1 /

    Port of Dover

    Enhancing Structural Integrity: Remote Monitoring of Prince of Wales Pier at Port of Dover

    The Port of Dover is home to the busiest international 24/7 roll-on roll-off ferry port in Europe.

    Summary of Works

    Client: Dover Harbour Board

    Contract name: Dover Prince of Wales Pier
    Start date: December 2014
    Completion date: Installation completed December 2014, data delivery and active support ongoing for the next three years
    Monitoring system: Uniaxial MEMS Tilt Sensors, Campbell’s Scientific Data Logger, ARGUS monitoring software

    As part of its asset management programme and commitment to maximising the operational life of its assets, Dover Harbour Board wanted an automated monitoring system to continuously measure the pier structure with a view to potentially using the same monitoring approach for other sheet piled piers around the Port.

    Case Study

    Project Details

    ITM Monitoring, now SOCOTEC Monitoring UK Ltd, was invited to tender for the supply of a monitoring system for the Prince of Wales Pier at The Port of Dover. The east facing elevation of the pier is a steel sheet pile construction and was constructed over 40 years ago. To the west of the pier is a former Hoverport area, which is soon to be redeveloped as part of the Dover Western Docks Revival project.

    ITM Monitoring worked closely with the Port to devise the most reliable and accurate monitoring system. The recommended approach involved MEMS tilts sensors being fixed to the face of the sheet piled wall, just below the capping beam. Being just above the high tide line, but still in a highly corrosive environment, ITM Monitoring upgraded the sensor enclosures to 316 marine grade stainless steel. All sensors are cabled back to a centralised multiplexer, which in turn are cabled to a data logger complete with modem for remote data acquisition.

    ITM Monitoring, now SOCOTEC Monitoring UK Ltd, was invited to tender for the supply of a monitoring system for the Prince of Wales Pier at The Port of Dover. The east facing elevation of the pier is a steel sheet pile construction and was constructed over 40 years ago. To the west of the pier is a former Hoverport area, which is soon to be redeveloped as part of the Dover Western Docks Revival project.

    ITM Monitoring worked closely with the Port to devise the most reliable and accurate monitoring system. The recommended approach involved MEMS tilts sensors being fixed to the face of the sheet piled wall, just below the capping beam. Being just above the high tide line, but still in a highly corrosive environment, ITM Monitoring upgraded the sensor enclosures to 316 marine grade stainless steel. All sensors are cabled back to a centralised multiplexer, which in turn are cabled to a data logger complete with modem for remote data acquisition.


    This system allows highly accurate, sub millimetre readings to be taken on the verticality of the wall and, with all sensors being data logged and posted to ITM Monitoring’s web based data visualisation software, allows for completely autonomous, remote monitoring. This enables the client to view the reaction of the of the pier structure due to tidal influence and to assess whether there are any long term movement trends.

    Do you have a structural or geotechnical challenge to discuss? Contact us

    Get in touch