Working with 269 piles from a previous contract, the project team built a port that will provide 50 years’ worth of service to Vietnam, enhancing its role in the global supply chain.

The team applied 3D modeling to modify the original design and maximize the use of precast concrete elements. The 33-hectare terminal and 800-m-long container berths are designed to handle super-sized ships that carry up to 2,620-ft-equivalent containers. 

The team managed to reduce the cost of civil marine works by approximately 10%, mainly by reducing pile lengths. “A total [accumulated] pile length of 72,600 meters was required in the end, saving 1,275 meters,” says Bastiaan van de Vijver, senior project manager with the design team. 

The use of smart prefabricated elements and sacrificial pile caps minimized the amount of cast-in-place concrete required. “We were able to design the reinforcement in such a way that it would be easy and safe to install, avoiding any reinforcement clashes,” using 3D Revit, says van de Vijver.