Storage
The space required to store precast pieces depends on the size of the breakwater, the maritime climate (winter stoppages) and the works deadline. Once the manufacturing equipment required has been established and installed on-site, a block manufacturing and storage yard must be designed that can store enough units to make the manufacturing process independent of the placement process. This will prevent logistics bottlenecks, thereby cutting down on the cost and the number of maneuvers required.
The cubic shape of Cubipod makes possible to design very compact storage zones and stack the pieces up to 5 levels (bulky units are only stockpiled on 2 levels). The number of levels can be increased if the ground can withstand the weight. As a rule, stockpiling systems with a minimum overall porosity are preferred; cubic block yards can have 20% overall porosity, whereas Cubipods can be stored using a closed system with 30% porosity or an open system with a porosity of 50%.
When starting to store Cubipods, after slightly leveling the ground, all that has to be done is to excavate small holes or furrows to contain the lower protuberances for the first layer of Cubipods, so that it is the base of the central cube that comes into contact with the ground.
Cubipods are handled and stacked using double pressure clamps operated by crane, a truck with a jib or a gantry crane, depending on the performance rates required and the size of the pieces. The latest is recommended if the production rate is high, because the operations will be swifter, safer and more flexible.
