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Panama Canal expansion project

29th March 2013

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

  

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Name and Location
Panama Canal expansion project.

Client
The government of Panama, represented by Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP).

Project Description
The project consists of the expansion of the Panama Canal through the addition of a third set of locks, one at each end of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the canal.

Each lock facility will feature three consecutive chambers, with lateral water-saving basins, a lateral filling and emptying system, as well as rolling gates.

The Atlantic locks complex will be located east of the existing Gatún locks complex and the Pacific locks complex will be located south-west of the existing Miraflores locks. The location of both locks complexes will use an extensive section of the excavations performed by the US government for the third set of locks project, which started in 1939.

The new locks will each be 427 m long, 55 m wide and 18.3 m deep, with a beam of 49 m and a draught of 15.2 m, suitable for ships of up to 366 m in length to use them.

The existing locks are each 304.8 m long, 55 m wide and 18.3 m deep, with a beam of 32.3 m and a draught of 12.4 m, which can accommodate ships of up to 294.1 m in length.

The excavation of new navigational channels will allow access between the new locks and the existing channels, as well as the deepening and widening of the existing channels. Widening the existing channels to 218 m will allow navigation of post-Panamax vessels through these channels in one direction at a time.

The Gaillard Cut and the Gatún Lake’s navigation channels will be deepened by 1.2 m to a precise level datum (PLD) of 9.2 m, raising the maximum operational level of the Gatún Lake by 0.45 m, from its existing 26.7 m PLD to 27.1 m PLD. This project component will increase the Gatún Lake’s functional water reserve capacity.

The deepening of the Culebra Cut and the Gatún Lake and the raising of their maximum operating level will improve the canal’s water supply and draft dependability.

These measures are intended to allow the expanded canal to operate without the construction of new reservoirs.

Value
The project is estimated at more than $5.25-billion.

Duration
Commercial transits are expected to begin in mid-2015.

Latest Developments
The project is more than 50% complete.

The dredging of the navigational channels is complete, including canal entrances on the Pacific and Atlantic sides and at the Gaillard Cut.

The ACP has completed the dredging to deepen and widen the navigational channels along the Culebra Cut and 3.2-million cubic meters were removed during this process.


Excavation of the Pacific lock access channel comprises four phases.

Three of the four phases are complete, with Phase 4 currently 70% complete. The project requires the excavation of more than 50-million cubic metres of materials along a 6.1 km stretch of the canal.

By the end of this year, 158 culvert, equalisation and conduit valves, 84 bulkheads and 328 trash racks will have arrived for the project. The valves were built in South Korea by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

Construction of the new locks is 37% complete. The new lock complexes in the Pacific and Atlantic sides will feature three chambers, three water-saving basins per chamber, a lateral filling and emptying system, as well as rolling gates.

Construction of the new locks involves the use of 1 506 t of gel explosives, 3 600 t of ammonium nitrate explosives, 4.9-million cubic metres of concrete, 1.12-million tons of cement to produce that concrete, 436 000 t of pozzolana (volcanic ash or ground slag from a blast furnace) to mix with the concrete, 279 000 t of reinforcement steel for the concrete, 47 200 t of structural steel for the lock gates and 20 000 t of structural steel for the lock valves.

The expansion programme achieved another milestone in March this year, when the first million cubic meters of concrete were poured in the locks construction site on the Atlantic side. This represents 1 800 m3 of reinforced concrete poured in the wall of the south-east wing, at the point where the vessels will enter the locks from the Gatun Lake.

The canal remains open and operational, while expansion work is continuing.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Japan Bank for International Cooperation, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Andean Development Corporation and the International Finance Corporation (loan finance); Grupo Unidos por el Canal joint venture, comprising Jan de Nul, Sacyr Vallehermoso, Impregilo and Constructora Urbana (Cusa) (design and construction of the new third set of locks); Peri (planning and supply of formwork and scaffolding systems); Cusa (excavation of the Pacific access channel Phase 1); Cilsa Panama–Minera María consortium (excavation of the Pacific access channel Phase 2); Constructora Meco (excavation of the Pacific access channel Phase 3); a consortium comprising Constructora ICA, Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas and Constructora Meco (excavation of the Pacific access channel Phase 4); Dredging International (dredging of the Pacific entrance navigational channel, the Gatun Lake north access channel and the Atlantic entrance); ACP (dredging for the deepening and widening of Gatún Lake and deepening of the Culebra Cut); Jan de Nul (dredging of the new Pacific access channel north approach); and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (conduit valves).

On Budget and on Time?
The project is six months behind its eight-year project time schedule.

Contact Details for Project Information
ACP corporate communications, tel +507 272 7602.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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