River Lagan Dredging Works |
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Whole Project Award
Project Team
Client: Department
of Social Development
Designer: Doran Consulting
Construction: Graham
Construction
The project
The site of the dredging works was the River Lagan which flows
through the middle of Belfast. The dredging works were carried out on
the impounded stretch of the River between the Stranmillis Weir and
Lagan Weir. The Client was the Department for Social Development (DSD)
who have a statutory obligation to maintain a minimum navigable depth
of 1.5m throughout the impounded River Lagan.
A comprehensive dredging scheme was undertaken in 1994 which involved dredging of the impounded river and establishment of an incised channel. The dredging project in 2010/2011 was therefore considered a maintenance dredging of the river that involved reinstatement of the 1994 incised channel. All dredged material from the site was disposed of at an off shore disposal site in accordance with a NIEA license.
Machinery for the project lifted into place
Doran Consulting were the designers for the project and the contractor was Graham Construction Ltd. As the project related to a maintenance dredging of a river bed with no impact on the river banks there was substantial scoping out particularly in relation to Sections on Land Use, Landscape Issues, Ecology, Historic Environment and Energy and Carbon.
Site visit 14 October 2010
The CEEQUAL Assessment scored highly in Sections 6 and 8-12. For example
Section 6 Water Resources and the Water Environment scored 90% with
high scoring for protection of the water environment through monitoring
of Oxygen levels and prevention of any fuel discharge. Section 10 Transport
scored 91% as traffic impact was minimal due to the decision early on
to dispose of dredged material at sea through the use of barges.
