Dock gate and drainage system design for Suape Shipyard Brazil

Estaleiro Atlântico Sul planned to build a new dry dock at its shipyard in the port of Suape to support the Brazilian offshore oil industry, and it turned to Royal HaskoningDHV for expert design and engineering support.

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0million square metre shipyard

0metre drydock entrance gate

0metre vessel

Project facts

Date
2007–2010
Location
Port of Suape, Brazil
Challenge
Deliver a gate for a new dry dock and help to construct the facility on soft clay ground.
Solution
A floating gate was deployed and concrete piles distributed the dock’s weight into stronger subsoil.
Client
Estaleiro Atlântico Sul

The challenge: Overcoming complex logistics and engineering

The discovery of the Tupi oil field near the coast of Rio de Janeiro increased demand for shipbuilding facilities in the region, and Atlântico Sul was ideally located to step up.

To meet this increase in demand, Atlântico Sul needed to construct a new dry dock at the port of Suape. However, the site was previously a mangrove swamp, and the soft clay ground couldn’t support the weight of the dry dock, and other infrastructure a modern shipyard requires.

In addition, the dock gate for Atlântico Sul was to be partially constructed in China and then shipped to Brazil. Although intended to be economically beneficial, the dual location would make inspections more complicated and could even slow the final stages of production.

The solution: A floating dock gate and our engineering expertise

Royal HaskoningDHV was commissioned to design a 75-metre-wide main entrance gate for the new dry dock. The commission included the concept and detailed design stages, as well as procedures for installing, maintaining, and operating the gate.

We proposed and detailed designed our inverted ‘T’ floating dock gate, which we developed in the 1970s. This gate’s unique and symmetrical design is especially suitable for shipyards with one wide dock, as it can be turned around and be fully maintained and repaired while the gate and dry dock remain in full operation.

In addition to successfully installing the dock gate, we were commissioned by the shipyard’s engineering project consultants, EPC, to advise on the design and construction of the dry dock drainage and flooding system.

Our experienced geotechnical team developed an effective and economical solution to the challenging soft clay environment: in-situ concrete piling, which distributed the dry dock's weight towards deeper, stronger subsoil material.

Royal HaskoningDHV adapted a unique dock gate design to meet our requirements. Their experience and expertise have been much appreciated and contributed to the successful completion of the dry dock.

Angelo Alberto BellelisPresidente, Estaleiro Atlântico Sul

The result: A milestone in the relaunch of Brazil’s shipping industry

The Atlântico Sul shipyard was completed in May 2010. The sheer scale of the facility reduces the time it takes to construct and repair specialised vessels for the offshore oil industry.

The shipyard’s completion was celebrated with the launch of an impressive 274-metre-long Suezmax tanker by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with representatives from Royal HaskoningDHV in attendance.

At the time of commissioning, the shipyard had already been commissioned to build a further 22 vessels. The new facility is an important milestone in Brazil’s progress towards developing a modern, internationally competitive shipbuilding industry.