Project Overview

Complete rehabilitation design of the ship arrestors for transport-critical Canso Canal

The gates of the Canso Canal are protected from accidental vessel impact by a ship arrestor that spans across the canal. This arrestor comprises a set of steel wire ropes suspended from a structural steel boom. If a vessel is unable to stop at the designated stopping point, the steel ropes would stretch across its bow and prevent it from striking the gates. Since the construction of the canal, there has been only one instance of a vessel overshooting and colliding with the arrestor. Due to lack of use and aggressive climatic conditions, the cables were frozen in place and the sheaves routing the cables had corroded and were no longer functional. 

SHM Canada was commissioned to design the complete rehabilitation of the ship arrestors, including remediation of concrete deterioration and replacement of cables, sheaves, and corroded booms.