Portier cove land extension project takes shape
THERMAL LOOP
Numerous sites are operating simultaneously. Near the Fairmont hotel, Edmond, a barge belonging to the Monegasque company Trasomar is positioning blocks of 0.3 to 1 ton for the construction of the project’s protective shell. Another vessel, the Rhine is carrying quarried materials from Toulon and is moored outside the site of the project. The smaller vessel Omvac is sailing back and forth with the materials from the Rhine and pouring it at the back of the caissons to create the backfill. Installation of the outflow known as PP330 was completed in April. Christophe Hirsinger, Director of Bouygues TP Monaco said this was an “important event” as the Grimaldi Forum and the Larvotto thermal loop is now installed and disturbance during the summer, when the number of tourists soars, will be limited.
THE TOW1
Another vessel, the Filipo, continues to position the artificial reefs, which are expected to be completed in June. Preparations for the backfill are partly finished, although the caisson C17 at Larvotto still needs work. The barge TOW1 is arriving to raise the backfill that will support this particular caisson, which should be in place by the end of the month. The TOW1 will also help the Edmond to position the blocks for the protective shell. Yet another vessel, the Stornes is carrying 25,000 tons quarried materials from Italy. These will be used as the backfill for the platform to support the future building designed by Renzo Piano for the land extension. After five or six voyages, the Stornes’ mission should be finished before the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix.
In Marseille, where the production of the project’s caissons took place, work on the 80 quay blocks that will connect the caissons to the land in Larvotto is underway. On average, the blocks are 8 metres long, 2 metres wide and 1.2 metres high. Each weighs between 40 and 50 tons.
