There’s More to a Port than Meets the Eye by Josie Bannerman Last September the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA), a not-for-profit society that owns and operates four port facilities in the Victoria harbour, confirmed the long-term use of Ogden Point as a deep-sea port. With this decision taken, the GVHA committed to a major maintenance repair schedule to keep the facility functioning and successful. A deep-sea port is one that can accommodate large ocean-going vessels. Important features include depth of the seabed, and the integrity of the piers that secure the ships and provide shore access. “Every port is unique in terms of the stresses that affect it,” said Paul Servos, GVHA General Manager. “And keep in mind that Ogden Point is almost 100 years old.” “The piers are not only subject to constant tide and wind action, but ships of our time use side thrusters to pull into and away from the pier. Side thrusters have substantially replaced the tugs of an earlier era and create a whole new source of wear and tear,” he said. Put this together with an increase in the number of vessels visiting the port, and the need for ongoing maintenance becomes apparent. Now a popular cruise destination, 184 ships called in at Ogden Point between April and October 2006. Compare this to the 1990’s when annual ship visits ranged from 26-53 annual calls. “Two main things go wrong with piers,” Servos said. First, the foundation or interface with the sea floor erodes over time. Second, the surfaces of the piers also erode, and must be maintained as well. The GVHA raised and resurfaced a section of Pier B after it took over ownership of the port from Transport Canada in 2002. Concrete caissons filled with stone and gravel anchor the piers to the seabed. During the fall, the GVHA did a sonar scan of the foundation of Pier B and identified problems with the concrete and areas of erosion. They have since hired Stantec Consulting Ltd to develop and cost out solutions. The consultants use a hydrographic model of the port to study effects of water and ship action on the seabed, and to test the feasibility of possible repair options. “Using this tool, we have been able to reject one repair option already, while three others are still being explored,” Servos said. “Whatever we do, we won’t choose an option that reduces the depth of the seabed or limits the capacity of the port to receive large cargo vessels.” In addition to its cruise ship business, Ogden Point is a base for a cable repair ship and an approved liberty port for US Navy ships. However, Servos said the GVHA is actively looking for opportunities to diversify the use of the port. He does not rule out the possibility of more cargo business in the future. If necessary, the piers could be modified to accommodate larger ships by installing mooring dolphins – steel poles mounted into the sea floor. When a satisfactory solution for repairing Pier B is developed, Servos anticipates work on the caissons will take place over the next two or three years. Plans are also underway for repair of Pier A, and development of a lifecycle plan for ongoing maintenance of the port and the breakwater.