Country: United Kingdom
Key Area: Transportation
Services: Civil Engineering,Maritime Engineering (Marine Services),Structural Engineering,Traffic Modelling,Transportation Infrastructure Design

Opus was commissioned to provide the structural, civil and traffic engineering design for a new cruise liner terminal at Southampton.

Associated British Ports required the new terminal to cater for the increase in the size and number of cruise ships operating from the port.

A key feature of the new terminal is its unique curved shape that follows through to the external canopies.  The first floor is constructed of suspended composite steel and concrete. As the curved profile of the building exerts lateral thrust, this was countered in the design by specifying a steel frame that transfers the force to the sub-structure that has been designed to absorb it. To achieve both the structural efficiencies and the architectural form of the building a castellated main beam was chosen.

Our transportation engineers carried out traffic modelling work to determine potential vehicle movements and traffic volumes at the terminal. This included determining the different modes of vehicle transport that can be expected at the terminal ie; private cars, taxis, coaches etc, and looking at ways to provide ease of access and departure from the drop-off, pick-up and parking areas.

Consideration was given to previous engineering work that had been undertaken to repair and stabilise the original shipping berths. The gravity quay wall had suffered some lateral movement damage over the years and had required stabilisation using ground anchors. In identifying this, short length bored piles were specified to support the new terminal building and provide a five-metre clearance above the ground anchors.

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