Global · Case study

Fiji Ports Corporation, Life Extension of Queens and Lautoka Local Wharves

Port of Lautoka, FijiSeptember 2023 to May 2025

Fiji Ports Corporation Limited (FPCL) rehabilitated the Queens and Lautoka Local Wharves at the Port of Lautoka. These wharves were built in 1959 and play a vital role in trade in the Pacific region (MCM, n.d.). Chlorides from seawater had entered the concrete, starting corrosion of the embedded reinforcing steel and in turn causing concrete deterioration (MCM, n.d.). Instead of replacing the wharves, FPCL chose targeted rehabilitation to extend their useful life (MCM, n.d.; WPSP, n.d.-a).

Approach

Survey before repair. Marine and Civil Maintenance (MCM) carried out a comprehensive survey of the underside of the wharves and installed custom access systems (MCM, n.d.).

Repair only damaged concrete. MCM used localized hydrodemolition to remove deteriorated concrete, applied repair mortar, and replaced concrete fender piles (MCM, n.d.).

Treat the cause of corrosion. The works used electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE) to actively remove embedded chlorides from the concrete and halt corrosion of the reinforcement. This goes further than passive protection alone (MCM, n.d.; WPSP, n.d.-a). The existing cathodic protection system was repaired and recommissioned (MCM, n.d.).

Keep the port working. A staging plan kept disruption to port operations to a minimum (MCM, n.d.). FPCL reports that the works were carried out with zero disruption to port operations (WPSP, n.d.-b).

Results

FPCL reports that the ECE treatment consistently exceeded the performance requirements of the NACE SP0107-2021 standard, reducing chloride levels well below the critical threshold of 0.4 percent by weight of cement (WPSP, n.d.-b). By extending the life of existing infrastructure and reducing the need for major rehabilitation, the project lowers demand for carbon-intensive materials such as cement and steel (WPSP, n.d.-a). FPCL links the project to Fiji's Green Port Master Plan (WPSP, n.d.-b). Neither source gives the cost, the length of the life extension, or measured carbon savings.

Transferability

Many DMC ports rely on ageing concrete wharves in tropical marine conditions where chloride-induced corrosion is common.

Lautoka shows a circular alternative to demolition and rebuilding: survey the structure, repair only damaged concrete, and treat the cause of corrosion so the existing asset stays in service.

Keeping a structure in use avoids most of the cement and steel a new wharf would need.

Ports should ask contractors for chloride test results before and after treatment, and record them, so the life extension can be tracked over time.

Sources

All information used for this case study was based on publicly available resources.