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Giant concrete blocks left a port, crossed the sea, and shaped an unprecedented structure in Abu Dhabi, created on an offshore artificial island to receive luxury vessels with unusual dimensions and high operational demand.
The United Arab Emirates began using giant reinforced concrete caissons in an unprecedented maritime project in the country, installed in the sea of Abu Dhabi to form 600 linear meters of quay on an offshore artificial island.
Designed to accommodate some of the world’s largest mega-yachts, the structure serves vessels with more than 100 meters in length and combines port engineering, offshore construction, and large-scale nautical infrastructure in a single intervention.
Giant concrete caissons in Abu Dhabi
In Abu Dhabi, the project was carried out by the NMDC Group, a UAE company operating in engineering, maritime construction, dredging, and energy, in partnership with the Portuguese company Etermar, specialized in floating reinforced concrete structures.
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According to Etermar, the project marked the first quay construction based on concrete caissons in the United Arab Emirates, creating a new technical application for maritime works executed on offshore artificial islands in the country.
The adopted system involved two quay walls, each with 300 meters in length, to form a total of 600 linear meters of berth intended for the docking of large vessels.
To compose this structure, 16 reinforced concrete caissons were used, large modules that function as structural blocks in the formation of maritime walls, port foundations, and docking areas in a coastal environment.
The pieces were not molded directly at the final site of the work, as Etermar reported that the caissons were built at the Mina Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, on a floating dock mobilized from Portugal.
Once completed, the structures were towed by sea to the offshore artificial island, where the Portuguese company itself carried out the installation of the modules responsible for forming the new quay walls.
Offshore artificial island and mega-yachts over 100 meters
The operation draws attention due to the technical sequence required to transform reinforced concrete floating modules into a fixed base, capable of supporting nautical activities in a constructed area off the coast.
In this type of solution, the caissons are produced as large floating structures, transported by sea, and positioned at the point specified by the project before becoming part of the physical base of the quay.
After settlement, the modules create a resistant surface to support operations in a marine environment, reducing construction stages at the final location and concentrating a significant part of the execution in a controlled port area.
In the case of Abu Dhabi, the 16 caissons allowed for the formation of two quay lines on an artificial island designed and constructed by the NMDC Group, the main contractor for the maritime intervention.
The declared purpose of the structure is to accommodate mega-yachts over 100 meters in length, a category associated with high-value vessels, large size, and high operational demands in depth, stability, and coastal protection.
In addition to the caissons, the project included the technical design of complementary elements, such as capping beam, erosion protection system caused by water action, and foundation trench.
These components help maintain the stability of the structure in the face of wave movement, currents, and variations in the submerged environment, decisive factors for maritime works exposed to constant efforts.
Maritime Engineering at Mina Zayed Port
In the preparation stage, the execution also involved engineering studies conducted by the NMDC Group, responsible for ensuring the technical conditions necessary for the design and construction of the offshore island.
According to Etermar, the group conducted hydrodynamic, meteoceanic, and soil investigation analyses, as well as dredging services, hydraulic fill, breakwater, protective coatings, and beach modeling.
The construction of the berth was completed in five months, a timeframe presented by Etermar as a demonstration of the efficiency of the solution based on concrete caissons applied in cooperation with the NMDC Group.
During the construction, approximately 190 workers of different nationalities participated in the activities, and about half of this contingent was composed of Portuguese professionals involved in the execution of maritime and structural services.
Another relevant point was the combination of local production and international know-how, as the floating dock came from Portugal, but the caissons were manufactured in Abu Dhabi, at Mina Zayed Port.
This strategy allowed the work to progress without relying on the international transport of already completed pieces, maintaining the fabrication of the modules within the emirate before the maritime displacement to the artificial island.
Reinforced Concrete Floating Structures
Etermar claims to have experience since the late 1980s in manufacturing floating cofferdams made of reinforced concrete using slip form technology, used in large maritime structures.
This specialization allowed the company to work on port projects where large modules need to be molded, floated, and installed precisely in environments subject to currents, waves, and seabed variations.
On the offshore island of Abu Dhabi, the technique was applied to a high-standard nautical infrastructure, aimed at private vessels of exceptional scale and with requirements similar to those of complex commercial ports.
Unlike interventions related only to containers, bulk, or industrial terminals, this project was designed to accommodate mega-yachts, a segment that demands robust docking solutions, coastal protection, and operation in sheltered waters.
The choice of reinforced concrete cofferdams also highlights the search for prefabricated modules capable of reducing stages in the final installation environment, a recurring resource in large projects executed at sea.
Instead of constructing the entire structure directly at sea, part of the work takes place in a controlled area, while the ready blocks are transported by sea to the definitive installation point.
Maritime Infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates
In the announcement about the project, Etermar classified the solution as sustainable and associated the project with its strategy to expand the use of reinforced concrete structures in maritime and energy applications.
The company also linked its experience with cofferdams and floating platforms to future offshore energy projects, including structures associated with wind farms installed in a maritime environment.
For Abu Dhabi, the project represents a new engineering application in a sector where the emirate already concentrates investments in maritime infrastructure, artificial islands, and large-scale coastal operations.
By installing a 600-meter quay with 16 concrete cofferdams, the project enhances the local technical capacity to accommodate large vessels in an offshore area specifically built for this use.
The result is a structure that combines scale, precision, and function of high symbolic value, as giant concrete blocks left a port, floated across the sea, and were installed on an artificial island.
Intended for mega-yachts over 100 meters, the quay demonstrates how maritime works can unite heavy engineering, luxury nautical infrastructure, and offshore construction in a single project in the Gulf.
To what extent can artificial islands like this one reshape the future of major maritime projects in the Gulf?
