A routine inspection of the substructure had identified severe corrosion to the steel supporting piles beneath the pier head. To address this, our approved method involved air-lifting loose bed material around each pile and installing split semi-circular concrete encasements with a grout bag around the base. Once positioned, the grout bag was filled with pumped micro-concrete. The precast encasements were then filled by the dive team using a proprietary high-strength underwater marine grout.

Due to restricted access from the pier itself, most of the work was carried out from a multicat workboat. This ensured minimal disruption to the day-to-day operations of the pier, which attracts around 4 million visitors each year.

A C-Tecnics video system was used throughout the works, enabling the dive supervisor to monitor operations and allowing the client to review each pile encasement both during installation and on completion.

In addition to the planned 100 pile encasements, EDS also undertook five emergency strengthening repairs. These required mobilisation to site with all plant, equipment and materials within a week to repair five severed cast iron piles. Close collaboration with other contractors was essential to design the repair solution and complete the works quickly, ensuring the pier was fully reopened in time for the busy Easter tourist season.