A section of the pier at Skerries Harbour will close from Friday to facilitate repair works.
Fingal County Council said the decision was taken due to the discovery of significant corrosion and large voids in the sheet piles that form the berthing face on the quay wall of the outer harbour.
It said it was finalising the appointment of a consultant engineering team to design a new structure to ensure the long-term future of the pier.
The decision to close the affected section of the pier is on foot of a recommendation in a report by Malachy Walsh & Partners (MWP), a consultancy company with marine structural experience.
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The company was engaged after the damage was discovered by Norfolk Marine Engineering in December 2021. The sheet piles form the quay wall of the outer harbour in Skerries, which was constructed in 1968.
The Norfolk Marine survey found significant corrosion and large voids on some piles, causing core fill material to fall out.
Its report designated the structure as being in a “critical condition” because there was “advanced deterioration and significant defects” discovered.
It noted that the load carrying capacity of the element was “significantly reduced with local failures possible”.
After reviewing the Norfolk Marine report, the council commissioned MWP to advise on how best to manage the degraded structure.
Its report described likely failure modes, and possible measures to prevent them, but recommended that the section of the pier be closed until remediation works are carried out.
Fingal County Council said the affected section will remain closed until the remedial work has been completed as the scale and complexity of this work was considerable.
Contractors will move in on Friday to move containers, currently located on the affected section of the pier, to new locations which have been agreed with the owners.
A 10 metre opening has been provided along the pier for the unloading of catch and a fence will be erected to secure the closed off area.
