BergerWorld: 3rd Quarter 2007

Port-au-Prince (population 2,800,000) is the largest city, capital and hub of Haiti. The city's port currently exports coffee, sugar and a number of other goods, including shoes and baseballs. However, due to deferred maintenance and economic conditions, the facility's infrastructure has deteriorated and is in urgent need of rehabilitation. To restore the structural capacity of the key berth facilities and enhance the port's competitiveness, the Berger Group was recently commissioned by the Public Ministry of Labor, Transport and Communications to conduct a study and prepare design and tender documents to rehabilitate the berth facilities at the Port-au-Prince International Port.

Berger began the assignment by conducting an assessment of the present conditions of the foundations and the deck of the 450-meter Northern pier and the 370-meter Southern pier, as well as the adjacent Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) berths. The Team then prepared a diagnostic report on the present condition of the piers and key facilities, as well as a preliminary engineering report reviewing rehabilitation options; recommended improvements; estimated costs of the upgrades; and prepared strategies for rehabilitation. The Team then prepared designs and preliminary tender documents for the structural improvements needed at the berths, piles, beams and the deck, as well as recommended dredging activities. Following the client's approval, detailed engineering designs and tender documents of the priority rehabilitation, as well as Terms of Reference (TOR) for the supervision of the works, were prepared.