Dolphins at Ras Laffan

Located approximately 80 km from Doha, Ras Laffan Industrial City is a cornerstone of Qatar’s energy sector. Encompassing 4,500 hectares of water, it is the world’s largest artificial harbor and a global leader in LNG exports. Over time, the concrete dolphins at one of its mooring berths began to deteriorate. BESIX was entrusted with the task of rehabilitating these critical structures while maintaining the port’s operational continuity.

• Rehabilitation of 12 mooring and berthing dolphins

• Design and installation of prefabricated steel caissons

• Off-site fabrication, launch, towing, and placement of caissons

• Concrete weighting and structural integration

• Coordination with Qatargas and on-site teams for seamless execution

• Innovative engineering: Based on design work from client Qatargas, BESIX’s engineers decided to encase the cracked pillars in prefabricated steel structures. These caissons were built on land, launched, and towed to their final location before being weighted with concrete.

• Multidisciplinary approach: The strategy - validated, detailed, and calculated by the BESIX Design Department - required close collaboration between marine works experts, structural engineers, and specialists in steel and concrete.

• Minimal downtime: With only four months of access to the berth, the project was completed on time, ensuring minimal disruption to port operations.

• Operational coordination: Daily collaboration with engineers and the client enabled rapid problem-solving and efficient execution.

• World first: This method marked a global premiere in marine infrastructure rehabilitation, setting a new benchmark for similar projects worldwide.