BergerWorld: 3rd Quarter 2007

With sustained winds in excess of 140 miles per hour and wave heights of nearly 40 feet, Hurricane Wilma caused severe damage to the island of Cozumel's three cruise ship terminals. Because tourism in the Cozumel/Cancun area accounts for approximately half of Mexico's $11 billion annual tourism industry, the rapid restoration of the piers was critical. B/A was commissioned by SSA Mexico, operator of Cozumel's premier International Cruise Terminal, for an emergency underwater and topside condition survey and structural assessment.

B/A engineer-divers mobilized immediately to Cozumel, traveling by air, car and ferry. After two days of underwater and topside investigation, the Team presented their observations to the client's on-site personnel, including recommendations for emergency stabilization, preliminary recommendations for long-term repairs required and a budgetary cost estimate. The following day, they flew to Mexico City to present the results to the client's upper management personnel. After returning home, the team prepared a report, including photographs and drawings; recommended emergency and long-term repairs; and prepared cost estimates for submission to the client's insurance carrier.

The analyses concluded that temporary berthing along the outer face of the terminal was feasible under restricted conditions, allowing the facility to reopen with limited service within five months. The Team's long-term recommendations included reconstructing the mooring dolphin to restore original service, constructing a second mooring dolphin to allow for larger vessels and enhancing deck strength to support future wave loads. B/A experts will also provide design and construction management services for the new 12-meter-wide tender pier and the 30-meter extension of the existing pier. After completion of the repairs and extension, the overall length available for berthing will be 376 meters, accommodating the berthing of the latest generation cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean's 340-meter-long Freedom of the Seas, currently the largest cruise vessel in operation. A final round of structural upgrades, primarily to the fender system, will be completed in 2009.