Mackley has successfully completed a project to maintain the structural integrity of the harbor arm in the historic town of Hastings on the Sussex coast.
The scheme, carried out on behalf of Hastings Borough Council, is designed to provide two important functions – to protect and retain the beach to the west, and protect the harbor to the east from the prevailing south westerly waves.
This beach is the main amenity beach in Hastings and also serves as part of the sea defense system, protecting the highway and building infrastructure including the proposed new Pelham Place development.
The works involved re-facing the landward structure with concrete and reinforcing the seaward structure with rock armor.
The 6-9 tonne granite rocks were sourced from Cornwall and delivered by sea. Upon delivery the rocks were unloaded from a rock barge into an agreed rock landing zone, demarcated with buoys, to avoid the RNLI lifeboat and fishing boats access routes.
A total of 14,500m³ of rock protection was delivered by sea to the toe of the beach by tracked excavators located on the 2,000tn and 5,000tn barges used to transport the rock.
The Harbor arm repairs were completed by installing new hand railing and reinstating the beach and compound area.