices to contractors as well as critical assessment of contractors’ methods of measuring the quantity of work performed (particularly critical in underwater work such as dredging and submarine pipeline trenching and burial).

Acting as our clients’ representative on site during dredging works, and we can provide the following support:

• plant inspection and condition assessments
• plant downtime assessments and auditing of productivity levels
• supervision of environmental monitoring and environmental threshold implementation
• analysis, interpretation and quality assurance of monitoring data.