In early 2015, Cyclone Pam swept through the islands of Tuvalu, and caused extensive damage to the inhabited island of Nukufetau. The existing concrete block seawall was destroyed and many houses were damaged. This left the island vulnerable to further damaging cyclones. The Government of Tuvalu, with preliminary assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), sought experienced contractors to enact urgent repairs.
Hall Contracting won an international tender to design and construct a solution to repair the seawall, replenish the beaches and restore the land area. The team engaged AECOM to conduct a fast-track environmental impact study, coastal processes assessment, detailed design and after liaison with the relevant Government officials the project was ticked off and proceeded in very short time. The design comprised of ELCOROCK seawall using 5T sand containers which were selected based on their design life and the opportunity to use the local sand source to fill the sand containers, which was a cost effective solution in comparison to importing other materials.
