MAINTENANCE DREDGING, SMALL BOAT BASIN AT U.S. NAVY SUPPORT FACILITY, DIEGO GARCIA
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The project site is located on Diego Garcia, which is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (B.I.O.T). The project includes maintenance dredging of the Small Boat Basin (SBB) using an environmental dredge bucket with an approximate area of 114,450 square yards. This area encompasses Work Zones 1 through 16, and includes suction dredging under the Boat Lift Pier, plus the areas covered by Work Zones 17 and 18 (entrance channel to the main basin). The work includes the maintenance dredging to a depth of -30’ MSL (30’ below the Mean Sea Level) with 1’ of over-dredge allowance.
Several Notable features of work included:
ü Fabrication and Delivery of the Dredge Flexi-Floats from the US East Coast
ü Use of Environmental friendly Hydraulic Oil.
ü Use of Silt Containment and Turbidity Protection Floating Frame and Oil Fence.
ü Established horizontal survey control for the Dredge barge Position.
ü Dredge under the Boat Lift is only accessible during low tide condition.
ü Dredge is done on a 24 hours operation.
Significant Challenges & Solutions Provided
During the dredging of the entrance channel the movement of the Port Operations crafts in and out of the channel has a significant impact on our schedule. BCC/MACE conducted a night shift dredge operation on this area to minimize this impact on our schedule and to the Port Ops vessel movement. Suction dredge using a venture type suction equipment supported by a shallow profile dredge platform.
