New equipment on Vistula Spit project

On the waters of the Vistula Lagoon, an artificial island is being created, which is one of the elements of the investment of the shipping channel through the Vistula Spit. Ultimately, the island will have an area of about 181 ha and will be developed as a bird habitat. Specialist equipment was brought in to build it.
For the purpose of the construction of an artificial island on the Vistula Lagoon, NDI purchased specialist equipment which will enable work in unusual conditions such as the Vistula Lagoon.

– It’s a very shallow tank. It has an average depth of 2.5 metres and the bottom of the flood is covered with organic soil with a thickness of 3 to 7 metres – says Wojciech Czyżewski from NDI, supervising the works on the creation of the artificial island. Two unique pontoons and two floating excavators will help to realize this investment. Such equipment can rarely be found on construction sites, so the engineers working on the island decided to call it in an original and humorous way.

Foyle Pontoon has been called Workaholic, Nore Pontoon – Strongman, the floating excavators are Clumsy and Glutton. Why? Construction workers have no doubt that the names were determined by the capacity of the equipment.

And so:
“Workaholic” Foyle Pontoon – always willing to work, will accept any task entrusted to it – working pontoon on 4 stilts 18 m high, hydraulically lowered, with dimensions 36x12m, will be designed to carry out drawing, assembly and unloading of the barges with sand, which will be accessing the dyke of the island. There will be room for everyone on board. “Strongman” Nore Pontoon – too weak? No way! To quote a classic: Give me a point of support and I will move the Earth! Jack-up working pontoon on 4 hydraulic lowered stilts that allow the whole platform with the equipment to rise above the water surface. Dimensions: 24x13m It will be used for transporting heavy construction machinery, which will be used to plunge sheet piling. It can also work in adverse weather conditions.

“Clumsy” floating excavator with the pylon – maybe a little clumsy, but effective – makes it possible to move around the water, driving on the bottom. It will be used to carry out earthworks and works related to sinking sheet piling. It consists of two tracks 1.8 m high and 1.6 wide which, depending on the depth of movement (up to 4 m), are filled (ballasted) with water. In its central part there is a 2m pylon, on which the machine is mounted, with accessories that allow the walls to vibrate (side clamp, top clamp), digging.

“Glutton” floating excavator with a refilling head – always hungry, always has more space to “devour” something – will be used to carry out dredging work and move land unfit for construction purposes; the equipment is similar in design to “Clumsy”, additionally equipped with two pontoons on both sides of the tracks and 4 stilts, which enable the floating machine to be anchored to the bottom. As an accessory, it will have 2 specialist silting suction heads designed for muddy and mineral soils. The distance for hydro-transport of the material is 1000 m.b.

“Workaholic” Foyle Pontoon was assembled in Elbląg, currently a wooden board is being installed. Soon it will sail from Elbląg to the area of the emerging island.
“Strongman” Nore Pontoon – the assembly of the pontoon began on 15/07 and it will arrive to the island in early August. (Both pontoons are unique equipment on Polish construction sites). “Clumsy” floating excavator with pylon – has been working on the site for a month. “Glutton” floating excavator with a refilling head – its mobilization is planned for the end of August.

“Construction of a waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdańsk” is one of the most interesting hydrotechnical projects currently carried out in Poland. In recent weeks, NDI has also submitted the best price offer for the execution of an investment in the Port of Szczecin – “Improving Access to the Port of Szczecin in the area of the Dębicki Channel” worth PLN 343,098,742.72 gross. The investments include, among others, the reconstruction of the Czech and Slovak Quays, construction of new Norwegian and Danish Quays, dredging works within the Dębicki Channel increasing the technical depth to 12.5 metres. The analysis of submitted offers is currently under way.