High Water

Seaham Harbour – Harbour Gate Maintenance

Seaham Harbour - Harbour Gate Maintenance

Project Overview

Harbour gate maintenance presents particular challenges when work must be undertaken below the waterline, especially where existing structures have irregular surfaces and limited design information. At Seaham Harbour, maintenance works required a temporary water-control solution capable of providing dewatered access around existing harbour gates, with working depths reaching approximately 9 metres.

The project involved working against an established harbour structure constructed from ashlar stone, where variations in the masonry and the condition of the sealing surfaces needed to be considered. Rather than relying on a standard arrangement, the temporary works required a solution that could accommodate the existing geometry while providing a practical working environment for the maintenance team.

High Water Solution

High Water designed and supplied a bespoke Modular Limpet Dam arrangement tailored to the harbour gate structure. The system was configured to accommodate the irregular ashlar surfaces, with the sealing arrangement forming a critical part of the engineering considerations.

The equipment was deployed across four separate locations, requiring the solution to be adaptable throughout the programme. Reconfiguring the system allowed the same specialist equipment to support successive work areas rather than requiring a completely separate arrangement at each location. Installation, removal and relocation also needed to be coordinated with the programme of works.

The Outcome

The bespoke arrangement provided temporary, dewatered working areas around the harbour gates, supporting the maintenance programme in a challenging marine environment. Its adaptability across four locations helped make effective use of the equipment while accommodating the existing structure.

The project demonstrates the importance of selecting and configuring temporary water-control equipment around the actual conditions on site. Where historic structures, irregular masonry and significant water depths create additional complexity, careful engineering and a solution-led approach are essential to developing a workable temporary isolation arrangement.

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