Photoreport on the Progress of Construction of the Passenger Port in Gelendzhik

Pictured: view of the future onshore and offshore infrastructure in the seaport of Gelendzhik

Since the 4th quarter of 2018, Stroytransgaz JSC has been implementing the construction project of onshore and offshore infrastructure in Gelendzhik. The facilities are being built in the context of the governmental programme ‘Development of Russia’s Transport System’.  The client is FSUE Rosmorport.

Due to the facts that major changes had been made to the design documentation, and a new positive opinion had been issued by the state expert review panel (Glavgosexpertiza) in November 2019, the project construction period was extended to May 2021.

The new project implies building a modern passenger seaport that is capable of accommodating passenger vessels as well as small motor and sail craft of various classes that can be based there all year round. STG will build only federal facilities, without regard to the investor’s facilities.

The project implementation will play an important socio-economic role in the development of the city because the comfortable environment that will be created will allow increasing the city’s appeal for tourists, which, in turn, will have a favourable effect on the city’s economy and, consequently, the quality of life of its population.

The project will be built in 7 stages, which include, among other things, erection of berths, shoreline stabilization, dredging of the water area, and construction of an artificial ground area. Along with the existing seaport, it will accommodate buildings and structures.

Pictured: view of the completed seaport

Currently, the builders are dismantling the existing buildings and structures within the construction footprint, and are also erecting the South quay pier hydraulic works at the pile foundation stage.

Pictured: construction site along the shoreline

The South quay pier structure in the Eastern part will be an open-web rack-type structure with a high pile work with a solid vertical wall of pipe piles 820 mm in diameter on the side of external water area, and two rows of raked steel piles 820 mm in diameter on the side of internal water area. Piles will be driven into low-cohesion soils at the sea bottom, and then into the following rocky soils down to 4 meters and connected to each other by means of H-beams that will remain a structural member of the pile foundation for the entire operation period. Piles will be covered by a cast-in-situ reinforced concrete raft with a wave protection wall.

Pictured: pile foundation of the South quay pier

Pictured: pile foundation of the South quay pier

A large portion of construction and installation works is being carried out in the offshore zone, which results in a number of specific features for this project and, therefore, tasks fulfilled in the course of construction.

First of all, sea and ground waters are highly mineralized and, hence, aggressive to carbon steel structures. For this reason, the project imposes stringent requirements for the properties of the materials used (paint, concrete, etc.). In addition, the Gelendzhik bay area is characterized by intense contemporary geodynamics. Therefore, to avoid potential geological engineering processes in the operation period, STG will use engineering construction solutions to strengthen structures. 

Pictured: works in the offshore zone

Aware of the environmental uniqueness of the Black Sea as well as the stringent requirements for construction in the resort city area, STG undertook to take a number of environment protection measures to prevent and reduce the negative effect on the environment.

In 2019, the monitoring of the marine environment and the state of aquatic biological resources was performed under the project three times.  Research activities are planned for monitoring the state of animal populations and their habitat, and translocating amphibia and reptiles from the area of construction. The company will also take such biotechnical measures as building artificial nests for invertebrates and birds, dens for reptiles, bird feeders. The measures being taken are aimed, first of all, at biodiversity conservation and environmental safety.

In 2020, the company will carry out dredging activities, build berths, while conducting a diver inspection, and erect the artificial ground area.