Record construction of manoeuvring and storage yards in the Port of Gdynia

18 tonnes per square metre – cargo of this weight can be stored on new yards in the Logistics Centre of the Port of Gdynia. From the beginning, the investment was unique, among others, due to the pace at which it was developed and the equipment used in its course.

A consortium of companies of the NDI Group, commissioned by the Port of Gdynia, has built two manoeuvring and storage yards with a concrete surface, at the premises of the Logistics Centre. They amount to over 17 hectares intended for storing containers and wind farm components. The project also included the construction of the linear drainage, underground and above-ground utilities, rainwater sewage system, sanitary sewage system, water supply system, the so-called hydrant system with a fire-fighting water tank and pumping station. Power and telecommunications networks, two transformer stations, a retention reservoir with an access road, as well as service platforms for cooling containers were also built.

“Nearly 18 hectares of manoeuvring and storage yards in the Port of Gdynia are ready for use. Demand for this space was very high before the investment, hence we are very glad that we can now make it available to our contractors. In our special year – the 100th anniversary of the Port of Gdynia – we are finishing another big investment, confirming that we are constantly building the future of the city, economy, and business,” says Jacek Sadaj, President of the Management Board of Zarząd Morskiego Portu Gdynia S.A.

In addition, an access road was built from Logistyczna Street. A total of 80.5 thousand m3 of concrete was used for the implementation of the storage yards! The length of the expansion joints is almost 70 km.

“We are proud of this investment because, according to the agreement, we were to complete it in July 2022, while for the part of yard No. 1 with an area of nearly 30.1 thousand m2, we have obtained its use permit already one year before the deadline, that is in July 2021. In turn, for the remaining area of yard No. 1 – another nearly 60 thousand m2 – and for yard No. 2, with an area of over 86.5 thousand m2, we obtained the use permit in mid-March this year. The use permit for the fire road was granted in the first half of June,” says Sylwia Rogall, Project Director from the NDI Group.

1000 m3 of mixture per day

What contributed to such a rapid progress of the work? There are many factors, but as Przemysław Młynarczyk, the site manager from NDI emphasises, the complete commitment of the entire team, subcontractors, and suppliers was of great importance, as well as the fact that the surface works were often carried out continuously, 24 hours a day.

“Of course, this required proper logistical preparation and planning of the works so that the material supply chain would not be disturbed. The weather was also crucial, because concreting could only take place in favourable conditions, without precipitation. And the team perfectly coordinating all these elements increased our efficiency, so we managed to get significantly ahead of schedule,” says Przemysław Młynarczyk, Site Manager from the NDI Group.

Interestingly, a concrete batching plant was built especially for the needs of this investment. Its capacity is as much as 1000 m3 of mixture per day.

The crane dropping a 40-tonne weight

In order for very heavy loads to be stored on the yards – up to 18 tonnes per square metre, it was necessary to strengthen the ground. For this purpose, a huge crane was used, which dropped appropriately shaped weights of 10 to 40 tonnes from a height of 5 to 40 m. In this way, the shock wave compacted the weak ground.

It is not the only interesting technology used on this construction site. The other solutions applied included, for example, a Rolling Dynamic Compaction (RDC) roller with a triangular, square or pentagonal shape. With its help, high-energy pulses were applied to the surface.

“It is also worth mentioning that the concrete was profiled to a given elevation level with the use of specialised Somero machines with laser levelling of the surface profiling strip with an accuracy of several millimetres,” says Przemysław Młynarczyk, Site Manager from the NDI Group.

The value of the investment is over PLN 70.7 million net. The new yards are an opportunity for the Port of Gdynia to establish and develop intermodal connections. It is particularly important in the context of the role currently played by Gdynia – the city on the map of the trans-European transport network.