REPAIRS TO DEEP DRAFT WHARF FAC. 4028 – DIEGO GARCIA, BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY (B.I.O.T.)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The U.S. Navy Support Facility (NSF) Diego Garcia is located in the Indian Ocean within the British Indian Ocean Territory (B.I.O.T.). NSF Diego Garcia is located south of equator approximately 2900 kilometers southwest of Bombay, India and approximately 2400 kilometers northeast of Mauritius, 4,723 km west-northwest of the west coast of Australia, and approximately 8,906 kilometers southwest of Guam.

Contracted Scope of Work: The project scope was to provide a complete design drawings and specifications, procure and ship to Diego Garcia all required materials and equipment and perform repair of the selected areas on the 33,333 square yard facility for both Alpha and Bravo wharf. The repair was for the following:

1. Fender Standoff Panels (FSOP)
   1. Remove 19 sets of floating fenders and connection hardware (including chains, shackles, and pad eyes). Salvage for re-installation all existing floating fenders and provide new sets of connection hardware, with new pad eyes to be anchored on the face of wharf deck. Dispose existing connection hardware.
   1. Anchor top of FSOPs, 31 each, to wharf deck by using spin-lock anchors. This shall involve partial removal of concrete surface in lieu with anchor placement, drilling, and surface restoration after anchor placement.
   1. Anchor bottom of FSOPs, 31 each, to concrete cap of cofferdam wall, approximately within 4 feet below Mean Sea Level (MSL), by using undercut anchors and bent plate brackets. This includes underwater drilling.
2. Submarine Fender Mooring Points
   1. Remove 3 sets of hydro-pneumatic fenders and connection hardware (including chains, shackles, and pad eyes). Salvage for re-installation all existing hydro-pneumatic fenders and provide new sets of connection hardware, with pad eyes to be anchored on the face of wharf deck. Dispose existing connection hardware.
   1. Remove and dispose 3 sets of pile collars and bolts (4 collars and 16 bolts per set) and provide new pile collars. Anchor pile collars to wharf deck using slip-knot anchors.
   1. Remove and dispose 3 sets of end brackets and bolts (2 brackets and 16 bolts per set) and provide new end brackets. Anchor end brackets to wharf deck using slip-knot anchors.

Several notable features of work included:

• This project requires competency in in-water and over water demolition and repair works.
• Underwater inspection is mandatory for satisfactory repair recommendations.
• Successful coordination between the Black/Mace, Government representative and the end user to attain minimal disruption to the operation of the whole wharf area whenever a commercial or military vessel docks on the wharf. 
• Preventing further damage to the existing components of the facility while on going repair is in progress.
• Prevention of hazardous materials from contamination of sea water during actual work.
• Procurement and logistics are very challenging for all of our work on Diego Garcia as BCC’s IDIQ task orders with the Navy are subject to the Buy American Act and all shipments into or out of Diego Garcia must either be on a Military Sealift Command vessel or Air Mobility Command aircraft unless by special and extremely expensive U.S. flagged tug and barge charter approved in advance by the Navy. There are no commercial ocean vessels or aircraft serving Diego Garcia. Consequently, we have to source all of our materials and equipment in the U.S. or from an approved trading nation under the Buy American Act and all of these goods must be first shipped to Singapore on a U.S. flagged vessel due to the Transportation by Sea Act.

Ocean and air freight costs to Diego Garcia is also a major concern as shipping costs for a 40 ft. container between the US and Diego Garcia is $40,000 each and air freight is over $10.00 per pound. Releasing a partial filled container for shipment in order to meet project schedule automatically places a shipping cost premium to a project’s overall cost.