In deep water

Expanding DCT Gdansk is a complex project that requires global maritime expertise and an understanding of the local market, says Joanna Bensz.

Deepwater Container Terminal (DCT) Gdansk is the only deepwater container terminal in the Baltic Sea that is able to serve some of the largest container ships in the world. Poland’s strategic location and modern infrastructure puts DCT Gdansk in a unique position of being the main gateway for freight carriers to the markets of Central and Eastern Europe.

For this reason, the city of Gdansk has become a strategically important place on the map of global intermodal connections. But its current annual handling capacity will be exceeded within the next two years because the demand for direct deepwater container calls to the Baltic is constantly growing to meet consumer demands. In order to meet this fast growth, DCT Gdansk is expanding its capacity and building a second terminal. This €90m project includes the construction of 650m of additional quay adjacent to the shore, with the quay being 17m deep. When it is finished in late 2016, the new terminal will increase DCT Gdansk’s annual handling capacity by 1.5 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) and will double the terminal’s capacity to three million TEU. Once completed, DCT Gdansk will be able to serve the largest container vessels in the world and encourage more freight lines to use its services. Increased capacity at the terminal will result in greater amounts of goods being transported via Gdansk, fuelling the continued growth of the Polish economy as well as that of the surrounding Central and Eastern European countries.

Turning challenges into opportunity
As a hub supporting the sustainable economic development of the region, DCT Gdansk must remain operational throughout every stage of the project. The project management and operational challenges that this poses therefore call for superior coordination skills and an experienced team.

DCT Gdansk selected CH2M as contract engineer to be responsible for design verification and preparation of the tender process for selection of the general contractor, as well as coordination of the overall construction process. Both the contract engineer and DCT Gdansk teams work hand-in-hand on site.

A culture of collaboration
The expected completion date for the second terminal is 2016 and there is a tight schedule to adhere to. CH2M therefore drew on the expertise of colleagues from across the UK and around the world with a deep understanding of the ports and maritime industry, gained from working on international projects. A project of this nature also requires experience in delivering technical requirements and documentation in accordance with stringent procurement rules.

In order to ensure that best practice was implemented, the contract engineer decided to use local specialists from its global design centre in Poland, which operates across sectors including industrial facilities, water, flood defence, rail, highways and bridges. A work-sharing model such as this improves financial performance on international projects and, in some cases where time zones don’t overlap, allows for extending working hours of up to 16 hours or even more. It also encourages cross-sector knowledge transfer from experts around the world.

CH2M’s team from Gdansk joined forces with UK colleagues to combine an understanding of local procedures and building codes with international experience and knowledge of EU regulations. Together, these teams worked long hours in order to complete the tender documentation on time.

Their collaborative approach to working and experience in solving similar large infrastructure challenges meant that DCT Gdansk was able to successfully select an experienced global contractor within the project budget. This solution proved to be an effective and efficient way of responding to the client’s challenges and needs. What’s more, it was also a great opportunity for local staff to get on-the-job training from international colleagues and learn from their experience of working on the largest container terminals around the world.

The contractor needed to perform its duties in accordance with both Polish and EU regulations. The multidisciplinary nature of the project required all the organisations involved to work closely with each other in order to respond to questions from both the contractor and client. International experience was essential in giving the client the necessary knowledge of the political and business landscapes to support their decision-making processes.

CH2M is now overseeing the selected contractor through the construction process. It is focused on helping DCT Gdansk to reach its goals by solving problems, staying on schedule and not disturbing the day-to-day operations of the existing terminal. In order to meet the objectives of the investors, the client and the contractor, the organisations involved need to be flexible and able to work seamlessly as one team in a joint construction office.

Definition of success
The success of this demanding project will ultimately depend on the collaboration between stakeholders and how e ective they are at achieving the common goal. Collaboration is not a unique approach just being used in the expansion of DCT Gdansk, but is a growing trend across the industry. The ever-increasing focus on delivering more for less means there is a growing expectation for firms to employ greater flexibility and collaboration in meeting the needs of clients and investors, and also exceeding them – whether that is through faster delivery, achieving better value for money or creating a lasting legacy. Iconic projects such as DCT Gdansk are pushing these boundaries and are at the forefront of changing the relationship between clients and contractors in the delivery of major infrastructure programmes.

Lessons learned from managing large-scale projects in Poland

Knowledge transfer is key in a large-scale project. In this case, it was essential to combine the knowledge of a local team with international subject matter experts, especially in the early stages of the project preparation phase.
Local knowledge and experience are vital for timely and successful project completion.
Working with local teams is crucial for meeting local licensing, permitting and market requirements, since most of the documentation needs to be in Polish.
Use technology, including 3D Revit and building information modelling, in order to speed up your design process, reduce risk and eliminate potential collisions and design issues.
Taking a client-centric approach and partnering with the client in order to meet project objectives are key to successful project delivery.

Some other CHM pojects in Poland

Wrocaw city flood-defence modernisation programme
Modernisation and expansion of aerospace company Hamilton Sundstrand’s research and development facility in Rzeszw
Various manufacturing facilities for confidential international clients
Pilot implementation of the European Railway Trac Management System integrated information system on the E30 railway line
Technical advisory work on procuring Pendolino rolling stock for the European Investment Bank

Joanna Bensz is president and country manager of CH2M in Poland.