November December 2018 Marina World

SPECIAL FOCUS
The main
production site at
Wallhamn on the Swedish west coast
has access to a deep water quay for
optimum shipping options and there
are around 20 worldwide licensed
production sites.
SF systems form the basis of
marinas as diverse as the Russian
hub of Sochi Grande and the idyllic
sanctuary of Tyrell Bay, Grenada. They
dominate strategic sailing routes at
Palmarina Bodrum in Turkey and Linton
Bay Marina in Panama. They moor up
superyachts at OneOcean Port Vell in
Spain and Provincetown Marina in the
USA, and are cleverly angle jointed to
follow the multiple corners of the fixed
breakwater at Hamilton Princess &
Beach Club, Bermuda.
Floating products
Quality control is strict. Almost all
concrete pontoons and breakwaters
are custom built and often exceed
their 50-year life expectancy and, as
each system comprises modular units,
rebuilds and reconfigurations – as
well as new marinas – are easier to
plan and more cost-effective. Every
marina system or floating solution is
designed using precise calculations
that are based on PIANC guidelines
and national recommendations, and
manufacturing follows Eurocode for
concrete designs.
In the 1990s SF hit the
headlines when it installed
a 4m (13ft) - as opposed to
the normal 3m/10ft - wide
breakwater at Mayflower
Marina in Plymouth, UK but
today it has the technology
to manufacture breakwater
units up to 10m (33ft) wide.
The key is supreme core
strength, low centre of gravity
and thick layers of quality
concrete, factors which also
apply to its 2.4 to 10m (8 to
33ft) wide range of concrete
pontoons, which are offered in any
length, any angle and any configuration.
Continuing development
Always with an eye to developing new
solutions, SF has looked at alternative
materials and construction methods
over the years. Most recently, it has
patented two new product lines –
ProDock and X-line – which rely on
basalt (volcanic rock) as opposed to
steel for reinforcement. Basalt rebar is
tough, stronger than steel and has a
higher tensile strength.
It is also lighter
in weight making
products easier to
handle and less
expensive to transport.
All projects are
undertaken by means
of SF’s trademarked
SAFE Marina
System: Secure,
Adapted, Flexible,
Environmentally
friendly. These core
factors owe their
strengths to one hundred years of
knowledge and experience in perfecting
floating concrete systems. By listening
to customers, making thorough site
assessments, delivering eco-friendly
systems that are built to last, and
continuing to perfect and innovate,
chairman Lars Odhe, CEO Michael
Sigvardsson and the international SF
team are more than ready to take the
company into its second century.
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