monday, march 11, 2013
Dredging the Panama Canal's Culebra Cut
When the $5.25 billion Third Lane Expansion of the Panama canal is complete in 2015, enormous post-Panamax cargo vessels will begin transiting the historic waterway. As a result, a large portion of the project has involved widening and deepening the navigation channel.Recently the dredging operations to accomplish this on the famed Culebra Cut were concluded. This 14-kilometer passage is narrowest section of the canal and was one of the most difficult aspects of the original work on the waterway over a century ago.
My story on this milestone, Panama Canal Finishes Difficult Dredging is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.
tuesday, december 18, 2012
William L. Sibert
Major General William L. Sibert a civil engineer from Alabama whose long career involved some of the most ambitious construction projects of the last century. He designed and oversaw the construction of the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal as well as the dam that formed the Gatun Lake which is the heart of the famed waterway.Sibert also oversaw the construction of the Alabama state docks, was involved in the building of the Soo Locks on the Great Lakes and was a key contributor to the congressional advisory panel that made the Hoover Dam a reality. He was also the first commander of the Army Chemical Corps, formed after World War I in light of the use deadly gas as a weapon.
My biography of Sibert has now been posted on the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
wednesday, november 14, 2012
Panama Canal Atlantic Bridge
The French firm Vinci Construction Grands Projets has won a contract to construct a $366-million cable-stayed bridge that will span the Panama Canal on the historic waterway's Atlantic entrance.The bridge must be built as the Third Lane Expansion project will sever the only road connection across the waterway on the norther side of the isthmus. A ferry will be put into service to transport vehicles until the span is completed in 2015.
My story on the project, French Firm Wins Panama Canal Bridge Project is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.
thursday, october 11, 2012
Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion
The $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion of the Panama Canal just passed its fifth anniversary and work is just about halfway completed. The race is on to meet the completion deadline which has been pushed back to 2015.To date, the bulk of the construction on the massive new locks has involved placing the more than 5 million cubic meters of high-quality concrete the job requires. Interestingly, this process is very similar to the way engineers chose to construct the original locks for the waterway more than a century ago.
My detailed update on the state of the expansion, Panama Canal: Full Tilt in the Tropics can be found in this week's issue of the British construction magazine, New Civil Engineer.
friday, august 24, 2012
Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion
The contractor building the locks for the Panama Canal’s Third Lane Expansion has filed a claim against the Panama Canal Authority, asking to increase the price of the $3.18-billion contract by more than 18%.The work on the massive new locks located at each entrance of the historic waterway is being done by Grupos Unidos por El Canal (or Grupo UPC). The international consortium's effort have already been hampered by delays that are projected to push back the opening date of the new works by more than six months. Officials with the Panama Canal Authority say they are evaluating the claim which pushes the cost of the project significantly above the $3.48 billion allocated cost for the work.
My story on the contractor's claim, Panama Canal Contractor Files $573-Million Claim, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.
wednesday, august 08, 2012
Points South: The Panama Canal Feels the Financial Pinch
The financing of the $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion of the Panama Canal has been linked to a series of incremental hikes in tolls over the course of the project. Each time the Panama Canal Authority has announced a new round of increases, there has been an outcry from the shipping industry.This latest objection has been particularly strident as the industry argues that the impact of the global economic shutdown has already pushed many firms to the brink. The situation became so dire that a massive consolidation of shipping companies occurred last year -- giving even greater weight to their demands.
My post about the topic The Panama Canal Feels the Financial Pinch is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction at ENR.com.
thursday, july 19, 2012
The Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion
The construction of the new locks for the Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion will require more than 5 million cubic meters of concrete. The sheer volume of this material and the specific geotechnical and climactic challenges require specialized equipment. Add to that the logistical issues posed by the limited amount of space on the jobsite and it gets even more complicated.To handle it an array of specialized equipment has been employed, from massive ice machines that cool the concrete mix to enormous tower cranes that transport it in bulk to the specific areas of placement. A fleet of pumper trucks and telescopic conveyer cranes are necessary as well.
My story, Panama's Concrete Challenge Calls for Custom Equipment, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.
thursday, july 19, 2012
Seismic Risk and The Panama Canal
While Panama isn't typically associated with earthquakes, the $5.2 billion effort to construct a new set of locks for the country's world-famous canal isn't taking any chances. Researchers found evidence of a fault line almost on top of the site of the new Pacific locks that once produced a temblor of 7 magnitude or greater.As a result, the standards for the construction of the new locks were substantially increased due to the necessity for the structures to not simply survive such a catastrophe, but emerge unscathed and in working order.
My story, A Shaky History in Panama, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record magazine.
monday, june 18, 2012
Points South: Scientific Discoveries at the Panama Canal Expansion
The massive earthworks required for the construction of the new locks for the Panama Canal expansion have proven a treasure trove for scientists and researchers. Two major findings — one in the area of paleontology and the other geologic — have already been presented to the scientific community and, most likely, there will be more to follow.Scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama City are taking advantage of the immense excavation effort to conduct research that otherwise would have been impossible. The results have been the discovery of two new extinct camel species and the revelation that the isthmus is far older than previously had been thought.
My post on the topic Scientific Discoveries at the Panama Canal Expansion is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction for ENR.com.
monday, april 30, 2012
2012 Panama Canal Congress
Earlier this month, approximately 550 engineers and construction experts descended on Panama City, Panama for a three-day symposium on building mega-projects.The congress was hosted the Panama Canal Authority and the centerpiece of the event was the progress on the $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion of the historic waterway. A key subject of that was the recently-announced delays to that effort caused by difficulties in producing the high-quality concrete the effort demands.
The story on the event I contributed to, Global Talent Converges on Panama Canal, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.
monday, april 16, 2012
Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion
The $3.25-billion effort to build massive new locks on both entrances of the Panama Canal has been delayed by six months beyond the previously announced schedule due to problems with the concrete.The international consortium handling the lock's construction, Grupos Unidos por El Canal, notified the Panama Canal Authority of the new altered schedule to complete the $3.5 billion locks earlier this month.
The delay is attributed to problems with the concrete mix, which didn't meet the 100-year standard set by the ACP.
My story on the delay, Panama Canal Expansion Falls Six Months Behind Schedule, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.
read more
thursday, january 26, 2012
The Panama Canal
Work on the critical locks portion of the Panama Canal's $5.2-billion Third-Lane Expansion was brought to a halt for almost a week due to a labor dispute.On Jan. 16, workers employed by the consortium building the $3.12-billion locks, Grupo Unidos por El Canal (GUPC) walked off the job demanding safer working conditions and higher pay. The strike was organized by SUNTRACS, one of Panama's largest construction labor unions.
After a series of roundtables overseen by the government, the labor action ended after the consortium agreed to a 13% wage hike. The new hourly rates are reportedly $3.34 and $3.96 per hour for skilled labor, up from the previous $2.90 per hour.
My story on the project, Workers End Strike at Panama Canal Lock Expansion, is in the current edition of Engineering-News Record.
wednesday, february 16, 2011
The Panama Canal
The excavations for the Pacific Access Channel required to connect the new locks being built for the Panama Canal to the waterway's navigation have reached the point where further progress will be below the waterway's existing waterline.To allow for the excavation to continue, backfilled cellular cofferdam will hold back Miraflores Lake, the man-made body of water between the Miraflores locks and Pedro Miguel locks. Once the cofferdam is finished, excavation of 26 million cubic meters of material in the access-channel route can proceed as well as the construction of a permanent, $70-million, clay-core, basalt-rock-filled dam.
My story on the cofferdam and the progress of the canal expansion, Canal Cofferdam Takes Shape, is in the current edition of Engineering-News Record.
monday, december 20, 2010
Points South: Wikileaks Reveals Concerns About the Panama Canal Expansion
According to confidential US diplomatic cables made public by the website Wikileaks, Panamanian officials have grave concerns with the financial feasibility of the Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion project as well as serious questions about the fairness of the bidding process that awarded the job to the Spanish construction firm Sacyr Vallehermoso SA.Rival consortiums alleged the Spanish company colluded to obtain the contract and questioned the ability of the consortium to meet the price they proffered for the work. They also allege US officials strongly advocated awarding the work to the consortia that included the one American company involved in the bidding -- Bechtel.
My post about the topic Wikileaks Reveals Concerns About the Panama Canal Expansion is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction for ENR.com.
wednesday, september 29, 2010
The Panama Canal
The final big-ticket contract for the massive $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion of the Panama Canal was awarded in September by the Panama Canal Authority.Belgian dredging firm Jan de Nul won the $54.5-million job to dredge and excavate 4 million cu meters at the entrance of the historic waterway's Pacific access channel. The firm previously was awarded the $89.6-million contract for dredging work to widen and deepen the canal's Atlantic entrance.
The company is also part of Grupo Unidos por el Canal, the Spanish-led consortium that won the $3.1-billion contract to design and build the expansion's massive new locks.
My story on the award and update on the status of the expansion work, Panama Canal Project Revs Up With New Award, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.
wednesday, march 03, 2010
The Panama Canal
A joint U.S.-European group has presented the low bid to analyze the options for a vehicular crossing at the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal.San Francisco-based URS Corp. and the Danish firm COWI A/S submitted a bid of $895,000 - the lowest of five tendered - to examine the possibilities of a permanent crossing at the historic waterway's Atlantic entrance that will allow uninterrupted traffic on that side of the isthmus.
The crossing is needed since the construction of new locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal required for the $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion project will make vehicular traffic across the isthmus on the existing roadway impossible. read more
thursday, january 21, 2010
Points South: The Nicaragua Canal
The Panama Canal has become cemented in the public mind as the trans-oceanic waterway across the Central American isthmus. But the route chosen for the historic canal almost went through nearby Nicaragua.In fact, a stamp depicting a smoking volcano is believed to have been the deciding factor swaying the US Senate to vote for the route through Panama in 1902. The success of that enterprise quelled calls for the northern alternate for almost a century.
Recently, Nicaragua renewed the push for a canal route through it's territory as a plausible alternative to the Panamanian waterway. Officials have redoubled efforts to find financing for the ambitious $18 billion proposal.
My most recent post for my ENR.com blog, A man, a plan, a canal... Nicaragua? looks at the interesting history of this alternate canal route and the recent efforts to renew it.
wednesday, january 20, 2010
The Panama Canal
The construction of new locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal required for the $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion project will make vehicular traffic across the isthmus on the existing roadway impossible.To address the situation, the Panama Canal Authority has begun the process to find a solution - either a bridge or tunnel - that will permit traffic to pass across the waterway. When completed it will be the only permanent vehicular crossing connecting the North and South American land masses on the Atlantic side of the isthmus.
The ACP is currently soliciting bids for a feasibility contract to examine possible alternatives. My story, Panama Canal Authority Seeks New Canal Crossing, is in this week's Engineering News-Record.
wednesday, december 23, 2009
The Panama Canal
Bids for the second-largest contract required as part of the massive $5.2 billion Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion Project have been submitted to the governing authority of the historic waterway.Four groups submitted bids for the work completing a 6.7-kilometer-long access channel on the canal's Pacific side. The $268 million offer by an international consortium comprised of the firms FCC, MECO and ICA was the lowest. The job will be awarded early next year.
The work involves the excavation of 26 million cubic meters of material and the construction of a a 1.7 kilometer-long clay core dam between the access channel and the Miraflores Lake. In addition, 80 hectacres of a former US Army firing range must be cleared of unexploded ordinance.
My story on the bidding, Spanish-Mexican-Costa Rican Team Submits Low Bid for Second Biggest Panama Canal Contract, is at ENR.com.
wednesday, july 15, 2009
Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion
An international construction team led by Spanish contractor Sacyr Vallehermoso SA netted the design-build job to construct a pair of new set of locks for the Panama Canal. The work is the heart of a $5.2 billion effort to expand the historic waterway.The $3.12 billion bid by Grupo Unidos for el Canal was significantly within the Panama Canal Authority's estimated $3.48 billion for the lock-building effort. The technical evaluation of the consortium's proposal was also the highest of the three proposals for the work.
In addition to Sacyr Vallehermoso, the winning consortium Impregilo SpA of Italy, Belgium's Jan De Nul NV, Constructora Urbana SA (CUSA) of Panama and Heerema Fabrication Group of The Netherlands. The design team is made up of MWH from Broomfield, Colo., Tetra Tech of Pasadena, Calif and Holland's IV Group. read more
saturday, may 30, 2009
Points South: Keeping it In-House at The Panama Canal
The headlines concerning the Panama Canal's ambitious Third Lane Expansion Project have tended to focus on the multi-million (and multi-billion) dollar contracts awarded for the work on the effort. Yet the Panama Canal Authority is handling $550 million of the expansion effort in-house.The bulk of this involves the deepening and widening of the Gatun Lake and Galliard Cut which will entail the dredging of more than 27 million cubic meters of material – more than half the total amount required for the expansion. Yet it also involves substantial upgrades in preparation for the expanded waterway.
My post about the topic Keeping it In-House at The Panama Canal is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction at ENR.com.
wednesday, may 20, 2009
Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion
The $5.25 billion Third Lane Expansion of the Panama Canal has made quite a bit of progress in the past 21 months and it's getting ready to kick into an even higher gear.To date, substantial work has been done on the Pacific Access Channel as well as dredge works on the Pacific entrance to the waterway. (In addition to ongoing dredge and construction efforts undertaken by the Panama Canal Authority).
In July, the Panama Canal Authority is slated to award the estimated $3.3 billion design/build contract for the construction of the new locks. Three consortia comprised of more than two dozen international firms are vying for the historic job.
To prepare for that vast undertaking, the canal authority has partnered with Denver, Col.-based CH2M Hill to create an innovative management team that will oversee the effort. read more
thursday, march 05, 2009
The Panama Canal
Three international consortia have submitted bids to undertake the design and construction of the new locks for the Panama Canal. Canal officials estimate the work will absorb more than 60 percent of the $5.2 billion pricetag for the third lane expansion project slated for completion in 2014.The three consortia submitting bids included; Consorcio C.A.N.A.L. led by ACS Servicios, Comunicaciones y Energia, S.L. of Spain; Consortium Bechtel, Taisei, Mitsubishi Corp., led by U.S.-based Bechtel Internacional, Inc. and Grupo Unidos por el Canal, led by Spanish company Sacyr Vallehermoso S.A.
A fourth consortium, Consorcio Atlantico-Pacifico de Panama led by Bouygues Travaux Publics of France, was approved to participate in the lock building process but did not submit a bid.
The gravity-operated, single-lane, three-step locks at the Atlantic and Pacific entrances will boast lock chambers 427 meters long by 55 m wide and 18.3 m deep with sufficient draft for the 366-m-long post-Panamax ships. They will feature rolling gates as well as water-saving basins - neither ever used on a project of this scale. read more
friday, december 19, 2008
Points South: The Panama Canal Defies the Downturn in Shipping
On Dec. 10, in a ceremony presided by Panamanian President Martin Torrijos, officials with the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) signed agreements with five banks and international lending agencies to finance almost half of the $5.2 billion expansion effort expected to be completed in 2014.According to the Panama Canal Authority, the debt package has been priced at an average interest rate of 5.49 percent although it will fluctuate over time. It’s an interesting case study in how a reasonable long term risk can overwhelm negative short term assessments.
My post about the topic The Panama Canal Defies the Downturn in Shipping is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction at ENR.com.
thursday, october 23, 2008
Points South: So Who Actually Controls the Panama Canal?
The rumor that the Chinese now have control of the Panama Canal is as perplexing as it is inaccurate. The historic waterway was controlled by the United States until 1999 when it was turned over to Panama. It is now run by the quasi-govermental agency The Panama Canal Authority (known by the Spanish-language acronym, ACP).Several Chinese firms own ports and other such shipping facilities at either end of the isthmus and it's certainly true an enormous amount of goods from Asia pass through the waterway on the way to the Eastern US and Europe. But there's a vast difference between "influence" and "direct control."
My post about the topic So Who Actually Controls the Panama Canal? is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction at ENR.com.
friday, october 10, 2008
The Panama Canal
The Inter-American Development Bank has approved a $400-million loan to help finance the $5.2-billion third-lane expansion of the Panama Canal.The financing is one of the first major portions of $2.3 billion in loans the Panama Canal Authority plans to use to to finance the expansion. The remainder of the project's cost will be covered by cash flow generated by the canal.
The crucial component to the project and the financing schedule is the $3.35-billion design-build contract for the new locks expected to be awarded in the next few months. The ACP estimates that the lock construction will push the annual expenditures for the project in excess of $500 million between 2009 and 2011.
My story on the loan, Panama Canal Snags $400M IDB Financing for Expansion, is at ENR.com.
wednesday, july 09, 2008
The Panama Canal
Although $5.2 billion effort to expand the Panama Canal got officially underway last September, the effort to double the capacity of this historic waterway began long before that.Pretty much from the day following the historic referendum that green-lighted the project, officials with the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) have been hard at work on the effort. And some of the largest portions of the project are looming near on the horizon. Most notably being the $3.35 billion locks portion of the effort that is slated to be awarded in December.
Earlier this year I interviewed Jorge Quijano, the canal authority's director of maritime operations, about the work done and what is in store. That story, As Dirt Flies and Contracts Are Let, Panama Canal Expansion is Moving, can be found in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.
tuesday, march 25, 2008
Points South: The Panama Canal's New Dredge Will End an Era
For more than six decades massive suction cutter dredge, Mindi, has toiled on the Panama Canal. Except for periods of maintenance and repair, this vessel has worked works 24 hours a day 7 days a week since. A successor for the warhorse dredge has been ordered and should join the canal fleet in May 2011.The history of the Mindi goes back to the 1930s when the US Army undertook an expansion of the waterway that was mothballed due to World War II. Although specifically designed for that effort, it saw very little work on any aspect of that belayed project. Ironically, it has been critical to the current effort to add new lanes to the waterway.
My post on the topic The Panama Canal's New Dredge Will End an Era is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction for ENR.com.
tuesday, january 08, 2008
Points South: Shipping Boom Pushes Infrastructure Development
The dramatic increase in international trade has fueled s period of unprecedented growth in the shipping industry. This has, in turn, ignited major development into transportation infrastructure such as the $5.2 billion expansion of the Panama Canal.Yet the durability of the boom is coming into question as shipping firms are feeling the financial pinch due to the global economic slowdown. This has lead them to search for more economic transit alternatives that might further affect port and waterway development.
My post on the topic Shipping Boom Pushes Infrastructure Development is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction for ENR.com.
wednesday, december 26, 2007
The Panama Canal
The race to win the $3.35 billion design/build contract for the construction of the massive locks that will be the centerpiece of the ongoing Panama Canal Expansion has finally begun.The job involves the building of new locks on both entrances of the canal large enough to permit the passage of massive post-panamax vessles whose size outstrip the confines of the existing locks.
The four consortia who qualified to participate in the bid process now have until August of next year to come up with a design and bid for the massive project. The final selection of the design and contractor is tentatively set for December 2008.
My story on the bid opening, Authority Starts Bid Process For Lock Work in Panama, is at ENR.com.
monday, december 03, 2007
The Panama Canal
And as the year winds down, the $5.2 billion Panama Canal expansion continues to kick into higher gear. In the past two weeks, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has awarded the second of five dry excavation contracts to create a $400-million Pacific Locks Access Channel and has also garnered the approval of entire project's Environmental Impact Assessment by the Panamanian authorities.Consorcio Cilsa Minera, made up of Mexico's Constructora de Infraestructura Latinoamericana SA (or CILSA) and Panamanian firm Minera Marna, presented the low bid of $25.5 million to excavate 7.5 million cubic meters of material in a 2.4 kilometer stretch just north of where the new Pacific locks will be built.
Two weeks prior, the National Environmental Authority of Panama (ANAM) approved the ACP's environmental impact plan for the entire project. The approval followed months of public consultations with various stakeholders and a comprehensive study on how to manage and mitigate impact on the environment. read more
tuesday, september 11, 2007
The Panama Canal
The massive $5.25 billion effort to widen the Panama Canal took another step forward this week with the opening of the bid process for the dredging of the Pacific access to the waterway.The $180 million effort will involve the widening the 8.9 mile–long navigation channels to at least 218 meters, deepening them to a maximum level of –15.5 meters. The work will require the dredging of approximately 9.1 million cubic meters of material.
My story on the start of the bid process, Panama Canal Expansion RFP Issued for Pacific Side, is on ENR.com this week.
tuesday, september 04, 2007
The Panama Canal
With a massive explosion and a flurry of balloons, the $5.25 billion expansion project to build a third lane for the Panama Canal began work this week.In a ceremony attended by Panamanian President Martin Torrijos was present, along with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who signed the 1977 treaty that gave Panama control of the waterway, the work was kicked off with an underwater explosion at Paradise Hill next to the famous Galliard Cut.
When the project is completed in 2014 - the historic waterway's 100th anniversary - the expansion will more than double the capacity of the canal and will include a new set of locks will allow the passage of newer post-Panamax vessels.
My story on the historic event, Ceremonial Blast Begins Panama Canal Expansion, is online at ENR.com.
tuesday, august 28, 2007
The Panama Canal
This week, the Panama Canal Expansion project picked up considerable momentum as the ACP (Panama Canal Authority) took the first step in the process for constructing the massive locks that will be the centerpiece of the effort.The new locks will cost an estimated $3.35 billion - about 60 percent of the total expansion effort - and when completed in 2014 they will permit the passage of the larger post-Panamax vessels that cannot currently traverse the waterway.
The new single–lane, three–step locks will be located at both the Atlantic and Pacific entrances and will feature chambers 427 meters long, 55 meters wide and 18.3 meters deep. Instead of the miter gates uses by the existing locks, the new locks will use rolling gates.
In addition, the locks will feature a series of water–saving basins, approximately 70 m wide x 5.50 m deep, allowing the water to be re–used rather than flushed out to sea. Although the sheer size of the new lock chambers will require 65 percent more water than the existing locks, they will use 7 percent less water per transit. read more
thursday, july 19, 2007
The Panama Canal
Panamanian contractor CUSA won the first contract of the $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal after submitting the low bid of $41.1 million for the removal 7.3 million cubic meters of material near the Pacific entrance of the waterway.CUSA, or Constructora Urbana S.A., was awarded the first of five contracts to dig a 6.7 km link between the existing navigational channel at the entrance to the Gaillard Cut and the new set of Pacific locks that will be constructed later in the expansion process.
The firm has more than 50-years experience with infrastructure work in the country and has worked with the Panama Canal Authority on the recent modernization and upgrade of the Galliard Cut.
My story on the contract and the status of the expansion project, Panamanian Contractor Wins First Canal Excavation Contract, is on ENR.com.
friday, june 01, 2007
The Panama Canal
And another publication has printed my story about the ongoing Panama Canal expansion. New Civil Engineer, a British industry publication, features my story, Passage to Panama in their current edition.The interest in this massive $5.2 billion project has grown rapidly in recent weeks as the Panama Canal Authority has moved forward with the bidding process on various aspects of the job. By the end of the summer, bids on the first excavation contract should be awarded and tenders for the Pacific entrance dredging should be underway.
In addition, the ACP has kicked off the search for a project manager to oversee the expansion. My story on that effort, Panama Canal Authority Looking For Expansion Program Manager, is available on ENR.com.
wednesday, may 16, 2007
The Panama Canal
On monday, the $5.25 billion effort to expand the The Panama Canal gained new steam as the first outside tender for work on the project was released.The Panama Canal Authority officially opened the bidding on the excavation of 7.3 million cubic meters of material near the Pacific entrance of the canal. This work is part of a 6.7 km access channel connecting the new Pacific locks and the canal’s navigation channel.
The tender is the first of five planned dry excavations contracts for the Pacific Locks Access Channel. The entire access channel excavation will require the removal of 46.8 million cubic meters of material at an estimated cost of $400 million.
My story on the tender, ACP Releases First Tender for Panama Canal Excavation, is available at ENR.com.
thursday, april 26, 2007
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is one of the greatest engineering feats in history. Its construction cost $400 million, required more than 75,000 workers and took more than a decade to accomplish.After almost 100 years of operation, the historic waterway is having a tough time adapting to the demands of the modern world. Today the canal authority - known as the ACP - operates the waterway at an estimated 90 percent capacity with more than 14,000 ships completing transit each year. The waiting line to transit can be days and, when there are maintenance closures that can stretch to weeks.
Moreover, size is a problem. Gigantic container ships are now built to fit the size of the canal’s prodigious locks exactly. But the boom in international shipping has prompted the construction of a new generation of vessels – post-panamax – that can carry almost three times as much. read more
thursday, march 22, 2007
The Panama Canal
As the $5.2 billion effort to expand the Panama Canal begins to gain headway, the Panama Canal Authority has started giving a peek into the scheduling of this massive project.Earlier this month, the authority - which oversees the management of the canal - held an infoconference to provide details on the seven-year project for companies interested in participating.
Some 600 representatives from 222 firms and 34 countries attended the three-day Panama City conference held on March 8-10 in Panama City, Panama. At the meetings the authority gave a rough timeline for the bids to be let for outside companies to take part in the project - the dredging of the ocean entrances, the dry excavation of the Pacific side lock channel and a single massive contract for both sets of locks.
read more
thursday, march 15, 2007
Points South: At the Panama Canal, Alarm Bells Sound Over Toll Increase
The Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion carries a $5.25 billion price tag and officials have made it clear one of the ways they intend to finance it is through increased tolls on goods transiting through the waterway. The first of those hikes was announced this week and the representatives of shipping companies that attended the hearing voiced a strong displeasure at the increases.While canal officials stress the need for the toll increased for the improvements to the canal, shipping lines, already suffering from low rates caused by increasing capacity, say that the increased fees may further squeeze their profits to the point of damaging their business and the global economy.
My post on the topic At the Panama Canal, Alarm Bells Sound Over Toll Increase is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction for ENR.com.
thursday, march 01, 2007
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal, one of the greatest engineering feats in the world, is about to get even greater.A $5.25 billion expansion to the 50-mile-long waterway was green-lighted by an election last year and is now getting underway.
The whole project is expected to be completed in 2014, just in time for the canal's 100th anniversary.
The size of the current canal means that latest cargo ships can’t fit into its locks, and those that can squeeze in must sometimes idle offshore for weeks stuck in traffic.
By adding a third lane complete with new locks as well as widening and deepening the existing passage the current 226 million tons of goods is expected to at least double.
My story on the expansion project, The New Panama Canal, is in this month's issue of Wired Magazine.
wednesday, december 20, 2006
The Panama Canal
On Monday, the United States and Panama signed a free trade agreement that could open the doors for domestic companies to participate in the Panama Canal expansion project.The agreement, which must still be approved the the legislatures of each country, includes provisions that will allow greater access for American-made equipment, investment and work.
The Panama Canal Authority says they expect to begin letting bids on the $5.25 billion project in the next few months. Outside firms are expected to be invited to participate in the dredging of the ocean entrances to the waterway. Authority offiicals say the dry excavations required will be divided into smaller jobs allowing Panamanian contractors to compete.
My story on the agreement and the status of the expansion, "U.S. and Panama Sign Trade Agreement," is in this weeks Engineering News-Record.
wednesday, october 25, 2006
The Panama Canal
Last Sunday, voters in Panama overwhelmingly approved a $5.25-billion proposal to widen the Panama Canal.The project will involve adding a third lane of traffic as well as two new sets of locks to the 50-mile-long waterway. The schedule calls for the expansion to be completed in 2014.
The upgrade is necessary due to the increased demand for use of the waterway, which is currently operating at about 94 percent capacity, and because the existing locks are of insufficient size to permit the passage of post-Panamax ships that are up to 55 meters across and 427 meters long.
The Panama Canal currently utilizes three sets of two-lane locks, each of which is 33.53 meters wide by 304.8 meters long. These locks lift vessels 85 feet above sea level to access Gatun Lake.
The project will create a new lane of traffic along the canal through the construction of two new sets of locks. The new lock chambers will be 427 meters, long by 55 meters wide, and 18.3 meters deep. read more
thursday, october 19, 2006
Points South: Panamanians Vote on Canal's Third Lane
The future of the Panama Canal will be decided on Sunday when approximately 2 million Panamanian voters will decide on the fate of a proposed $5.25 billion upgrade to the famous waterway.If the constitutionally mandated Oct. 22 referendum is successful it will allow the long-anticipated upgrade to begin and, when completed in 2014, will more than double the amount of cargo able to transit through the historic waterway. The impact is expected to reach across the region and affect the future course of trade and development for the whole of Latin America.
My post on the topic Panamanians Vote on Canal's Second Lane is over at Points South, my blog on Latin American construction for ENR.com.
wednesday, may 03, 2006
Colombian Infrastructure
Last week, the the Panama Canal Authority unveiled a long-awaited expansion of the famous waterway that could be completed within the decade. Although the project doesn't have the green light yet, both Colombia and Panama have begun efforts to capitalize on the expected surge in cargo traffic.Colombia is pouring more than $156 million into existing port expansions and has begun efforts to construct a new Pacific coast cargo port. Panama has already upgraded it's ports at either end of the canal and will award a contract to construct a new Pacific port this summer.
My story for Engineering News-Record, Canal Expansion Drives Colombia's Port Plans, looks at these efforts and how the canal project is pushing them.