Project management for sand replenishment at St George’s Bay and Bugibba perched beach

En-Sure Ltd recently successfully completed a large-scale project management assignment to widen the sandy beach at St George’s Bay and to replenish the perched beach in Bugibba.

The sand at these beaches consists of crushed granite, which cannot be sourced locally. A quarry in Jordan, which provided the existing sand for these beaches, was used to ensure that the sand matched the existing in colour, size, and composition. Following extensive negotiations with the sand supplier, production of sand started in January 2015, following testing to ensure that the specifications of the finished products matched those required. Testing was carried out by a quality assurance company based in Jordan, with local counter-testing, and continued throughout production.

In total, 1,800 metric tonnes of sand were produced for the Bugibba perched beach and 3,500 mt were produced for St George’s Bay. The finished product was stored in separately marked jumbo bags and imported by sea to Malta. On arrival, the bags were transported on flatbed trailers to the designated beach, where they were unloaded by crane and split open. The sand mounds were spread over the beach using large front loaders, and raked to smoothen the surface.

Spreading of sand at St George’s Bay lasted three days from 25th to 27th May 2015. The beach was opened on 28th May after the area was thoroughly cleaned and the beach furniture reinstated. Spreading at Bugibba commenced on 28th May 2015 and was completed the next day. The beach was opened on 30th May.

As the company chosen to manage this project, En-Sure assisted the client in sourcing the sand and obtaining the best price available, selecting the most suitable quality assurance and lab testing companies locally and in Jordan, selecting the contractor for spreading the sand, and managing contracts. En-Sure liaised with the manufacturer and quality assurance laboratories throughout the project, thus ensuring that the final product met the required standard. En-sure also played an advisory role, assisting the client in risk management throughout the project. During the spreading phase, En-Sure maintained a constant presence on site to mitigate any environmental impacts and ensure that all stakeholders were fully satisfied with the final result.

Posted in En-Sure Projects