Thule, Greenland Design

AME conducted above and underwater inspections, engineering studies, design, and construction services at Thule Airbase in Greenland. Located 750 miles North of the Arctic circle, Thule is the most Northern deep-water port in the world. This project presented AME with an opportunity to demonstrate our unique capabilities including; mobilizing to a remote base, underwater and confined space operations in the Arctic, expedited deployment to accommodate a limited “open ice” window and accelerated design and construction support services.

Appledore Marine mobilized a team to complete above and underwater inspections, half-cell corrosion potential surveys and non-destructive testing. We established a remote office in Thule and provided full time quality assurance Title II and inspection services throughout the project duration. The AME team worked closely with local resources to obtain a thorough understanding of the facility working within a limited deployment window and provided all logistical support for transportation and diving operations in the Arctic environment.

A comprehensive report and structural analysis were completed that determined the pier was at risk of a global structural failure. The importance of this waterfront asset required a fast track design to be completed from initiation to contract bid documents, in 90 days. The AME team created an innovative design for approximately 3 million dollars in construction repairs that allowed completion in the (60) day open port window. The design team conducted extensive research to evaluate products and materials with a proven performance record in an Arctic Environment. The design maximized prefabricated assemblies which allowed construction to start in Denmark to expand the available work window. The project design was proven to be constructable, well detailed and cost effective resulting in no construction change orders, a remarkable achievement for this remote facility.

Appledore Marine Engineering’s practice of providing a dedicated in-house team to all projects was critical in adhering to the stringent and unusual timeline in Thule. Our successful performance on this project resulted in multiple follow-on projects at this site including dredge studies, mooring studies, hydrographic surveys, and routine inspections.