Quay LJ6 in the West Harbour will be replaced with a new quay

Published 4.9.2025

The Port of Helsinki will repair and renovate several berths in the West Harbour in the next few years. Sweco’s port construction experts examined the condition of the old LJ6 passenger quay and finally designed a completely new combi wall quay in a critical location.

The LJ6 quay will be rebuilt as part of the development of the West Harbour

Some of  the berths in the West Harbour, which serve car and passenger ferries in Jätkäsaari, were completed in the 1960s. Many of the piers have reached the end of their technical service life. The renewal of LJ6 and other berths is part of a larger development project for the West Harbour.

“The expansion of the port was supposed to begin with the renovation of the LJ6 berth, as it is the most used area in the port after the new quays,” says Sanna Supponen, Port Engineer at the Port of Helsinki. For example, Tallink liners stop at the critically important berth. However, the rules of procedure changed when new information became available about the condition of the old pier.

The current condition of the LJ6 quay was investigated for decision-making

The decision was based on a  study carried out by Sweco’s port infrastructure experts on the current condition of the LJ6 quay and the need for repairs. The old concrete pile pier had reached the age of more than 60 years, which is why it was estimated what the pier can withstand at the moment. For comparison, we also calculated what the pier has withstood when new.

“It turned out that even when new, the quay would not have met the current load-bearing capacity requirements, which is why we decided to demolish it and design a completely new quay,” says Matti Karttunen, Project Manager for Sweco’s port and waterway projects. At the same time, the construction work had to be phased in a new way. First, more space will be built in the area, which will secure vehicle traffic on the nearby ramp.

In Supponen’s opinion, the most important factors in the expertise of Sweco’s experts were their long experience in quay construction, a deep geotechnical understanding of pile structures and risk management. “In addition, we were able to define the design criteria for the piers together. After all, this was the first planning project for the development of the West Harbour.”

The implementation options for the LJ6 quay were visualised by modelling

Sweco created a visual IFC information model of both the old and future quay structures, which helped the different parties to perceive the big picture. “We have to communicate and justify things often, which is really much easier through images,” Supponen says.

The information model was also helpful in geometric coordination situations related to quay structures and interfaces with other sub-projects of the West Harbour development. In addition, Sweco carried out a carbon footprint calculation of the quay structures in connection with the alternative comparisons.

“This year (2025), the Port of Helsinki achieved carbon neutrality in its operations, and we also want to build the port as sustainably and low-carbon as possible, but without compromising on quality and life cycle,” says Supponen.

The new quay enables a modern port infrastructure

In connection with the renewal of the LJ6 berth, a combi wall consisting of steel piles and sheet piles will be installed in front of the current quay, which will move the platform line 1.5–2 metres outwards. The old concrete piles will be left inside the new soil fill, but the concrete cover will be replaced with a pile slab.

“We chose a combi wall because the ground conditions do not favour a ground-supported structure,” says Karttunen. The aim is to place the new piles of the pile slab under water between the old piles, and a new edge beam will be built on top of the combi wall.

The renewed LJ6 berth will provide vessels with modern port infrastructure in the future. The quay will be equipped with readiness for shore power and an automooring system, among other things, which will allow the vessels to stay at the quay for short stops without mooring lines. At the same time, the life cycle of the pier begins from the beginning.

“Hopefully, the service life of the new pier will be longer than that of the old piers. For example, risk structures in terms of corrosion have been taken into account,” Supponen adds.

The project is co-funded by the European Union.

Picture: PES-Architecs/Port of Helsinki