Mammoet has completed the complex recovery and relocation of 12 landlocked barges from the Pulau Tekong polder project – a project that has enabled Singapore to reclaim roughly 800 ha of land from the sea.
Led by the Housing Development Board (HDB) and constructed by the Boskalis Penta Ocean Joint Venture (BPJV), this project used an “empoldering” method to recover the land in a first-of-a-kind project for Singapore.
Unlike traditional land reclamation, which involves infilling with sand, empoldering creates a low-lying tract of land, known as a polder, by constructing a dike around the area and draining water from it. The dike shields the polder from the sea, and water levels are controlled by a network of drains and pumps, reducing the amount of fill material required and leading to lower construction costs.
As part of the project, a collection pond within the polder was constructed to collect excess stormwater. Various floating equipment and barges were used to deepen this large body of water. Once it was completed, the equipment and barges – now landlocked – needed to be retrieved and relocated for continued operations.
A total of 12 barges, ranging in weight from 680-990 tonnes, had to be recovered from the collection pond, transported across the newly built haul road to the dike, and launched back into the sea. Mammoet was selected for this task.
It used 68 airbags and four winches, with capacities ranging from 60-85 tonnes, to retrieve and launch each barge from the designated pond. Airbags were placed under the bow of each barge, and once all cables were connected, two winches pulled the barge out of the water to a point where 18 climbing jacks were positioned. Once the barge was retrieved, it was jacked up to allow the airbags to be removed and SPMTs were inserted underneath. The SPMTs then transported each barge to the launch area, to be set afloat.
Despite unforeseen weather conditions, Mammoet adhered to a strict schedule, demonstrating agility and commitment. “We take immense pride in our role within the Tekong Polder project. By leveraging our global expertise, we helped enhance Singapore’s geographical footprint,” said Anandan Lokantham, sales manager, Mammoet Projects AMEA.
