Construction—South America—Chile—Hydro & Marine Structures
Efficient Earthquake Protection: DSI supplies DYWIDAG Tie Rods for
Valparaíso and Coquimbo Harbors
The movements of the South American and the Nazca Tectonic Plates often result in earthquakes in Chile. As a consequence of the
severe earthquakes that occurred in 2010 and 2015, reinforcement and emergency measures have been carried out in the country’s
most important harbors to resist future earthquakes and tsunamis. The expansion and reinforcement of Valparaíso Harbor in western
Santiago de Chile forms part of these important security measures. The reinforcement of Coquimbo, located northwest of the country’s
capital, for protection against tsunamis is another significant part of this development plan.
During the expansion of Valparaíso Harbor,
Berth No. 3 in Terminal 1 is being enlarged
and Berth No. 4 and 5 are being reinforced
for earthquake protection. These measures
will facilitate the expansion of one of Chile’s
most important commercial harbors.
The length of main wharf No. 3 is being
extended from 620m to 740m so that
168
two Post Panamax generation ships will
be able to dock here in the future.
To extend the harbor, concrete floor
slabs were poured in the wharf basin.
The floor slabs were anchored in the
ocean bed using driven piles.
Furthermore, a 120m long and 30m wide
blanket was built that was stabilized by
a 1,479.87m² triangular support.
To stabilize this structure, bar tendons were
vertically inserted in order to tie the blocks
of the existing wall securely to each other.
Furthermore, a deadman structure was
built in which a sheet pile wall was tied back
using tie rods. The tie rods were anchored
in an additional concrete retaining wall.