Harbour Club and the latest technology
CMS has made possible the construction of the Rodney Bay Dive Centre and Harbour Club Hotel
by supplying and installing foundation piling, retaining walls and seawalls for the project.
The property is built on soft, unstable land, originally reclaimed from salt marsh, when the area was dredged for the Marina development back in the 1970’s.
A large scale building project in such a potentially unstable location requires the latest foundation piling materials and techniques and CMS used Ductile Iron Piles (DIP), flat panel Shoreguard Vinyl Sheet Piling and Sheerscape Vinyl retaining wall systems, all of which provided huge advantages to the client, in speed of installation
and longevity in very corrosive salt water logged soils.
Modern Materials
plus Engineering Expertise
ShoreGuard Vinyl sheet piles, manufactured by Crane Materials International, are the first sheet piling sections to be sustainable,
eco-friendly and recyclable.
T sections are made from over 90% recycled PVC, which means that they last a lifetime in comparison to steel sheet piles, and without the need for toxic coatings or preservatives.
ShoreGuard vinyl sheet piling is corrosion resistant, UV resistant
and impervious to marine worm damage.
The Vinyl sheet piles were driven into the mud at the land and water interface, creating a seawall for the property and increasing the height of the land behind, to allow the construction of an elevated boardwalk around the development.
In spite of the use of the latest piling methods and materials, it was
a difficult and dirty job in this very challenging environment of soft, cloying mud and debris, left over from 40 years of previous waterfront development and demolition.
CMS is the foremost Caribbean contractor endorsed by
the manufacturer, TRM, (should we spell out what TRM stands for?)
to supply and install DIP piling, which is becoming ever more popular in the Caribbean market, because it is proving so cost effective,
in comparison to traditional piling methods.
In recent international projects, DIP manufactured by TRM has been tested and proven to be capable of carrying much higher loads than previously considered, providing dramatic improvements in
the allowable working load per pile, so that pile density can be reduced, making installation faster and less costly.
As well as piling the whole development on time and within cost estimates, CMS also installed two 20 ton boat lifts for the Newton 46 dive boats, so that both boats can easily be stored out of the water.
Technology and Tourism
Work on this huge landmark development, which has already changed the landscape of Rodney Bay Marina into an impressive, modern tourism area, started late in 2014.
The ultra-modern Dive Centre has proved hugely popular, providing the latest most comprehensive dive facilities and putting St Lucia back on the map as a top Caribbean diving destination.
The 115 room Harbour Club Hotel and Spa is still under construction and scheduled to open in March 2017.
CMS is proud to be a part of this important project and looks forward to working with this and other St Lucian marinas in future.