Leopoldo Franco et al.

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(presented at the ICE conference in Edinburgh sept.2009 and published in Coasts, marine structures and breakwaters vol.1,ed. W.Allsop, T.Telford, London, ISBN 978-0-7277-4131-8, 2010)

The new Marina of Rodi Garganico: design, construction and monitoring

Leopoldo Franco and Riccardo Cifra; MODIMAR srl., via Montezebio 40, Rome, Italy (l.franco@modimar.it); Pierfrancesco Capolei, Studio 3C+T, via Bettolo 15, Rome, Italy Domenico Caricari and Osvaldo Mazzola, IMPRESA P.CIDONIO, viale Mazzini 88, Rome, Italy;

Summary
The paper describes the development of a new marina project in southern Italy, highlighting the original design aspects, the main construction features and the importance of modelling and monitoring even after the design process.

Introduction
The 330-berth Marina of Rodi Garganico in central Adriatic Sea, scheduled for opening in June 2009, demonstrates an interesting new case of project financing, which is becoming more and more popular in Italy particularly in connection with the development of yacht harbours. The microtidal coastal site at Rodi Garganico is exposed to the prevailing NNW steep waves, which have reached a maximum recorded deepwater Hs of 6.3 m (fig.1).

Figure 1 The geographical location of Rodi Garganico and near wave recorders, with deepwater wave climate at Tremiti (buoy records 2007-2008).

The picturesque whitewashed buildings of the tourist village stand on a high rocky promontory on the north coast of the green Gargano peninsula (Apulia Region). This area was once renowned for the export of locally produced citrus fruit (fig.2): its long shallow

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2 golden sandy beaches and the nearshore spectacular limestone rock outcrops (faraglioni) emerging from the clear, green seawater are separated by an exposed, old, solid jetty which is used in the busy summer season as a ferry terminal from which tourists can sail to the nearby, beautiful Tremiti archipelago.

Figure 2 : The harbour jetty of Rodi Garganico in 1914 and in 2007

The first port masterplan developed by the Apulia Region in 1999 is shown in fig.3: this proposed new port layout would have fully covered the natural rocky headland and outcrops. Following this, the municipality of Rodi commissioned the engineering group Etaconsprof.Cotecchia-MedIngegneria-Izi to undertake the preliminary design (approved with prescriptions in 2005) and then the final design of the new port, concentrating the layout within a relatively narrow coastal area between the rock outcrops to the west and the existing jetty to the east. The design was supported by numerical hydrodynamic models (but without quantitative beach morphodynamic studies) and by a 2D small scale hydraulic model of the rock breakwater stability tested at the laboratory of the University of Padua. Following an EIA and public review by the various regional authorities (service conferences), as required by law, all approvals were obtained in Sept 2006.

Figure 3 First regional port masterplan of 1999 (existing jetty on the east side)

In early 2007 the municipality issued a project financing tender for the assignment to a private company to execute the design, construction and management of the project, only allowing for minor modifications to the approved final design. The tender included scope for the investor-contractor to develop a new residential area in town, away from the harbour. The 30-year concession tender was awarded to the specialized port-engineering contractor Impresa Pietro Cidonio SpA (with a budget of 12.5 M) with the marine works design being finalised

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3 by MODIMAR Consultants in 2007 and the land based elements being developed by architects 3C+T Capolei-Cavalli. At the tender stage, the approved final design was partly modified in order to improve the hydraulic and architectonic performance of the new marina. This mainly involved variations to the internal layout of the harbour thus avoiding changes to the already verified and approved coastal impacts. The most significant design modifications are the following (see comparison of schemes in fig. 4):

Figure 4 Comparison of marina layout final designs (left: approved initial scheme; right: modified scheme) Figure 5 Comparison of marina layout final designs (left: approved initial scheme; right: modified scheme)

the mooring basin is extended towards the existing shoreline to maintain the original contact position with the sea. This is to avoid an excessively wide paved yard and to improve the hydraulic efficiency of the Pincio stream by reducing its extension into the basin; an articulated distribution is given to the berths on water and to the service buildings on land, both concentrated along the secondary mole, which shows an unusual convex plan-shape along its inner, wet perimeter; the scattered small buildings facing the similarly fragmented old town on top of the headland and the green park southern area lead to a more harmonious urban connection; the enlargement of the mole allows a better access and separation between the public access for passengers using the ferry terminal and the private boaters; the outer ferry pier is extended from 20 to 50 m and its doubled berths are better located and oriented against the diffracted wave direction; the technical area for boat hauling and repair (some 4500 m2) is better separated from the mooring areas and easily accessible from both land and sea; the berths along the rear side of the main rubble mound breakwater are removed together with the concrete crown wall, thus avoiding the wave overtopping risks and allowing a lower crest elevation and improved visual appearance; the internal wave agitation is further improved with antireflective quay walls and irregular basin plan-shape; the harbour water flushing and quality is enhanced by the introduction of two large pipes with pumps across the main breakwater; the provision for larger yachts has been increased in line with modern demand. Berths for 21 m and 25 m long boats have been included. Additional berths for transit boats and for small service and fishing vessels are also provided along the quay walls.

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Execution design of the sea works

At the next execution design phase further minor modifications were made to the layout, particularly in terms of the distribution of berths, which even includes a 40 m long longitudinal berth. The main design characteristics of the sea works are described below. The harbour layout (fig.5) includes a 700 m long main breakwater with a soft streamlining curved plan-shape extending down to the 4 m contour (at a distance of 300 m offshore due to the local shallow sandy foreshore) to shelter the 6 Ha basin from the prevailing NW wind-waves.
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Figure 6 Execution design layout of the new Marina of Rodi Garganico

The existing straight jetty was widened and extended seawards by 150 m, resulting in a 50 m wide entrance and becoming the marina secondary breakwater: it also leads to a circular/ square expansion and a new 50 m external piled pier creating a double berth for the summer ferry link to the islands. The control tower and the fuelling dock are strategically located at the outer end of the new breakwater. The articulated wet perimeter borders a water basin dredged in successive areas to depths of 4.5/-4.0/-3.5 m MSL with ample manoeuvring space. The public access is confined to the eastern side of the jetty which maintains its historical straight alignment and position in relation to the adjacent beach. As with the marina buildings, the mooring piers and quays and the berth distribution exhibits quite an irregular pattern, thus avoiding the appearance of a dull, monotonous boat garage. A repair yard with a travel-lift basin is appropriately located in the western corner, suitably separated from the yacht berths and easily accessible by boats at the end of the curvilinear access channel. The depth-limited main breakwater has no crown wall (apart from the initial portion sheltering the repair yard and the final tip for pedestrian access to the head green light), thus improving the mooring safety and the visual impact of the structure. The rock armoured breakwater has a crest elevation of only +3.5 m MSL (fig.6). The placement pattern of the 3-7 t rock armour is random and porous on the seaward slope to increase wave energy dissipation, while it is regular and compact on the emerging part of the steeper slope on the rear face. This is to improve the visual appearance and the stability of the structure against overtopping water jets.

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Figure 7 Typical section of the main breakwater

The quay walls are formed using perforated precast reinforced concrete caissons (3.4H x 3.0L x 2.5B m3), which offer excellent performance in terms of monolithicity, durability and hydraulics (fig.7). In comparison to traditional blockwork quay walls, the caissons can be manufactured quicker and more accurately and are easier to place, with fewer joints. The mooring piers are either fixed (on piles) or floating, depending on boat size, in order to allow some flexibility in the users demand and final berth layout. Most berths are well aligned with the prevailing winds. The mooring system is a traditional simple anchor and chain.

Figure 8 Typical section of the perforated caisson quay wall and floating pier

The pile design considered an embedded length of around 10 m (just 2 m above the bedrock level) and a top elevation of +0.1 m (inside piers) and +0.4 m MSL (outside ferry pier) (see sections in fig.8). The 5 boreholes executed along the breakwaters during the design phase showed a rather homogeneous soil stratigraphy: sand with gravel for the upper 2.5 m; black silty sand for the next 9-10 m and finally the hard clay marne and limestone.

Figure 9 Typical sections of the fixed piled piers

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Architectonical aspects
The design of the works on land was based on the modern concepts of bio-architecture, with the general aim to create a new urban link between the old village and the sea. Further design objectives were the following: prevailing use of local healthy raw materials; construction flexibility for potential future changes of functional destination; energetic efficiency (thermic isolation, natural lighting, etc.) and innovative technologies (solar panels, natural conditioning, etc.); maximum structural durability; recovering and recycling of construction materials; search for beauty and natural comfort, with extensive green areas. Attention initially focussed on the shape of the external spaces, the interconnections between the new buildings, the pedestrian path network to suit the people, views and sensations. The individual building design becomes an integrated consequence of the overall scheme composed by small low blocks made with traditional materials. Starting from an isolated house surrounded by natural elements (sun, wind, sounds, etc.) the concept developed to a group of buildings well integrated within the territory to provide a comfortable place. This is particularly relevant for the vernacular architecture in Mediterranean climates, where outdoor activities can be performed for a long period of the year (fig.9). The urban structure reflects that of the historical town with narrow streets and frequent small squares, akin to simple open-air rooms. The fragmented distribution and variable orientation of the small isolated buildings reproduce the meandering sense of curiosity and surprise for the pedestrians, while the articulated inter-building corridors ensure useful ventilation and shade. The main land area of the marina develops on the secondary breakwater. A nice round square expansion is created near the seaward head for waiting passengers and public amenity.

Figure 9 Perspective view of the commercial and recreational area

Another small circular sea square is created at the innermost basin corner as a focal point of the urban park, to be used for public shows, concerts and events (figs.5-10). The eastern peninsula hosts 16 buildings with the following destinations: commercial and administrative, restaurants and toilets. On the opposite western technical area two buildings are located, one for boat repair and sale of nautical accessories, the other for the coastal authority offices. The building design also reflects the old sea village style, with small, white constructions covered with a tile roof slightly overhanging the masonry walls whilst at the same time

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7 introducing a modern note in the composition of the openings. The buildings are mostly used as shops. They typically consist of a single storey, except for the yacht club (2-floors) to offer a panoramic view of the sea and the town, and for the control tower (3-floors) for obvious functional requirements. Each one has three free edges with an internal subdivision in three zones: exhibition and sale, toilets and warehouse. The total building surface is 3158 m2, with an overall volume of 10105 m3 (assuming an average floor height of 3.2 m).

Figure 10 Construction progress on the eastern peninsula with a view of the old town

The construction materials used for the buildings are: reinforced concrete for the inner structure, masonry blockwork covered with white plaster and bordered by limestone stones (also used for paving); aquamarine coloured aluminium is used for the fixtures. Public car parks (n.140) are located near the coastal railway to avoid car traffic inside the marina, while some 90 parking spaces are located along the eastern peninsula exclusively for boat owners.

Construction aspects
Works at sea began in summer 2007 with the main breakwater and rapidly progressed with land based cranes being used to place up to 4500 t /day of good-quality limestone rock (unit weight 2.68 t/m3 and compressive strength of 180 N/mm2) transported by lorries from the well known quarry of Apricena, some 70 km away. The work was required to be suspended in July and August to avoid holiday traffic congestion. A 120 t Liebherr 883 crane was used to shape the armour in a backward movement. The photos in figs 11-12 show the excellent performance of the breakwater in terms of wave penetration and wave overtopping during various storms which occurred during construction.

Figure 11 Harbour construction during a summer storm in 2008

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Figure 12 Regular placement of 3-7 t limestone rock along the breakwater inner slope

By late 2007 the land reclamation was complete providing space for the r.c. caissons to be precast (by means of slipping forms) and stored in the dry. The 27 t caissons were then installed at sea by the same crane, ballasted with seawater and filled with sand (fig.13). The 252 caissons were mostly in place by summer 2008, without any significant settlement. A provisional external dock was completed in June 2008 to allow the seasonal ferry passengers boarding. Only in September 2008, could the reconstruction of the jetty be started.

Figure 13 Precasting and installation of r.c.caisson quay walls

In July 2008 the pile driving operations for both the external and internal fixed piers started, but some problems occurred. The 108 r.c. piles have a 0.5m diameter and a length of 13 or 14 m: they present an additional steel conical tip (to be lost underground) of 0.43 m length and a hollow portion of 0.7 m length at the top end to be hammered and demolished after driving (fig.14). After driving, the piles were still protruding above water level by 2.5 to 6.0 m! This would have resulted in only about 6 m embedded length after dredging with the potential for risks to their long term stability. The second pile of each pair was typically less embedded due to the more compacted soil near the first driven pile (fig. 15). Three new boreholes were then executed together with in-situ NSPT tests, which confirmed the previously defined soil stratigraphy; however the new NSPT blows gave values around 20 instead of 7-9 due to a more careful testing procedure and the possible local presence of denser sand.

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Figure 14 Precast r.c piles 500 mm diameter to be driven and conical steel tip to be lost underground

Figure 15 Pairs of driven piles after initial insufficient driving and pile heads cut with special diamond steel wires

In order to solve the problem the hollow top portion of the r.c. piles was first cut to allow a larger transfer of energy from the hammer to the solid pile. The cut was performed using a special machine incorporating a system of pulleys, which carried a steel wire with diamond points (fig.15), costing about 200 /m. This approach was very efficient and was able to cut the concrete and steel bars within 10 minutes. After the cut the additional hammer blows enabled the driven length to be increased by a further two metres. The full driving length was then achieved by using a special tool called springal (fig.16). This comprised a steel cage with small lateral pipes to create strong water jets to help mobilise the sand near the pile toe. After the removal of this tool, the pile was given few additional hammer blows to recreate a denser soil at the pile tip.

Figure 16 Improved pile driving with the use of the springal

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10 In April 2009 the marine works included the placement of the floating and fixed piers, including the installation of concrete dead weights (2x2x0.5 m) and chains on the seabed, with the assistance of divers. A specially manufactured catamaran system was used to place the fixed pier r.c.deck modules (fig. 17). The yellow truss structure was equipped with a system of pistons which could lift the 27 t deck element and then place it upon the pile caps. The system was capable of installing up to six 10.4 m long deck modules in one day.

Figure 17 The special catamaran for lifting and placing the pier deck modules

In early 2009 the dredging of the harbour basin was initiated, at a rate of 300 m3/h, by means of the suction dredger SEHESTEDT. The chemio-physical quality of the dredged sand had been previously analysed by ARPA with satisfactory results from 52 samples. The sand was deposited with the aid of a pipeline and lorries along the neighbouring beach up to a distance of 2.5 km east of the harbour (fig.18). The 100,000 m3 of fine sands (D50= 0.25 mm) were thus used to nourish the eastern beach backed by the coastal road which was suffering from erosion problems. The beach monitoring and management programme is described below.

Figure 18 Harbour dredging and sand beach nourishment (april 2009)

Monitoring and management

During construction, oceanographic and morphologic monitoring activities were performed in the harbour area and along the adjacent sandy beach. In particular, periodic bathymetric surveys showed an expected rapid beach accretion in the eastern lee of the secondary arm, with some beach erosion occurring further to the east. Empirical formulae and numerical models, also based on available local directional wave records (the regional buoy is

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11 operational since 2007), were used to compare predictions of the erosion/deposition processes against field observations and to plan future management actions. One particular aspect was a deep scour hole (down to a depth of -9 m MSL) which was observed around the toe of the head following a number of storms in early 2008 with a local peak Hs exceeding 3 m (Montagna et al.2008). The application of scour prediction formulae by Sumer and Fredsoe 1997 was found to underestimate the scour depth. Additional rubble seabed protection was dumped around the breakwater head toe in an effort to overcome this problem. As also described in detail by Montagna et al. 2008 the post-design morphodynamic studies based on the application of a one-line model Genesis have been used to model the long term shoreline response before and after the planned capital nourishment with the sand dredged from the harbour basin. The calibration tests show that in both observed and numerical 2008 shorelines there is an accretion near the east pier and an area of erosion at a distance of about 300 m from the pier. The predictions for the next 10 years, considering the presence of the new marina and the capital nourishment (fig 19) show a slight decrease in the localised erosion suggesting the need for the future use of periodical nourishment. It is envisaged that the shoreline evolution will continue to be monitored even after the construction period before considering the introduction of a retaining groyne on the eastern beach to reduce harbour entrance siltation. A small dredger will be kept locally to maintain the channel depth. The contractor has appointed a specialist local company (REMAX) to advertise and sell the new berths.

CHAINAGE (m)

CHAINAGE (m)

CHAINAGE (m)

CHAINAGE (m)

Figure 19 One-line modelling predictions of the eastern beach (from Montagna et al. 2008)

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Conclusions
This new marina project is a good example of the rapid design and construction of an infrastructure project in the marine environment where due consideration has been given to the various important hydraulic, aesthetic and coastal-morphological aspects of the scheme. The excellent cooperation between the architects and the engineers, as well as good communication between designers and the contractor, has been a key factor in the success.

Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank all those who have helped to make this project a reality and in particular the promoting Mayor of Rodi Garganico Carmine DAnelli and the project engineer Domenico Di Monte, as well as the technical staff of CIDONIO, MODIMAR and 3C+T, who were actively involved in the project. All photographs are by the authors (except fig.2 left).

References
Noli A., Togna A., Franco L., De Girolamo P., Sammarco P., Marini M., Contini P. and Tartaglini M.(2008), Innovative design of yacht harbours in Italy, Proc.COPEDEC VII, Dubai Montagna F., Mem S., Franco L., Contini P., Van Innis S. (2008) Morphological aspects related to the Marina of Rodi Garganico, Proc. PIANC conference Mediterranean Days of Coastal Engineering, Palermo , october 2008 Sumer B.M., Freds e J. (1997). Scour at the roundhead of a rubble-mound breakwater. Coastal Engineering 29. 231 - 262.

Figure 20 Fireworks at the local patronal festivity (S.Maria della Libera, 2 July 2008) shed light over the marina construction site

Figure 21 The most recent view at paper print time (june 2009)