Located on the estuary of the River Medway in Kent, the Port of Sheerness is a crucial part of the supply chain connecting the UK with mainland Europe and the rest of the world.
Berth No. 4 is used by quarter ramp RoRo vessels transporting cars, commercial vehicles and abnormal loads.
In 2013, Beckett Rankine carried out a detailed inspection of the existing linkspan, which consisted of steel underslung trusses and a concrete deck. The trusses were partially submerged at high tide and showed signs of significant deterioration.
We carried out an options assessment to determine whether repair or replacement would be most suitable. The conclusion was for a replacement linkspan, primarily because the client, Peel Ports, sought a solution that would have a long design life and minimal impact on the port’s operational costs during the work.
Beckett Rankine developed a new design that keeps the structure above water. It consisted of fabricated steel beams supporting an orthotropic steel road deck so that the linkspan continued to have no height restriction for vehicles.
Measuring 35.5 metres long and 9.8 metres wide, the new linkspan is designed to carry large trucks weighing up to 120 tonnes.
Our design also enabled the existing linkspan to be removed and the replacement installed in a minimal time window between vessel loading/unloading operations.
Fabricated by Ravestein B.V at their yard in Deest, Holland, the new linkspan was floated on a barge from Rotterdam to the Medway and lifted into position using a 250-tonne capacity floating crane.
A large team of specialist engineers with heavy equipment were on-site throughout the replacement, resulting in the new linkspan’s successful installation in 2015.
