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November December 2018 Marina World

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The magazine for the marina industry

SPECIAL FOCUS Left: The

SPECIAL FOCUS Left: The SF Marina team and guests ‘aboard’ the giant floating pontoon on the island of Donsö, which was installed in May 2018. Below: Marking the occasion at the factory in Wallhamn. Others: Centenary celebrations included lunch on the island ferry and a lavish evening banquet in Gothenburg. SF MARINA: 1918-2018 Celebrating a century SF Marina team members, guests and partners travelled to Gothenburg, Sweden from all over the world as August tipped into September to take part in the centenary celebrations of one of the industry’s most innovative marina design and build companies. Instrumental in introducing the concept of floating concrete construction, SF Marina has continuously broadened its brief and its product reach. To mark the occasion, Marina World explores the company’s achievements, objectives and philosophy. Looking back Opening for business as Brandholmens Shipyard in 1918, SF worked on floating concrete R&D and, before long, the floating concrete pontoon was its number one product. In 1935, SF built a marina system for the Royal Swedish Motor Yacht Club (RMK); and returned to expand this marina as recently as 2012. Although the business grew and encompassed projects from floating pontoons to floating bridges – including the diverse contract to construct a temporary bridge in 1953 in Stockholm while an extension to the underground system was taking place – major strides forward were made in the 1970s. SF supplied pontoons for the Olympic Games in 1972, and towards the end of the decade made its biggest leap by launching a range of floating breakwaters. This expanded the market to include new and more exposed locations and deeper waters without harming the environment. SF takes positive pride in not undertaking invasive construction work on the seabed, and in the marina ‘nurseries’ that are created under and around its floating structures as water flow remains uninterrupted. Going global SF set its sights on the international market from its earliest days, partly due to a realisation that its products could withstand all climates and weather conditions. Today, the company operates in over 50 countries and has in excess of 1,000 marina references. 16 www.marinaworld.com - November/December 2018

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. www.marinaworld.com - November/December 2018 17

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