Kaitos delivers protective screen for dredging work at Vuosaari port

Major dredging work recently began at Helsinki´s massive Vuosaari port project
in order to remove pollutants from the seafloor. The entire dredging area has
been circled by a 700-meter-long protective screen that is anchored to the
seafloor. The protective screen was supplied by Kaitos Oy, an Algol Group
company.

The dredging work is an essential part of the construction project, which will
create brand new cargo port facilities to replace those that are currently in
the center of Helsinki. The seafloor in Vuosaari is polluted with tributyltin
(TBT), which originates from organotin compounds that were once used in
anti-fouling paints on ships.

The protective screen is a special construction that is 700 meters long and
fitted with buoys. The screen is kept in place by steel cables connected to the
shore and anchors on the seafloor. The material used for the screen is a
durable reinforced geotextile that works as a filter, preventing TBT from
spreading into the surrounding environment, yet allowing a flow of clean water
through the area. The screen has a 50-meter-wide gate that can be opened to let
ships through. It is also equipped with its own special lighting system.

The design and installation of the screen was done in co-operation with the
dredging contractor Terramare, the consultant IP-Tekniikka, and experts on the
Kaitos team, including Managing Director Olli Böök, Sales Manager Timo Palo and
Product Manager Tomi Neva. Kaitos was also responsible for joining the sections
of the protective screen and its assembly on land. The reinforced geotextile
for the screen was supplied by German company Huesker.

Kaitos, a subsidiary of Algol Technics, is specialised in technical solutions
and products for the construction industry. Kaitos is the leading supplier of
geosynthetic products on the Finnish market. Algol acquired the entire
shareholding of Kaitos in 2000.

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