Project Overview
PND upgraded the Taiheiyo Cement facility’s jetty on Cebu Island, Philippines, replacing the aging gravity block walls with an OPEN CELL SHEET PILE™ (OCSP™) system. Chosen for its cost-effectiveness and ability to accommodate future dredging, a taller quay wall can withstand heavier operating loads and extreme environmental conditions. In addition to the quay wall upgrade, PND also designed the primary pile-supported large-vessel jetty dock at the facility. The jetty and the quay wall were designed to resist extreme loading.
PND focused the design on developing elements to resist severe seismic events, plus tropical storms and typhoons causing extreme wind and wave loads. The OCSP bulkhead, with its reinforced earth mechanics, provided stability against all design loads. The pile-supported jetty dock incorporated SPIN FIN™ piles. These specialty deep foundation elements developed higher tension capacities than a traditional pipe pile. This allowed the jetty dock design to develop high uplift capacities without sustaining significant damage during a typhoon or tropical storm.
Prior to final completion, the facility sustained a direct hit from Typhoon Rai, a Category 5 storm, on December 16, 2021. The OCSP areas at Berths 1 through 4 sustained minimal damage, returning to full operation shortly afterward. Echo Beach, which was still under construction, sustained only superficial damages that were quickly repaired. Following the storm, areas around the new OCSP quay wall were reinforced with an expansion of PND’s cellular wall system.
Our Role
- Coastal Engineering: designed solutions to withstand extreme seismic, wave, and tropical events, ensuring the long-term resilience of the jetty structure
- Waterfront Engineering: implemented an OCSP system to replace the existing gravity block walls, accommodating future dredging and supporting the construction of new berths and a pile-supported jetty dock. The jetty dock incorporated SPIN FIN™ piles—specialty deep foundation elements with higher tension capacities than a traditional pipe pile. This allowed the jetty dock design to develop high uplift capacities without sustaining significant damage during a typhoon or tropical storm.
- Structural Engineering: used reinforced earth mechanics in the OCSP bulkhead to provide stability against high seismic accelerations and heavy operational loads from bulk-handling equipment
Protecting a Country’s Cement Supply
Our design for the Taiheiyo Cement facility upgrade focused mainly on resilience and operational efficiency, ensuring the jetty could withstand severe weather and seismic events. The upgrade enables the facility to continue supplying cement across the Philippines.
The upgraded jetty, which incorporates the OCSP system, meets all current coastal and waterfront engineering standards, while looking toward the future—accommodating future dredging needs and heavier operational loads. The system ensures both durability and reduced construction cost, which benefited the client and local contractors involved.
The new jetty’s resilience with the OSCP system was put on full demonstration when it withstood the impact of Typhoon Rai. With minimal downtime, the facility was back to full operations, creating the economic stability needed for a community that was dependent upon it.
