Renovation of the Port of La Vigne

Context

The Port de La Vigne is a marina located in the western part of the Arcachon basin. The age of the old quay (more than 60 years) as well as the need to enlarge the harbour motivated the creation of the renovation project. Due to the presence of anchors, the demolition of the old quay required a delicate phasing which overlapped with the implementation of the new wall 3m farther. In addition, the project also included the dredging of the harbour for nearly 10,000 m³.

The new sheet pile dock was installed in several phases, including the use of temporary sheet piles above the anchors of the old dock. While most of the sheet piles were driven by vibrodriving, some of the steeper areas required driving with a pile driver. After the new quay was built and the old one demolished, the harbour was dredged. Finally, the guide piles, pontoons and other equipment were installed.

The project was carried out in a controlled manner despite strong constraints:

• The proximity of local homes and businesses required the implementation of a vibration monitoring system during the vibrodriving works
• The position of the port in the Arcachon basin required strict environmental monitoring: turbidity, salinity and pH measurements, barriers against suspended materials
• The timeframe of the work, which had to be completed before the opening of the tourist period