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| Monday, 19 January 2004 |
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Geophysical survey on Colombo South Harbour project begins The Consultant to the Colombo South Harbour Development Project M/s Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Co. Ltd. has engaged EGS (Asia) Ltd. of Hong Kong to carry out a detailed geophysical survey of the project area of the proposed Colombo South Harbour. Top priority has been given for the South Port Development Project on the instructions of Minister Rauff Hakeem. This survey established the sea bed contours and sub-seabed geology. The bed-rock surface below the seabed was measured by seismic survey and it was found that the rock surface is found at a depth more than 20 metres below water level.
The survey was conducted from the survey vessel Mr. Sayuri belonging to the National Hydrographic Office of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). As part of the continuing study, investigations will shortly commence to examine the ground conditions in the areas of future quays, breakwaters and areas to be dredged. The work will be undertaken by Seacore Ltd. an international recognised contractor based in the United Kingdom, specialising in offshore investigation and foundation construction. A total of 35 boreholes will be drilled to a maximum depth of about 40m below the seabed in about 20m depth of water. Holes will extend between 10m and 20m into rock. Testing will be carried out within the boreholes and on samples to be recovered from the holes. In addition, 12 probes will be pushed into the seabed until refusal, the measure the resistance to penetration. These probes will examine in more detail the variation of sands and clays above the rock. Eight vibrocores, which take samples of the seabed and the shallow material beneath, will also be undertaken. The off-shore seabed drilling work at predetermined points will be carried out from the jack up platform which has been imported in knocked down from in eight 40 ft. container size modules. When assembled together they will form a self-propelled barge that could be moved to the number of borehole locations for drilling. The work will be supervised by Scott Wilson, the project consultant and the data will be utilised to finalise harbour layout plans and designs. The offshore work is expected to last about one month with laboratory testing carried out in Colombo expected to be completed shortly after. The total cost of the investigation is about US$ one million, a Ports Ministry release said. |
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In addition sidescan sonar probing was carried out to record artefacts
at seabed, such as ship wrecks, pipelines, coral reefs, rock outcrops.
