Davit Crane Base
Atlas Terminal, Great Yarmouth
Technicus Consulting were appointed by E.ON Climate & Renewables to design a new crane base to support a new davit arm used for loading and offloading of equipment from their quay heading in Great Yarmouth. The new telescopic davit replaces an existing fixed span davit, giving greater reach and load capacity.
The design process required a detailed survey of the existing quay heading and sheet piling to determine its profile and the location of ground anchors that were to be undisturbed by the new base.
Two options were considered for the design, a ground bearing pad base and a piled base. Due to the low allowable safe ground bearing pressures of the weak soils present in the area and the need to avoid significant surcharge of the old quay heading, the piled option was selected. This option minimised the footprint of the base and ensured long term stability. Piling also minimised the depth of excavation which was limited due to the presence of ground anchors to the sheet piled quay heading.
Design calculations and detailed reinforced concrete drawings were produced along with details for a steel template which allowed for accurate location of the holding-down bolts within the base during construction. The placement of the bolts was critical, as the holding-down arrangement consisted of 36No 16mm diameter bolts, with very little tolerance for movement.
The base was constructed successfully on schedule, and the bolt template performed as required to facilitate the straightforward installation of the davit arm crane.
