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com CPI Concrete Plant International 2 | 2009 221

READYMIX CONCRETE
China Harbour-Costain constructed 12 enormous caissons, two at a
time, in a casting basin 14 miles (23 kilometers) north of Ensenada,
Mexico.
Two Putzmeister MXKD 38/42 separate placing booms placed
concrete via a slip form approach during construction of each huge
caisson, sized 125 feet (38 meters) wide and up to 225 feet
(68 meters) long.
LNG is natural gas cooled below -260 F
(-162 C) and condensed into a liquid that
occupies 600 times less space than in its
gaseous state. This enables shipment in
cryogenic tankers from remote locations to
the new Mexican terminal, where LNG
ships can dock and unload into two above
ground storage tanks. Each tank will store
the liquid until it can be vaporized back
into natural gas and moved via pipeline to
customers.
Breaking waves
Although the entire LNG terminal project was
highly involved, a 2,150-foot (652 meter)
long breakwater posed especially complex
concrete placing and logistical challenges.
Tackling the major task head on was a stra-
tegic combination of Putzmeister equip-
ment, including separate placing booms
and high pressure trailer-mounted concrete
pumps. The high performance units placed
concrete for 12 huge caissons. The caissons
were of two sizes each 82 feet (25 meters)
tall, 125 feet (38 meters) wide and either
152 feet (46.25 meters) or 225 feet
(68 meters) long. The 12 gigantic caissons,
each about the size of an eight-story office
building, were towed out to sea and sunk to
form a specially constructed breakwater.
Since no natural harbor exists off the deep
coastal waters of Costa Azul, this break -
water would protect LNG ships from being
damaged by forceful ocean waves when
unloading at a specially constructed 820-
foot (250 meter) long berthing pier.
Size matters in equipment selection
To construct the giant caissons, the first step
was the creation of a dry dock or casting
basin. A massive 330-foot by 553-foot
(100 meters by 170 meters) cavity was
excavated to a 40 foot (12 meters) depth,
while a 30-degree slope angled to its 165-
foot by 409-foot (50 meters by 125 meters)
bottom area. This provided ample space to
build two caissons at a time.
For concrete placement, the contractor chose
two Putzmeister MXKD 38/42 separate pla-
cing booms for their long 125-foot (38-meter)
horizontal reach. The placing booms were
utilized with two large 400 meter/ton crane
lattice towers, which were mounted on
either foundation anchors or base plates,
depending on their location in the casting
basin or jetty. With the help of the extreme-
ly high capacity cranes already on site, the
two placing booms and two towers were
cost-effectively moved between five moun-
ting locations four within the casting basin
and one in the jetty. The tower cranes easi-
ly picked and moved the placing boom
together with its power pack and pedestal.
With the cranes 10.5 metric ton capacity
at 150 feet (46 meters), it could also lift the
entire placing boom tower with all tower
sections connected.
Four steps in the lifting and reconnection
process were eliminated with every move,
as no boom counterweight was needed
with the placing booms selected for this job
or with any conventional placing boom
model from Putzmeister America, says Bob
Liebermann, special products sales mana-
ger at Putzmeister America, Inc. This signi-
ficantly improves speed and efficiency.
The contractor also benefited from the
extra reach of our larger MXKD 38/42
placing boom model and avoided addi -
Worlds Largest Offshore Caisson Breakwater
Putzmeister America Inc., Sturtevant, WI 53177, USA
Constructed 14 miles (23 kilometers) north of Ensenada, Mexico, the largest offshore caisson breakwater of its type in the world came to life
through a combination of special concrete construction techniques that utilized innovative Putzmeister placing boom technology.
The enormous breakwater was constructed for the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) receipt terminal along the Pacific Coast of the Americas
as part of the $875 million Energa Costa Azul project. The project was designed to help the Mexican state of Baja California meet its demand
for natural gas, which is expected to almost double by 2010. Currently, this region imports its natural gas from the U.S., which faces in -
creasing energy consumption yet dwindling supplies.
07-Transport_en.qxp:Layout 1 12.03.2009 12:43 Uhr Seite 221
CPI Concrete Plant International 2 | 2009 www.cpi-worldwide.com 222
tional mounting locations in the casting
basin because the boom and tower arrange-
ment provided effective coverage for the
pours, adds Liebermann. Three Putzmeister
concrete trailer pumps were also chosen for
the project, notably for their higher outputs
in pumping the caisson bases at a faster
pace. Therefore, on site were a BSA 1407-
D and two BSA 1409-D models, capable of
maximum outputs of 93 and 119 cubic
yards an hour (71 and 91 cubic meters an
hour) respectively, and high pressures up to
1,537 psi (106 bar). Powered by turbo-
charged 157 horsepower (115 kilowatt)
Deutz diesel engines, the pumps delivered
a highly abrasive concrete via five-inch
(125 millimeters) pipeline stretching over
150 feet (46 meters) distances.
To ensure peak machine performance,
Construmac, S.A., an authorized Putzmeister
distributor for over 15 years, provided main-
tenance and service support of the concrete
placing equipment. Established in 1976,
Construmac is headquartered in Naucalpan
with nine branch locations throughout
Mexico.
Floating from casting basin to jetty
Floating the caissons out of the casting
basin was a complex endeavor. First, all
concrete placing equipment had to be relo-
cated to a special lay down area. This
removed the equipment from the path of the
floating caissons and also avoided equip-
ment contact with the corrosive salt water
when the casting basin gate was opened.
An eight to 10-day cycle started, which
involved a day to flood the casting basin, a
day to remove the casting basin gate and
two days to move the caissons out during
high tide. A tug boat in combination with cast-
in-place winches and bollards controlled the
caissons movements to prevent damage to
the sides of the gate seal area. Then, a day
of repositioning the casting basin gate and
its seals were required, followed by two
days of pumping water out of the casting
basin. The remaining cycle time was spent
cleaning up and preparing for construction
of the next two caissons.
Two at a time, the caissons were floated to
a jetty about 100 yards (91 meters) away
and flooded in preparation for the next
step. A placing boom and tower were repo-
sitioned to place concrete for the turret,
which is the upper 36-foot (11 meters) sec-
tion of each caisson. This portion will
remain above water when finally posi -
tioned at sea.
The final 14 miles
When the turret was placed with concrete
and appropriately capped, each short cais-
son weighed approximately 35 million
pounds (16,000 metric tons) and each
long caisson approximately 52 million
pounds (24,000 metric tons). They were
towed by tugs 14 miles (23 kilometers) up
the coast, using GPS for precise positio-
ning.
Once in place, butterfly valves, carefully
positioned in the caissons, were opened to
flood and sink the caisson on a specially
prepared granular bed. The cells were then
filled with sand to further ballast them and
displace the water. Once ballasted, each
short caisson weighed a hefty 127 million
pounds (58,000 metric tons) and each
long caisson weighed over 189 millions
pounds (86,000 metric tons). The 12 cais-
sons were further interlocked together to
form the one-third mile long breakwater,
which weighed over an astounding 1.76
billion pounds (800,000 metric tons) in
total.
Started in January 2005, construction of
the caissons consumed over 105,000 cubic
yards (80,000 cubic meters) of a high
High pressure BSA trailer pumps capably delivered a highly abrasive concrete via five-inch
(125 millimeters) pipeline that stretched over 150 feet (46 meters).
On site tower cranes moved the placing
boom with pedestal and power pack in one
pick, and could fly the entire connected
placing boom tower in another pick.
At the jetty, a placing boom and its tower were repositioned to place concrete for the turret,
which is the upper 36-foot (11 meter) section of each caisson that will remain above water
when positioned at sea.
07-Transport_en.qxp:Layout 1 12.03.2009 12:43 Uhr Seite 222
READYMIX CONCRETE
strength concrete. Cemex, headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico,
produced the 50 N/mm concrete mix from two on site batch plants
during construction of the breakwater. Each batch plant was capa-
ble of 75 cubic yards an hour (57 cubic meters an hour) outputs.
Cemex also supplied the concrete for the LNG tanks, which alt-
hough large, only required about 8,000 cubic yards (6,000 cubic
meters) for each of the two tanks. Core locks, positioned in front of
the caissons to help break up the waves, added an additional
19,500 cubic yards (15,000 cubic meters) to the projects total con-
crete usage.
Delivering the gas
The 400-acre terminal, including pipeline, comprises over a $1 billion
capital investment in Baja California, Mexico, with commercial ope-
rations commencing in early 2008. The new LNG terminal is ca -
pable of annually receiving 7.6 million tons of LNG from loading
terminals around the world and processing one billion cubic feet of
natural gas per day. Designed to provide additional natural gas to
northern Mexico, it may also offer a supply alternative to California
and southwestern U.S. markets.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Putzmeister America Inc.
1733 90th Street
Sturtevant, WI 53177, USA
T +1 262 8863200 F +1 262 8846338
www.putzmeister.com
Putzmeister Concrete Pumps GmbH
Max-Eyth-Str. 10
72631 Aichtal, Germany
T +49 7127 5990 F +49 7127 599520
pki@pmw.de www.pmw.de
Each caisson, weighing up to 52 million pounds (24,000 metric tons)
and about the size of an eight-story office building, was floated
14 miles (23 kilometers) out to sea and positioned using GPS.
A-4673 Gaspoltshofen/Austria, Hauptstrae 37
T. ++43(0)7735/6937- 0, F. ++43 (0)7735/6937-70
office@baum-autom.at www.baum-autom.at
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