Insights PortMiami

The Port of Miami (PortMiami), nicknamed the “Cruise Capital of the World,” is one of the largest passenger and cargo container ports in the United States, with 4.3 million passengers and 7.42 million tons of cargo travelling through the facility each year. An important contributor to the local south Florida economy, the port has required continuous improvement of its shipping and passenger access capabilities to accommodate increasing demand and growth.

Since 1989, Atkins has performed a wide range of projects at PortMiami. As program management consultant, we provided on-site marine structural engineering and project management expertise in support of the evaluation, design, engineering, and value engineering of over 5,200 linear feet of deep water combi-wall retrofit and strengthening work, designed to accommodate super post-panamax container vessels of up to 216,000 deadweight tonnage. The combi-wall system is comprised of steel pipe piles measuring up to 48 inches in diameter in combination with intermediate AZ sheet piles. The project included design of new 100- and 150-ton capacity mooring bollards as well as high-energy absorption foam-filled floating fenders.

Recently, Atkins completed an in-depth surface and underwater inspection, condition assessment, and structural evaluation of the cruise ship berthing zone seawall located waterside of Cruise Terminal J. The seawall was constructed in 1989 and is made up of 1,487 feet of steel sheet pile combi-wall. Atkins prepared a comprehensive inspection and condition assessment report that addressed the structural integrity aspects of the combi-wall and contained alternatives for long- and short-term repairs, an assessment of feasible restoration methods, and replacement alternative design.

Atkins also provided construction engineering and inspection (CEI) services for 6,000 linear feet of active cargo wharves including 800 linear feet of pile-supported mooring dolphins. Atkins self-performed underwater inspection services for a new sheet pile wall in 45 feet of water and oversaw relocation of more than 150 healthy corals from the existing seawall to an on-port recipient area.