Solent: Container area extended at Southampton docks

The past 15 months have been an interesting challenge for Romsey-based consulting civil and structural engineering company WFBA. Civil engineering consultant Paul Todd has been overseeing the refurbishment of 45,000 sq m of concrete paving to provide further storage for the extension of DP World’s container storage facility at Southampton docks.

The works also include drainage improvements with the installation of new drainage channels and oil interceptors, new lighting and power distribution ductwork, installation of a new water main and provision of a six-metre high boundary wall as an isolation feature from the adjacent waste management area. 

Work has been substantially completed by the main contractor, Fordingbridge based Earlcoate Construction, on behalf of DP World and Associated British Ports. 

“It has been a challenging project for WFBA,” said Todd. “We had to maintain access for all the ongoing adjacent activities while completing the works to a tight programme. Our main technical consideration was to retain and reuse as much of the existing concrete paving as possible. In excess of 30,000 sq m of new paving has been laid. The boundary wall is 440m long.”

The project also involved the design of foundations for the additional five 30m high mast lights and also the support columns for the extensive surveillance camera network. 

WFBA has designed and overseen many projects for ABP including a number of multi-deck car parks, surface car parking and a new cruise terminal.