SeaShield 500 Helps Protect Iconic Victorian Pier

The pier is category A Listed, so any refurbishment work required Capita's Structural and Conservation Engineering Team to work closely with the client and Historic Scotland to ensure that the work did not compromise the historical significance of the structure.

The contract, which was worth £2.83 million, included structural repairs to the pier on the pedestrian access route and immediately in front of and underneath the old waiting room building.

As well as traditional timber works, the repairs also utilised the SeaShield 500 System supplied by Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd. It is an encapsulation system that will protect many of the historic timber piles from the aggressive saltwater environment and marine animals, so avoiding the need for their removal and replacement. The 500 System used in this project consists of specially constructed GRP forms which were applied in areas above and below water and fixed in position on the piles. SeaShield 550 Epoxy grout was then poured into the pile jacket.

To meet the client requirements in this application, the GRP forms were manufactured with a black wood grain effect finish.

As probably the best remaining example of a Victorian era wooden pier grade A Listed in this country, the refurbishment of Dunoon Pier is a flagship project for the council which will have real benefits to local people. Argyll and Bute Council are eager to lobby for further funding at national level to fulfil the long-term ambitions for both the pier and all its buildings, bringing it back in to viable economic use and securing the pier head.