Watching the ships roll in

Think cruises are purely for the overfed, newly wed or almost dead? Think again. Liberty of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s most recent masterpiece of naval engineering, features the first onboard surf park, along with its own water park, complete with sculpture fountains, ground geysers and a cascading waterfall. Bizarrely, it also houses a full-size boxing ring.

Weighing in at 160 000 tonnes, with an occupancy capacity of 3634, the 342 metre-long ship is the world’s largest passenger vessel, reflecting the trend for building cruise liners bigger and better to suit an increasingly diverse market.

For cruise liner terminals, of course, the construction of these super-size ships is having a dramatic knock-on effect. And that’s where m&e contractor EIC comes in.

Earlier this year, EIC completed its first cruise terminal project at the Port of Southampton, one of the UK’s busiest and most successful ports. City Cruise Terminal will welcome around 700 000 cruise ship passengers each year and play host to the cruise industry’s biggest names, including P&O, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Thomson, Ocean Village and Fred Olsen.

The 20-week fast-track project had to be completed to strict deadlines in line with the scheduled inaugural visit of the first ship, Liberty of the Seas, to the new-look terminal. This was a fair undertaking, seeing as the Port of Southampton’s new terminal started life as a banana store.

Part of the building was converted into a cruise terminal back in 2003, so EIC’s recent £1.1 million contract consisted mainly of refurbishment work, although the mid-section of the 240 metre-long structure required demolishing and rebuilding.

The team rose to the challenge, despite being thrown into uncharted territory, with an ambitious programme of installation work, from the point of check-in through to lavish waiting areas, passport control and departure lounges.

Joint managing director of EIC Nigel LeMarechal says: “This was our first refurbishment of a port terminal, but many of the guidelines we undertake when approaching phased working for retailers still applied.

“With the Port of Southampton, we were working to the cruise liners’ seasonal schedule and so we had to observe tight timeframes.

“We are used to working across a series of fast-track projects in the retail sector, as work is often fitted around seasonal busy periods such as Christmas and Easter, and there is an underlying need to complete works within a guaranteed short period of time.

“The size of the building and complexity of the work was not dissimilar to other commercial projects undertaken, and the high-spec finishes required for plush lounge areas were reminiscent of some of our hotel and leisure jobs.

“For example, the lighting was fully controlled and dimmable. As we have knowledge and expertise spanning a variety of sectors, the team was able to apply a realm of experience to the job.”

To begin with, EIC studied the base design and co-ordinated the construction drawings to ensure the design intent was achievable within the constraints of the building. Drawings were exchanged over the internet to assist in the speed of the approval process.

This was our first refurbishment of a port terminal, but many of the guidelines we undertake for retailers still applied

Electrical installation work at the cruise terminal included lighting and automatic intelligent lighting control, supplied by Exor Lighting and Dupline.

“Sustainability was a major consideration for the client, so we installed low-energy, high-efficiency luminaires and inverter-controlled mechanical plant to reduce on-going energy costs,” says LeMarechal.

Security was a major consideration for the m&e team. AMSA provided a site-wide door control system, supplied and installed by Wessex Fire and Security. CCTV was provided by ClearView to ensure all areas were monitored and recorded.

LeMarechal explains: “Security systems in this type of environment are crucial, much as they would be in an airport. We were mindful that we were covering a mix of areas including secure areas, public areas and customs and excise security.”

EIC also fitted general small-power, sub-main distribution, voice and data wiring, fire alarm installation, full public address systems, mechanical control wiring and mechanical power wiring across all areas including baggage handling, lounges and departure areas.

The mechanical work included the installation of large indoor air handling units to manage supply and extract systems for general ventilation with in-line heating batteries to provide warm air throughout the terminal. Over-door electric heaters were specified to provide air curtains.

“Koolduct, a very light system which benefits jobs where weight distribution is an issue, was used because the insulated panel ceilings, though strong, are fragile and have to be handled carefully,” says LeMarechal.

“We subcontracted this installation work as it is a specialist task, complicated by the size of the development.”

Working close to the water’s edge, the team selected their equipment carefully to minimise the effect of the corrosive salt environment and thus reduce the risk of future maintenance problems.

But as everyone in the industry well knows, not every onsite problem can be foreseen. A five-week delay on a steel delivery caused a great deal of disruption to work on the mid-section of the building, but EIC and main contractor Warings pooled resources to ensure any hold-ups were countered.

The two firms have worked together on a wide range of past projects and maintain a special relationship. Other combined efforts include a new facility in Southampton for the service and maintenance of jet engines, a research and development facility at Oxford University and Larkhill Barracks, Salisbury, Wiltshire for the Ministry of Defence.

So what’s in store for the future? EIC now hopes to be included in the Port of Southampton’s next phase of activity, when the next biggest floating palace launches in around 18 months’ time.

With such an exhaustive catalogue of challenging projects, it’s likely that the EIC team will need a bit of downtime to relax off site some time soon. Somehow though, we doubt that a round the world cruise is likely to be their first choice.