Final Caisson Installed for Tuas Terminal Phase 1
The final caisson has been installed at Singapore's Tuas Terminal Phase 1 development, and reclamation works for Phase 1 on track to be completed by 2021.
The development now has 221 caissons and 8.6 kilometers (5.3 miles) of seawall installed. The caissons are among the largest in the world; pre-fabricated onsite, each one weighs 15,000 tons and measures 40 meters (131 feet) in length, 28 meters (92 feet) in width and 28 meters (92 feet) in height – as tall as a 10-storey building.
Once reclamation work is complete, PSA Corporation will begin construction of deep-water berths capable of handling about 20 million TEUs per annum.
Together with Dredging International Asia Pacific - Daelim Joint Venture and Surbana Jurong, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has adopted innovative solutions including the pre-installation of geotextiles on caissons on land instead of at sea, the use of artificial intelligence and the use of drones for site survey and progress monitoring. In particular, there are two innovations, which have pushed the frontiers of engineering:
1. Temarock
Temarock is an all-in-one rock mound construction vessel. The conventional process of rock mound construction requires multiple vessels for rock laying and compaction, one survey vessel to facilitate operation and is supported by divers. Temarock automates these tasks, eliminating the need for multiple vessels or divers’ assistance.
2 Automatic Rebar Machine using Robotics System (ARMS).
ARMS automates the bending and cutting of reinforcement steel bars (or rebars, which are used to strengthen concrete) to the desired design and then transfers them onto the stacking area. The conventional practice requires workers to handle the rebar manually, which exposes them to mechanical hazards when they operate the rebar cutting and bar bending machines.
Port Project
Tuas Terminal will open progressively from 2021, when the first two berths are expected to be completed. When fully operational by 2027, Phase 1 will see 21 deep-water berths that are able to handle about 20 million TEUs per year. When Tuas is fully completed in 2040, it will consolidate all of Singapore's port operations in a single location and be capable of handling up to 65 million TEUs per annum.
The port will be include a next generation vessel traffic management system that predicts congestion hotspots, assists vessels' crews to plan their routes to the berths and detects potential collision situations. It will implement the Maritime Single Window in two phases. Phase 1 will streamline submission process for faster port clearance. Phase 2 will have a Just in Time Planning and Coordination System to allow vessels to turn-around faster in the port and optimize the deployment of resources for port services.
It will also feature a Maritime Sense Making System which will optimize port operations and manage the growth of future shipping traffic by preventing illegal bunkering, detecting entry into prohibited areas and optimizing the utilization of anchorages. A Remotely Assisted Piloted Advisory solution incorporating internet-of-things sensors and communication systems will enable remote pilotage from shore-based stations. Shore-based marine pilots will use real-time video imagery and collision avoidance software to navigate ships safely.