Design and Construction of a 130.000 SQM Logistic Platform in Trieste's Port, ICOP & LWN: An Organization, Logistic and Powerful Rigs Winning Combination-Paper

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The paper describes the first operational phase of a major logistics platform in the Port of Trieste, designed to improve connections between maritime freight and road and rail routes serving Central and Eastern Europe. The project includes a new Ro-Ro and cargo terminal, a suspended dock platform, shoreline containment works, and a sediment reservoir with a capacity of approximately 500,000 m³.<br /><br />Construction took place over complex ground: anthropogenic fill and marine silts overlying Trieste flysch, with substantial variation in layer thickness and rock depth. Investigations confirmed a continuous, low-permeability cohesive layer beneath the seabed sediments, suitable for sealing the reservoir; liquefaction was considered unlikely.<br /><br />The main structures include a 74,350 m² cantilevered concrete deck supported by 864 large-diameter piles founded in competent flysch. Additional works comprise steel sheet and king-pile walls, CSM diaphragm walls, secant piles for river diversion, and waterproofing around existing caissons. The dock was designed for vessels up to 266 m long and 50,000 tonnes deadweight, with 150-tonne bollards and impact-resistant fenders.<br /><br />A key focus is the equipment and logistics used for offshore construction. Icop selected a pontoon-mounted Liebherr LB36-410 drilling rig, capable of 410 kNm torque. It achieved an average of about 12 offshore piles per week and 150 metres of drilled piling per day. A Liebherr LR1300 crawler crane handled the prefabricated deck components, replacing the tender-stage proposal for three rail-mounted tower cranes. Its reach and lifting capacity informed the design and dimensions of the deck elements.<br /><br />The authors conclude that careful pre-construction planning and willingness to revise established methods were central to the project’s efficiency. The combination of suitable high-capacity equipment, coordinated logistics, and design adaptation enabled the complex marine works to proceed effectively.

Keywords

Port of Trieste

logistics platform

Ro-Ro terminal

maritime freight

Central and Eastern Europe

sediment reservoir

flysch geology

offshore construction

Liebherr LB36-410

Liebherr LR1300