Latest caisson installed on Genoa breakwater

Image: Webuild

The PerGenova Breakwater consortium, led by Italian contractor Webuild, has installed a seventh caisson at Genoa鈥檚 new 6.2km-long breakwater in Italy, despite challenging weather conditions.

Webuild said that seabed consolidation work has also continued alongside caisson installation. So far, more than 19,200 submerged gravel columns have been completed to ensure the stability of the future breakwater. Dredging work in the outer harbour also continues.

The dredged material will fill the prefabricated caissons that form part of the new structure. The base of the new breakwater will reach depths of up to 50m, making it the deepest in Europe, and the build involves the use of seven million tonnes of rock. A total of 100 35m-wide, 67m-long, and 33m-high caissons will be placed along the base.

The project is valued at a combined 鈧�928 million (US$1 billion).

Construction work progresses on Expo 2025 artificial island

Image: Keita Iijima / The Yomiuri Shimbun via Reuters Connect

An aerial photo shows Yumeshima, the venue for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan where is under construction, in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture on 19 February 2025.

The Yumeshima is an artificial island in Osaka Bay, and will be the site of Expo 2025 to be held from 13 April.

CREC completes 2.6km-long highway bridge

Image: CREC

China Railway Hi-Tech Industry under China Railway Group (CREC) has completed the 2.6km-long Yellow River Grand Bridge, which forms part of the Qinyang-Yichuan Expressway, and connects Qinyang City in Jiaozuo and Yichuan County in Luoyang, Henan Province, China.

The main bridge, which sits 13.8 metres above the ground, features six lanes, and is designed for a speed of 120km/h. The main girder uses a trough-shaped steel-concrete composite beam structure and the bridge required a total of 21,000 tons of steel girders.

Giant cable-stayed pedestrian bridge

Image: BESIX Watpac & Brisbane City Council

Brisbane鈥檚 Kangaroo Point Bridge is one of the longest span cable-stay pedestrian and cycle bridges in the world. Designed and constructed by the Connect Brisbane consortium, led by BESIX Watpac, heavy lift specialists Marr Contracting were involved early in the design phase to develop the lifting strategy for the project.

The main challenge for the project was how to construct the bridge鈥檚 95-metre-tall mast 鈥� including the installation of the 25-metre-tall masthead weighing 180 tonnes. Working with BESIX Watpac and Brisbane-based engineering partners, Robert Bird Group, Marr developed a solution using an M2480D Heavy Lift Luffing (HLL) tower crane with a 64-metre-long boom installed on a piled support platform in the middle of Brisbane River.

Marr completed more than 10 major lifts and general construction lifting requirements, all as planned.

Observatory rises out of Atacama Desert

Image: REUTERS/Rodrigo Gutierrez

A view of the site where European Southern Observatory (ESO) is constructing the world鈥檚 largest optical telescope atop a mountain in Chile鈥檚 arid Atacama desert, in Chile.

The Extremely Large Telescope will use a 39.3-metre-diameter segmented mirror, and become the world鈥檚 largest optical reflecting telescope when operational towards the end of this decade.

鈥楽ustainable鈥� explosive used for first time in tunnel project

Image: Implenia

Implenia has used a new sustainable explosive called Hypex-Bio for the first time in a Swiss tunnel construction project.

The double-track railway expansion project between Ligerz and Twann on the Jura south foot line aims to eliminate the last single-track section between Lausanne and Biel. Hypex-Bio explosives are being used for the first time in Switzerland in the construction of the tunnel in Ligerz.

The construction work, which is being managed by Implenia as the lead partner of the IBD consortium (Implenia, Bernasconi and De Luca), includes the construction of a 2.1 km long, two-lane tunnel, four escape tunnels, a viaduct and a redesign of the section of the cantonal road.

The nitrogen-free explosive Hypex Bio eliminates the impact of contaminated excavated material and construction site wastewater associated with conventional methods, according to Implenia.

Bridge crosses Oklahoma River to new resort

Image: USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

Construction workers prepare a 614-feet-long concrete and steel pedestrian bridge across the Oklahoma River connecting the river trail to the OKANA Resort.

The $400 million resort along the Oklahoma River is being built by the Chickasaw Nation as part of an agreement with the city of Oklahoma City to finish the adjoining First Americans Museum.