Pier partial collapse during construction works in England

Part of the Clacton Pier located in the town of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex County, southeast England, collapsed during construction works.

The Pier is accountable for Clacton being one of the top seaside resorts in the United Kingdom.

Clacton Pier officially opened in 1871. The structure was made out of wood and measured 150 meters in length and 3,7 meters in width. Its original purpose was to facilitate the transport of goods and other products.

Certain modifications on the Pier were applied 22 years later. Its length increased by 210 meters and 2 extra facilities, a theater and a pavilion, were established. The facility was severely damaged during World War 1 and World War 2 but it became one of the most successful tourist attractions during the 1950s and until the 1970s. Since 2008, the “Clacton Pier Company” is aiming at upgrading the facility in an effort to restore its former glory.

The failure occurred on February 14, 2020, when a part of the deck collapsed during construction works to install a new rollercoaster that would open later in 2020.

Fortunately, there were no injuries associated with the incident which occurred as new concrete was being poured on top of an existing concrete layer. “This was being carried out under controlled conditions at a time when the tide was up and no one was under the Pier. Site personnel were carefully monitoring the pouring of the concrete when the collapse happened, and everyone was evacuated from that particular area…,” Billy Ball, the director of the pier, stated.

According to Ball, the weight of the wet concrete increased the stress on the existing concrete layer. Until now, similar work has been conducted in a 4,000-m² area around the site. The area of failure was about 140 m².

The pier was temporarily closed but it was put in operation again the following days. The affected part was fenced to prevent any accidents.

The structural failure will probably affect the opening date of the rollercoaster.