25 July 2011


Shoreham Port has been chosen by the world’s largest steel producer ArcelorMittal to be in the vanguard of research to further develop a new low corrosion steel grade destined to revolutionize the design of port structures. The new steel grade provides a significant reduction in corrosion rates for marine quay walls, especially in the low water and permanent immersion zones. This means designers can reduce the amount of ‘sacrificial’ steel thickness in the design reducing weight and cost. The new steel can also replace traditional design solutions which use expensive coatings requiring regular maintenance or cathodic protection systems.
The 8km of quay walls at Shoreham Harbour and at many other ports are largely constructed of interlocking steel planks, known as steel sheet piles, driven into the seabed and tied back to the land behind them. ArcelorMittal asked Shoreham Port to be one of the first locations to try out steel sheet piles made in a new low corrosion grade of steel. ArcelorMittal duly supplied the special test piles to Shoreham Port and these have been installed in a new quay wall across an inlet between the Prince Philip Lock and the port’s Pump House. ArcelorMittal’s research scientists will be visiting the port on a regular basis over a number of years to check how the new steel grade is performing.
Tony Parker, Shoreham Port Director of Engineering commented “We are all thrilled to be at the centre of such a prestigious and important project and the 2,200 square metres of land created next to the new wall is a massive bonus".