Due to the deterioration of the Simons Town seawall and the erosion of Makriel beach the railway line to Simons Town protected by these features was closed. Metrorail sought specialist coastal engineering advice and appointed PRDW who designed and supervised construction of revetment structures at both sites.
The railway line between Fish Hoek and Simons Town is both supported and protected from the sea by a stone and rock mason seawall constructed in the early part of the 20th century.
During the latter part of 2009 storms caused damage to the seawalls. Emergency repairs were required to keep the line running and to prevent further damage. However, a full rehabilitation was required to reinstate the line to normal rail traffic capacity.
The first phase of the appointment was to carry out a status quo assessment of the seawalls, identify areas at risk and propose appropriate rehabilitation measures.
PRDW then proceeded with a detailed design for the rehabilitation. This resulted in design of a rock revetment. The rock revetment was considered to be the most robust, practical and aesthetically pleasing coastal engineering solution for both the Simons Town seawall site and the Makerial Beach site.
Construction began in September 2010 with PRDW supervising the construction of the revetments at both sites.
Train operations on the railway line between Fish Hoek and Simons Town station officially recommenced in February 2011, ending a 14 month disruption period of normal operations. The original contract was completed within the overall construction budget of R21 million and on time.
1050
Need more info?
