Terminal XXI Port of Sines

The quay consists of a reinforced concrete slab resting on 5 rows of 1.30m diameter reinforced concrete piles. This deck has a total width of approximately 36m, encompassing both Ship-to-Shore crane rail tracks, used for container handling. The reinforced concrete piles are built using a lost metal casing.

The slope protection of the lower stone-filled embankment beneath the deck is protected by a double layer of rock armour weighing 1 to 2 tonnes. The backfill behind the quay was entirely carried out with stone material from the Monte de Chãos quarry (Sines). It has about 20,000m² of pavement, with a wearing course of precast concrete blocks.

The deck and berthing front are equipped with fenders and mooring bollards and other accessories, technical networks and equipment, providing efficient use and support for efficient container handling operations. The entire manoeuvring and berthing area of the ships, with depths at -16.50 ZH, was dredged using floating equipment.

The variant project presented by Mota-Engil Engenharia's port infrastructures department for the expansion of the berthing quay is identical to the one built for the Ro-Ro Terminals, Northern Expansion and Liquid Bulk Terminals, Specialised Fish Terminals in the Port of Aveiro, Port of Aveiro's Marine Fleet" and the New Ferry Terminal at Troia.

The piles that form the foundation of the quay deck were driven, drilled, and concreted using floating means.

The quay was entirely cast in situ using a self-launching formwork system, supported on the piles, according to a technique commonly used in the construction of multi-span bridges and viaducts. Thus, a solution is achieved consisting of a ribbed slab structure in one direction only, with the ribs arranged parallel to the quay front.

The deck consists of a 0.45m thick slab, monolithically supported on five longitudinal ribs resting on the piles. The deck is made up of four modules, separated by expansion joints, with cross beams at the tops to give the structure greater rigidity.

As each quay module progressed, a series of complementary works were carried out to finalise the structure, including:

- Perimeter fencing;

- Exterior lighting;

- Horizontal signage;

- Infrastructure for electrical and telecommunications networks, paving the platform behind the quay, equipping the quay (berthing fenders, mooring bollards, quay ladders and mooring rings, crane rail tracks).

During construction, an alternative pavement solution was proposed, adopting the method previously used in the Rail Yard expansion. This involved layered pavement construction over pre-levelled and compacted foundation soils, with a total thickness of 48 cm.

This pavement consists of a 15cm thick sub-base layer of graded crushed aggregate, a 20cm C16/20 S1 concrete base layer and a 10cm high UNI concrete blocks wearing course laid on a 3cm sand cushion.

As the quay modules and the platform behind were progressively completed, the corresponding partial acceptance of the work was carried out, allowing the client to use the quay for its operations before the contractual deadline expired.