Property, Politics | – The harbor promenade is so bad that it should be closed – also to pedestrians
The company has mapped the harbor promenade in Harstad on behalf of the Port of Harstad. The conclusion is disheartening when it comes to the condition of the promenade. It should be rebuilt for an estimated DKK 162 million to be safe for users.
The report is from October 2022. The inspection has partly revealed major weaknesses on the promenade, and poor maintenance over a long period of time. areas are recommended to be closed to several vehicles and in some places also to foot traffic. Considerable measures should be taken if the harbor promenade is to be promoted as a promenade that can accommodate foot traffic, boats and vehicles, says Rambøll.
Harbor manager Anne Britt Bekken tells iHarstad that security is taken care of.
– The areas that are recommended to be closed are already closed. The harbor promenade is also signposted with regard to vehicles and weight restrictions, she says.
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400 meter promenade
The harbor promenade consists of 11 different quays which together form a promenade of around 400 meters from the Kulturhuset to inner Harstad harbour. The docks have different purposes based on who owned the docks previously. The construction method is also variable between the 11 quays, with elements of steel, wood and concrete.
Several of the quays have also been rehabilitated in one or more rounds. All the quays are fundamentally with piles of either wood or railway rails, except for Store Norske Betong and KV kaia Betong, which stand on strong concrete piles. Most of the quays have quay decks of three, except Store Norske Betong and KV kaia, which have cast-in-place concrete decks.
– The damage that was registered was repeated along the entire promenade, regardless of which quay it was and how it was constructed. Significant damage was found to piles, both steel and wooden piles. Many piles were either completely lost in the spalling zone or had a greatly reduced cross-section, the report states.
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– Should not be repaired
In several places there was also no contact between the pile and the filling of the pile was eaten away. The most critical and unexplained damage that was recorded was the hollowing out of wooden posts. These damages were recorded scattered along the entire promenade both above and below water. From a distance and from the sea side, the pile looks intact, but on closer inspection, especially at the back of the pile, you can see that there are smaller openings that lead into relatively large cavities in the pile. It was also found to be deficient and damaged bracing and in many places there were serious breaks in the main support beams and lack of fixings.
Recommendations have therefore been given for areas that should be closed both to foot traffic, but also to vehicles and boat traffic.
The condition of the promenade is so bad that it is almost pointless to carry out major repairs on it, as the best parts of the quay have such a limited remaining life left, the report states.
– Based on the findings made during the inspection and condition recording, it is considered inappropriate to carry out major repairs. The damage is so widespread that starting a restoration and improvement of these will in practice mean building a new quay. It is recommended to implement immediate measures to close deviations related to personal safety and general safety along the quay.
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New possibilities
Set against the harbor’s future thoughts around the use of the promenade, it is recommended to start the study of the work of demolishing large parts of the promenade, and rebuilding it according to today’s standards. This will give the city of Harstad and Harstad Harbor a new, modern and adapted quay facility that will reduce maintenance costs over the next 20-30 years. In addition, a new quay facility will be able to generate new opportunities for the harbor in the future, Rambøll writes in the report.
The condition assessment was carried out on 29-31. August 2022 and has consisted of a visual/technical review of the kaia’s surface and structural parts. It was carried out in sections above and below the quay deck of posts, beams, conductors, bollards, fendering and other parts that naturally belong. Mapping of piles under water and the condition of the piles against the seabed was done with the help of divers from SJ Dykk.
Rambøll is a global engineering, architecture and consulting company that was founded in Denmark in 1945. On a worldwide basis, the company has a total of 16,500 employees and is located in 35 countries.