The West Project started with the demolition planning and quantity calculation of the West Terminal

The West Project, which will bring extensive renovations to the West Harbour, was launched in autumn 2022 with the demolition planning and quantity calculation of Terminal 1, which is familiar to many Finns. Sweco acts as a project management consultant for the entire development project and its sub-projects P1 (harbour tunnel) and P3 (quays & field area).

In the autumn of 2022, extensive port renovations, i.e. the West Project, were launched in the West Harbour in Jätkäsaari. Its three sub-projects are a harbour tunnel to be built from the West Harbour to Länsiväylä and streamline port traffic, the expansion of the West Harbour’s quay and field areas, and a new terminal building to be built to replace the demolished West Terminal 1 (T1). Sweco was responsible for the demolition planning and quantity calculation of T1.

The aim of the reforms is to ensure that Finns have connections to the world and to create a functional framework for the growing traffic from Helsinki to Tallinn. The Helsinki–Tallinn connection is also an important part of the EU’s TEN-T core network. The Port of Helsinki is by far the largest passenger port in Finland in terms of passenger numbers, and the West Harbour is the most significant part of the port in terms of its economic impact.

Well-functioning sea routes are vital for Finland’s foreign trade, and the Port of Helsinki accounts for almost half of the value of maritime transport in Finland’s foreign trade. The renovations of the West Harbour will ensure that the Port of Helsinki will remain a busy passenger port and the main port for Finland’s foreign trade, which is also of great importance to Finland’s security of supply.

Aerial view of the West Harbour 2024.

Historical layers were taken into account in the quantity calculation

The first tasks of Sweco’s project management and construction management professionals in Länsiprojekti were the demolition planning and quantity calculation of T1. The source of the background information was a comprehensive building history survey with photographs. In addition, structural and architectural drawings were used.

“The harbour warehouse designed by Gunnar Taucher has a long history, and its oldest two-storey goods hall section was completed as early as 1939,” says Aila Vaahtera, Sweco’s quantity expert. Later, a transformer substation building was added to the complex, and in 1979, the structures had to be strengthened when damage was found in them due to subsidence of the ground.

In 1993, the warehouse was converted into a passenger terminal, and over the next decade, shelters and an extension were built under which taxis could pass, among other things. The building also has a basement floor with a service corridor and civil defence shelters. According to Vaahtera, the more than 17,000 gross square metres can accommodate a lot of different materials.

“The old part is reinforced concrete and clad in solid red brick, and large steel columns and beams have been used in the canopies. Instead, the extension is mainly made of glass and steel.”

The walkways on the seaside side of the terminal building also contain glass and steel. Walkways have been made, removed and changed a lot over the years. “That’s why we had to estimate the dimensions of the bridges and the tonnage of materials based on photographs and aerial photographs,” Vaahtera says.

Photo of the West Harbour in 2024.

Most of the demolition materials are recyclable

According to Project Manager Hannu Sundvall, who was responsible for the demolition planning  , the demolition of the terminal building will take place in stages, starting with the demolition of the passenger corridors.

“The corridors will be demolished from a distance of about 150 metres towards the new terminal all the way to the wall of the connecting building. Then the demolition of the actual terminal will begin, so that only the piles will remain underground.”

The new tunnel for heavy traffic will be built on top of the protected T1 terminal building, which is why its demolition required a zoning change. “In order to speed up the demolition of the passenger corridors, we applied for a separate demolition permit,” Sundvall says. If necessary, the demolition designer also prepares to be on site during the demolition. “During the demolition phase, the need for support for the basement’s earth pressure wall and the order of demolition will be determined, for example.”

The materials of the interior and their locations were found out in detail with the help of photographs. There will be very little construction waste that will be incinerated, i.e. unrecyclable.

“For the most part, all demolition material is recyclable. The most valuable in terms of reuse are the massive steel parts, which are abundant in passenger corridors, for example,” says Vaahtera. Concrete and brick can also be used crushed in earthworks, and recycled glass also has many reuses. Approximately 80,000 of the façade bricks will be reused in new construction and renovation projects in Jätkäsaari and Ruoholahti.

In addition to demolition planning and quantity calculation, Sweco acts as a project management consultant for the entire West Project, which covers, for example, design management, schedule and cost monitoring, and site supervision. Sweco has also been responsible for the preparation of harbour tunnel, quay and field projects as a construction consultant.