Load testing challenge at Port of Dover

Great teamwork finds an ingenious solution

The £250m Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) project is transforming the historic waterfront. The modern facilities include a new marina development with berths, fuel berth facilities, a boatyard, and a new boat hoist.

The new Wellington Dock boat hoist will operate from an area that is retained by a Grade II listed harbour wall. The challenge was to arrange a safe load testing programme for the site of the new hoist crane, allowing for the unique historical, safety and environmental constraints of the location.

Thanet Crane Hire worked alongside SOCOTEC Monitoring, Atkins, Unique Group and the Port of Dover to develop a bespoke solution using our Grove GMK 4100L (a one hundred tonne crane).

Stuart Fawcett, senior business development manager at SOCOTEC Monitoring said; “It was a real team effort culminating in an exciting and innovative solution that demonstrated what can be achieved with a bit of creative thinking.”

Read the full technical details of the project in the SOCOTEC case study.

“We were very pleased with the end result. Despite all of the restrictions the team had to operate within, the project was able to be completed safely and with minimal disruption to the marina and its users,” said Steve Rawlings, project manager at Port of Dover. “The most satisfying aspect was that it provided us with the comprehensive reassurance we required to progress with the project.”