Barrack Point Potash Terminal Facility Condition Assessment
Location: Port of Saint John, NB
Client: Port of Saint John
Timeframe: 2016 - 2024
Project Description
The facility is owned by the Port of Saint John and leased to Nutrien Ltd. Constructed in 1981, it consists of steel pipe pile supported foundations. These foundations, which include abutments, piers, and mooring and berthing dolphins with concrete caps, support steel and concrete access bridges which were installed to provide vehicular and/or pedestrian access around the facility. The estimated service life of steel pile supported marine structures with cathodic protection is 50-60 years. The existing terminal currently has been in service for almost 42 years. By completing ongoing maintenance and repairs, the goal is to extend the life of this facility by at least an additional 25 years or to a service life of 67 years.
Harbourside was engaged by the Port of Saint John to assess the Barrack Point Potash Terminal Facility’s infrastructure at the Port in Saint John, New Brunswick. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the condition of the structures throughout the facility, estimate their remaining service life, and recommend maintenance or rehabilitation work to extend the service life of the facility. Subsequent to the condition assessment, Harbourside developed a conceptual 25-year Maintenance Plan to extend the service life of the facility to 2048.
Harbourside’s Role
The scope of work included a detailed site investigation to identify and assess the condition of each element. This investigation was then used to support the development of a detailed repairs and maintenance plan to ensure safe and uninterrupted terminal operations. The onsite inspection work has occurred on approximately a 3-year cycle beginning in 2016 and most recently being completed in 2024.
The site inspection of the facility was completed during the facility’s maintenance shutdown. It included visual inspection of the top side of the structures as well as the underside of the structures from a boat; concrete investigation including core testing and non-destructive testing (NDT); and ultrasonic thickness (UT) testing of steel pipe piles via a dive inspection.
The sub-consultants and sub-contractors supported Harbourside’s visual inspections by collecting information on the steel piles, existing concrete condition, and existing bollards. The concrete and materials testing sub-consultant analyzed the condition of the concrete throughout the facility and provided service life predictions and repair scenarios. They utilized destructive and non-destructive concrete testing methods to evaluate the existing condition of the concrete elements throughout the facility. The dive sub-contractor completed ultrasonic thickness measurements to determine the section loss at the steel pipe piling. Data was collected from 11 piles at the facility.
Harbourside compiled a detailed list of repairs and maintenance work that will likely be required over the next 25 years. Harbourside prioritized the most critical repairs and maintenance work within the first 5 years to maintain safe and uninterrupted operations at this facility. The detailed maintenance and repair plan included an estimate of repair work costs, inclusive of inflation, for the next 25 years. In addition to the provided list of repairs and maintenance, there were supplementary preventative maintenance recommendations that could be implemented to help reduce the rate of deterioration of various elements throughout the facility.
Unique Challenges
Any in-water project comes with its own host of unique challenges. This is particularly true when diving inspections are required. Safety is paramount when conducting this kind of investigation. Proper planning and staging is key. This is also true when it comes to planning the maintenance cycle. As the facility must continue operations, maintenance has to coincide with planned shut-down intervals, and be completed in a timely fashion so as not to disrupt facility output.
Social Impact
Canada is the largest producer of Potash in the world. The Barrack Point Potash Terminal is economically significant because of this. Global demand for potash continues to rise, as it is an essential fertilizer for plants. The continued safe operations and maintenance are incredibly important to the continued production and export of this vital resource. As of 2023, the terminal achieved record potash volumes.