Context of the project<\/h2><\/div>The port of Montevideo in Uruguay is located in the Rio de la Plata river estuary which delineates the border between Uruguay and Argentina.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Description of the project<\/h2><\/div>The project involves constructing a new port<\/a> terminal 383m long and 33m wide with a 14m draft at the end of the port, along with an adjoining 36,000m2 wharf for container storage. The future multi-purpose port terminal will be able to accommodate both gantry cranes and mobile cranes. It is a danish quay, composed of prefabricated superstructure and cast-in-place concrete slab, all supported by 256 bored concrete piles, installed from a mobile platform and pontoon.<\/p>\nThe project is being carried out on a design-and-build. Complementary soil testing and real-time 3D computer simulation campaigns were required in order to study vessels\u2019 access manoeuvres from the port entrance to the new quay, enabling the project to be tailored to the reality of the site.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Our solution<\/h2><\/div>THE PORT TERMINAL: Piles, static testing, use of platforms and pontoons<\/strong><\/p>\nBefore beginning structural work on the port terminal, static-loading pile tests needed to be designed and conducted using Cimesa<\/a>, Soletanche Bachy\u2019s Mexican subsidiary. These tests made it possible to validate the theoretical design, adjust the drilling equipment and configure the driving of the pile tubes according to the characteristics of the ground.<\/p>\nThe piles \u2013 35m deep on average and to a maximum of 44m \u2013 were installed from a mobile metal platform system, supported by and moving along the previously installed piles. This methodology made it possible to overcome the climatic and technical hazards associated with a conventional offshore solution using a pontoon. To install the piles, a metal tube was first driven using vibration, to allow drilling inside it through strata of sand and then clay. A 3m anchor point was then made in the bedrock before concreting of the pile.<\/p>\n
Three pontoons were used to complete part of the piles<\/a> in a specific area where no other solution was possible, as well to place riprap for embankment protection and to demolish a port breakwater.<\/p>\nThe port terminal’s superstructure was constructed from prefabricated sections and then a slab poured in situ. The final operations involved installing the port terminal\u2019s services and equipment.<\/p>\n
THE WHARF: Vibrocompaction and RCC (Roller Compacted Concrete)<\/strong><\/p>\nConstruction of the container wharf was a major part of the project. This first involved dredging and clearing land that had a low load-bearing capacity, before backfilling with sand with a low fines content, dredged in from an area outside the port.<\/p>\n
This sand was then deeply compacted using the vibrocompaction technique. This technique for stabilising granular soil involves placing the particles in suspension by vibration, enabling them to become rearranged to achieve a denser state.<\/p>\n
At the end of this compacting phase, all normal utilities were connected (electricity, fire hydrants and lighting) and an RCC layer was proposed as a technical variant \u2013 a first for the consortium on this type of structure.<\/p>\n<\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/08\/Fig_16-slider-1024x436.jpg\")
<\/span><\/li>![](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/08\/muelle-c-2014_12_11-tierra-284-slider-1024x436.jpg\")
<\/span><\/li>![](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/08\/Fig_13-slider-1024x436.jpg\")
<\/span><\/li>![](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/08\/Fig_12-slider-1024x436.jpg\")
<\/span><\/li>![](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/08\/Fig_10-slider-1024x436.jpg\")
<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Type of project:<\/h3><\/div>![\"Port](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/03\/Ouvrage-portuaire.png\")
<\/a><\/span>Port infrastructure<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>Location:<\/h3><\/div>Uruguay<\/p>\n<\/div>
Subsidiary of Soletanche Bachy:<\/h3><\/div>Cimesa<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>Project owner:<\/h3><\/div>Administraci\u00f3n Nacional de Puertos de Uruguay (ANP)<\/p>\n<\/div>
Prime contractor:<\/h3><\/div>Consortium CSI (Uruguay); Prointec (Espagne); Serman (Argentine)<\/p>\n<\/div>
Consortium:<\/h3><\/div>Consortium Soletanche Bachy (France) ; SACEEM (Uruguay)\u00a0; Dredging International DEME (Belgique)<\/p>\n<\/div>
Works period:<\/h3><\/div>04\/2012 \u2013 10\/2014<\/p>\n<\/div>
Types of techniques:<\/h3><\/div>![\"Sheet](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/03\/Sheet-piles.png\" "\\"Sheet")
<\/span>Sheet piles<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Civil](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/03\/Reprise-en-sous-oeuvre.png\")
<\/a><\/span>Civil engineering<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Bored](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/03\/LDA.png\")
<\/a><\/span>Bored piles<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Key figures of the project<\/p><\/h2><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>0<\/span>m<\/span><\/div>long quay<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>0<\/span><\/div>piles<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>ForSHORE, Soletanche Bachy\u2019s port expertise<\/h3><\/div>ForSHORE supports its customers in their projects to build and repair port infrastructure with a strong geotechnical component. These general contractor solutions cover the four stages of port infrastructure projects:<\/p>\n
\n- finance<\/li>\n
- design (with environmental resilience)<\/li>\n
- build<\/li>\n
- asset management<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/i>Find out more about ForSHORE<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/08\/Logo_4Shore_Sign_RVB-v3.jpg\" "\\"Logo_4Shore_Sign_RVB-v3\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Related techniques<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i>See all the techniques<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>- <\/span><\/a><\/span>
LDA pile<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Soletanche Bachy presents its full range of piles: bored piles. LDA (Large Diameter Auger) piles, [...]<\/p><\/div>
<\/i>Find out more<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2022\/05\/Capture-decran-2025-11-07-025723.png\")
\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n- <\/span><\/a><\/span>
Civil engineering<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
The port of Montevideo in Uruguay is located in the Rio de la Plata river estuary which delineates the border between Uruguay and Argentina.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Description of the project<\/h2><\/div>The project involves constructing a new port<\/a> terminal 383m long and 33m wide with a 14m draft at the end of the port, along with an adjoining 36,000m2 wharf for container storage. The future multi-purpose port terminal will be able to accommodate both gantry cranes and mobile cranes. It is a danish quay, composed of prefabricated superstructure and cast-in-place concrete slab, all supported by 256 bored concrete piles, installed from a mobile platform and pontoon.<\/p>\nThe project is being carried out on a design-and-build. Complementary soil testing and real-time 3D computer simulation campaigns were required in order to study vessels\u2019 access manoeuvres from the port entrance to the new quay, enabling the project to be tailored to the reality of the site.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Our solution<\/h2><\/div>THE PORT TERMINAL: Piles, static testing, use of platforms and pontoons<\/strong><\/p>\nBefore beginning structural work on the port terminal, static-loading pile tests needed to be designed and conducted using Cimesa<\/a>, Soletanche Bachy\u2019s Mexican subsidiary. These tests made it possible to validate the theoretical design, adjust the drilling equipment and configure the driving of the pile tubes according to the characteristics of the ground.<\/p>\nThe piles \u2013 35m deep on average and to a maximum of 44m \u2013 were installed from a mobile metal platform system, supported by and moving along the previously installed piles. This methodology made it possible to overcome the climatic and technical hazards associated with a conventional offshore solution using a pontoon. To install the piles, a metal tube was first driven using vibration, to allow drilling inside it through strata of sand and then clay. A 3m anchor point was then made in the bedrock before concreting of the pile.<\/p>\n
Three pontoons were used to complete part of the piles<\/a> in a specific area where no other solution was possible, as well to place riprap for embankment protection and to demolish a port breakwater.<\/p>\nThe port terminal’s superstructure was constructed from prefabricated sections and then a slab poured in situ. The final operations involved installing the port terminal\u2019s services and equipment.<\/p>\n
THE WHARF: Vibrocompaction and RCC (Roller Compacted Concrete)<\/strong><\/p>\nConstruction of the container wharf was a major part of the project. This first involved dredging and clearing land that had a low load-bearing capacity, before backfilling with sand with a low fines content, dredged in from an area outside the port.<\/p>\n
This sand was then deeply compacted using the vibrocompaction technique. This technique for stabilising granular soil involves placing the particles in suspension by vibration, enabling them to become rearranged to achieve a denser state.<\/p>\n
At the end of this compacting phase, all normal utilities were connected (electricity, fire hydrants and lighting) and an RCC layer was proposed as a technical variant \u2013 a first for the consortium on this type of structure.<\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/span><\/li>
- <\/span><\/li>
- <\/span><\/li>
- <\/span><\/li>
- <\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Type of project:<\/h3><\/div><\/a><\/span>Port infrastructure<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>Location:<\/h3><\/div>Uruguay<\/p>\n<\/div>
Subsidiary of Soletanche Bachy:<\/h3><\/div>Cimesa<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>Project owner:<\/h3><\/div>Administraci\u00f3n Nacional de Puertos de Uruguay (ANP)<\/p>\n<\/div>
Prime contractor:<\/h3><\/div>Consortium CSI (Uruguay); Prointec (Espagne); Serman (Argentine)<\/p>\n<\/div>
Consortium:<\/h3><\/div>Consortium Soletanche Bachy (France) ; SACEEM (Uruguay)\u00a0; Dredging International DEME (Belgique)<\/p>\n<\/div>
Works period:<\/h3><\/div>04\/2012 \u2013 10\/2014<\/p>\n<\/div>
Types of techniques:<\/h3><\/div><\/span>Sheet piles<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/span>Civil engineering<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/span>Bored piles<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Key figures of the project<\/p><\/h2><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>0<\/span>m<\/span><\/div>long quay<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>0<\/span><\/div>piles<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>ForSHORE, Soletanche Bachy\u2019s port expertise<\/h3><\/div>ForSHORE supports its customers in their projects to build and repair port infrastructure with a strong geotechnical component. These general contractor solutions cover the four stages of port infrastructure projects:<\/p>\n
\n- finance<\/li>\n
- design (with environmental resilience)<\/li>\n
- build<\/li>\n
- asset management<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/i>Find out more about ForSHORE<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Related techniques<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i>See all the techniques<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>- <\/span><\/a><\/span>
LDA pile<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Soletanche Bachy presents its full range of piles: bored piles. LDA (Large Diameter Auger) piles, [...]<\/p><\/div>
<\/i>Find out more<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n- <\/span><\/a><\/span>
Civil engineering<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
The project involves constructing a new port<\/a> terminal 383m long and 33m wide with a 14m draft at the end of the port, along with an adjoining 36,000m2 wharf for container storage. The future multi-purpose port terminal will be able to accommodate both gantry cranes and mobile cranes. It is a danish quay, composed of prefabricated superstructure and cast-in-place concrete slab, all supported by 256 bored concrete piles, installed from a mobile platform and pontoon.<\/p>\n The project is being carried out on a design-and-build. Complementary soil testing and real-time 3D computer simulation campaigns were required in order to study vessels\u2019 access manoeuvres from the port entrance to the new quay, enabling the project to be tailored to the reality of the site.<\/p>\n<\/div> THE PORT TERMINAL: Piles, static testing, use of platforms and pontoons<\/strong><\/p>\n Before beginning structural work on the port terminal, static-loading pile tests needed to be designed and conducted using Cimesa<\/a>, Soletanche Bachy\u2019s Mexican subsidiary. These tests made it possible to validate the theoretical design, adjust the drilling equipment and configure the driving of the pile tubes according to the characteristics of the ground.<\/p>\n The piles \u2013 35m deep on average and to a maximum of 44m \u2013 were installed from a mobile metal platform system, supported by and moving along the previously installed piles. This methodology made it possible to overcome the climatic and technical hazards associated with a conventional offshore solution using a pontoon. To install the piles, a metal tube was first driven using vibration, to allow drilling inside it through strata of sand and then clay. A 3m anchor point was then made in the bedrock before concreting of the pile.<\/p>\n Three pontoons were used to complete part of the piles<\/a> in a specific area where no other solution was possible, as well to place riprap for embankment protection and to demolish a port breakwater.<\/p>\n The port terminal’s superstructure was constructed from prefabricated sections and then a slab poured in situ. The final operations involved installing the port terminal\u2019s services and equipment.<\/p>\n THE WHARF: Vibrocompaction and RCC (Roller Compacted Concrete)<\/strong><\/p>\n Construction of the container wharf was a major part of the project. This first involved dredging and clearing land that had a low load-bearing capacity, before backfilling with sand with a low fines content, dredged in from an area outside the port.<\/p>\n This sand was then deeply compacted using the vibrocompaction technique. This technique for stabilising granular soil involves placing the particles in suspension by vibration, enabling them to become rearranged to achieve a denser state.<\/p>\n At the end of this compacting phase, all normal utilities were connected (electricity, fire hydrants and lighting) and an RCC layer was proposed as a technical variant \u2013 a first for the consortium on this type of structure.<\/p>\n<\/div> Uruguay<\/p>\n<\/div> Cimesa<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div> Administraci\u00f3n Nacional de Puertos de Uruguay (ANP)<\/p>\n<\/div> Consortium CSI (Uruguay); Prointec (Espagne); Serman (Argentine)<\/p>\n<\/div> Consortium Soletanche Bachy (France) ; SACEEM (Uruguay)\u00a0; Dredging International DEME (Belgique)<\/p>\n<\/div> 04\/2012 \u2013 10\/2014<\/p>\n<\/div> Key figures of the project<\/p><\/h2><\/div> ForSHORE supports its customers in their projects to build and repair port infrastructure with a strong geotechnical component. These general contractor solutions cover the four stages of port infrastructure projects:<\/p>\n Soletanche Bachy presents its full range of piles: bored piles. LDA (Large Diameter Auger) piles, [...]<\/p><\/div>Our solution<\/h2><\/div>
<\/span><\/li><\/span><\/li><\/span><\/li><\/span><\/li><\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div>Type of project:<\/h3><\/div>
<\/a><\/span>Port infrastructure<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Location:<\/h3><\/div>
Subsidiary of Soletanche Bachy:<\/h3><\/div>
Project owner:<\/h3><\/div>
Prime contractor:<\/h3><\/div>
Consortium:<\/h3><\/div>
Works period:<\/h3><\/div>
Types of techniques:<\/h3><\/div>
<\/span>Sheet piles<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span>Civil engineering<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span>Bored piles<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
ForSHORE, Soletanche Bachy\u2019s port expertise<\/h3><\/div>
\n
<\/span><\/div>Related techniques<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>
LDA pile<\/a><\/h3><\/div>
\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/li>\nCivil engineering<\/a><\/h3><\/div>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2022\/05\/5CY6181_plancher-prefa_SPIA_Yves-Chanoit_vignette-1.jpg\")
\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>![](\"https:\/\/www.soletanche-bachy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2023\/09\/CH_25012011_014_Digue-Cusset_C.Helsy-vignette.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n