Protection against thruster erosion

Port manager in the arctic town Havøysund, Oddvar Simonsen, decided to try a new solution to the erosion problems they had. Strong currents from side thrusters washed out parts of the stone plastering and gravel under the quay deck, and threatened to undermine the bearing of the construction.

"We had to do something quickly", the port manager says. Heavy loads are moved around on the deck of the quay every day, and we needed to make sure that the construction was on solid ground.

After considering different alternatives he chose to use the Marecom-mattress. Two mattresses were installed in October 2011. The installation took two days and did not interfere with the ship traffic.

"We think this is the best solution for us", says Simonsen. "We will now evaluate this next spring and see how things turn out."

"The protection is robust, durable and effective", says R&D manager in Marecom Bjørn Atle Nilsen. "These mattresses will seal the riprap under a tight, heavy cover that prevents further erosion."

Marecom guarantee that the concrete mattress is durable for at least 60 years.