THE TRIDENT EXPLOSIVES HANDLING JETTY, ROYAL NAVAL ARMAMENTS DEPOT, COULPORT - CONSTRUCTION, TOW AND COMMISSIONING

With a displacement of about 85 000 t, the explosives handling jetty a t RNAD, Coulport, is one of the world's largest floating concrete stru ctures. It was built in the dry dock at Hunterston on the Firth of Cly de by conventional reinforced concrete techniques. The Paper describes some of the special measures that are necessary for a boating structu re, and the particular considerations for the prestressing, the supers tructure and the installation of the major plant items. The preparatio n and execution of the 20 mile tow from Hunterston to Coulport are des cribed, as well as the final commissioning before handover to the Mini stry of Defence (Navy). The first paper prepared by the design lead co nsultants, Rendel Palmer and Tritton, describes the design development from concept to construction contract award.