Peru's Ports Archaeology and Earthquakes
Maritime Builders Need More Care Owing to Specific Local Conditions
Apr 29, 2009
Promising economically though Peru it is a country where port builders have certain extra challenges such as earthquakes and archaeology to factor in.
Did the Earth Move for you? Is Not a Joke
Callao is considered a high risk area for earthquakes due to soil conditions so the DP World response was high design standards, their application and enforcement by both local and international experts. In the case of Muelle Sur, British Maritime Codes & American Standards for the Design of Concrete Structures were followed with Japanese experts forming part of the design team, explained Javier Lecaros de Cossio, the project engineer.
"The earthquake probability on the Muelle Sur is a 450 years event and hence the structure has been designed with high designed parameters," he said in an interview with an upcoming edition of Ports and Harbors magazine. "The event of Pisco's (South of Lima) earthquake in the year 2006 increased the design parameters of structures such as the Muelle Sur."
One detail of Muelle Sur's preparations was the willingness of the team to think not so much the unthinkable but the highly unlikely at least during the period of the facilities operation.
"The initial concept of any design contemplates the issue of all structures being able to resist earthquake's horizontal forces and in some cases the effects of ground liquefaction," said de Cossio in response to e-mailed questions from Suite 101.com.
He was quiet clear about what advice to give to anyone else in a similar situation. "Civil,engineering design and construction is a learning curve and one never should rest on his/hers laurels! For the case of Maritime structures a careful analysis of the structure behaviour under earthquake forces is a must and this to include permissible deformations of the structure and degrees of repairs if any after an seismic event.
"The main advise is to contemplate carefully the earthquake's parameters and study the history of seismic occurrence in the area where the structure shall be build," his e-mail added.
Peru's extensive history is well protected.
Peru is also country of immense history and this is maybe one of the few look-ahead infrastructure projects where there was archaeologist at all excavations. Not only that but demolitions were required to pass an appropriate quality control.
"The demolition of (the old ) Muelle 9 demanded great coordination with the archaeologist," said Lecaros's e-mail. "In this case not only old structures were carefully analysed but also the corresponding construction methods studied."
During dredging, excavation and demolition works all remains are analysed and according to the findings corresponding national institutes such as the Peruvian Navy and the National Institute of Culture approached.
This though has not effected the timetable as the contractor for the Sur's New Container Terminal has not phased any delays in their work programme due to strict control from the on-site archaeologist.
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