The Expansion of Tanger Med 2 Combined 96 Caissons in the Main Breakwater and 10 in the Secondary, Along with Sloped Structures and 1,200 Meters of Quay. Delivered in 2014, the Project Enhanced Large-Scale Maritime Protection and Added Annual Capacity for 5.2 Million Containers in the Moroccan Port Complex.
The giant concrete caissons are among the most impressive elements of the Tanger Med complex expansion in Morocco. In the implementation of Tanger Med 2, Bouygues details 96 four-lobed units in the main breakwater and another 10 in the secondary, totaling 106 structures integrated into barriers designed to withstand the maritime environment and protect the new port area.
The data comes from technical information provided by Bouygues Construction and Tanger Med Engineering. Bouygues reports that its participation in the expansion was completed in February 2014, while the engineering details maritime works executed at depths of up to 115 feet. The two sources use different metrics and scopes for the dikes; therefore, their figures need to be presented separately.
Tanger Med 2 Emerged from the Need to Expand a Complex Dedicated to Maritime Trade
The development is located in Morocco, in the Tangier region, positioned to accommodate significant international navigation flows. Tanger Med Engineering states that the intensification of goods trade led to the expansion of the complex and the development of Tanger Med 2.
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According to the engineering company, the project was designed to significantly enhance available port capacity, adding new areas, quays, maritime protection, and infrastructure for container operations. Bouygues Travaux Publics and BYMARO, a subsidiary of Bouygues Bâtiment International, contributed to the maritime works described by the construction company.
106 Giant Concrete Caissons Were Distributed Between Two Breakwaters
On the main breakwater of Med 2, Bouygues reports the execution of a section measuring 2,710 meters comprised of 96 four-lobe caissons. This structure also included 955 meters of sloped solution, protected by 5,760 Accropodes™.
The secondary breakwater followed a similar combination, comprising 341 meters structured with 10 four-lobe caissons, along with 377 meters of sloped solution featuring 3,581 Accropodes™. Summing only the units reported in these two segments, there are 106 giant concrete caissons used in the solution described by Bouygues.
Breakwaters of Med 2 totaled approximately 4.4 kilometers
Key numbers published by the contractor indicate 3,665 meters for the main breakwater of Tanger Med 2 and 718 meters for the secondary. Together, they reach 4,383 meters, or approximately 4.4 kilometers of maritime structures.
This length should not be confused with another figure published by Tanger Med Engineering. The company cites, within its broader technical scope for the new port, 4.8 kilometers of caisson dikes at depths of up to 35 meters. The sources describe components and responsibilities of the project in different ways, so it is not appropriate to treat 4.4 km and 4.8 km as the same measurement.
Maritime structures reached areas with up to 35 meters depth
Tanger Med Engineering reports that it monitored studies and works for the implementation of caisson dikes at depths of up to -35 meters, a dimension that highlights the scale of the marine engineering employed in the project.
Working under these conditions requires that the final infrastructure permanently withstand waves, water pressure, and forces associated with the coastal environment. The giant concrete caissons function as large mass structural components within this protective system, forming continuous segments of the maritime dikes.
Caissons were constructed on land before being launched into the water
Bouygues describes a construction sequence where the caissons were initially produced on land using a slipform. After this phase, the structures were launched into the water and integrated into the planned sections of the breakwaters.
This method allows for manufacturing large concrete components in a controlled environment prior to marine installation. Instead of constructing the entire structure at the seabed, a significant portion of the heavy work was prepared on land and then positioned in the water.
Perforated walls helped reduce wave impact
The design used by Bouygues included absorptive caissons with internal chambers. On the seaward side, the walls feature perforations designed to disrupt wave energy.
According to the construction company, this configuration helps to diminish the impact of sea agitation and limit the passage of water over the structure. The caissons, therefore, did not function merely as large mass blocks: their geometry was part of the hydraulic function of the breakwater itself.
Thousands of Accropodes completed protection where the solution was sloped
Not all sections of the marine walls were constructed using caissons. In the sloped segments, the project employed thousands of Accropodes™, concrete pieces developed to form a resilient layer over sloping breakwaters.
A total of 5,760 units were reported in the sloped section of the main breakwater and another 3,581 in the secondary one. This combination allowed for adapting the construction solution to the different conditions encountered along the route, alternating between caisson structures and sloped barriers.
Expansion added 1,200 meters of pier to the infrastructure
In addition to marine protection, Bouygues reports that Tanger Med 2 received 1,200 additional meters of pier as part of the expansion package described by the company.
Tanger Med Engineering outlines a broader scope, also citing 2,800 linear meters of pier in blocks, 160 hectares of land, removal of 2.5 million cubic meters of rock, service dock, roads, and various networks. The figures again reflect descriptions of distinct scopes within the overall development of the new port.
Additional capacity reached 5.2 million containers per year
The expected operational result from the expansion is directly reflected in Bouygues’ data: the new docks and piers provided an additional annual capacity of 5.2 million containers.
This number helps explain why the project required such extensive marine infrastructure. The giant concrete caissons, breakwaters, piers, and land areas were not isolated structures; they formed the physical foundation necessary to increase the volume the complex could accommodate and handle.
Project Transformed Marine Protection into Infrastructure to Expand Port Capacity
The logic of Tanger Med 2 combines two needs that must function simultaneously. On one hand, the terminals require space, piers, and infrastructure to handle cargo operations. On the other, this environment relies on sheltered waters so that port services can occur under the conditions outlined by the project.
It was at this point that 106 giant concrete caissons, thousands of Accropodes, and kilometers of breakwaters began to operate as part of a single maritime engineering solution. The physical protection of the port created the conditions for expansion to add millions of containers to annual capacity.
From Structures Launched into the Mediterranean to Millions of Additional Containers Per Year
The Tanger Med 2 demonstrates the magnitude that a port expansion can achieve even before cranes start moving cargo. Two large breakwaters, 106 caissons, thousands of concrete pieces, new piers, and construction occurring in waters that, according to Tanger Med Engineering, reach depths of up to 35 meters were necessary.
In the results reported by Bouygues, all this infrastructure contributed to adding capacity equivalent to 5.2 million containers per year. In your view, what is most impressive about this project: launching giant concrete structures into the sea, building at great depths, or transforming kilometers of marine protection into logistical capacity? Share your thoughts in the comments.
