Dando 3000 – Cable Percussion Rigs Working on Nigeria’s Eko Atlantic City Mega-Project

Eko Atlantic city’s story started in 2003 when the Lagos State Government of Nigeria was in search of a permanent solution to protect Bar Beach in Victoria Island from the effects of severe coastal erosion, and to safeguard Victoria Island from the threat of flooding.

Between 2003 and 2005 South Energyx Nigeria Limited, the developers and city planners of Eko Atlantic, engaged in a feasibility study with international experts to solve the enduring problem.

From these deliberations emerged the idea of a new urban development of five million square metres of land that will rise from the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to Victoria Island. Eko Atlantic sea revetments, known as The Great Wall of Lagos, will now protect not only the more than the five million square metres of land that has so far been reclaimed for the city but the shoreline as well.

Eko Atlantic is privately financed and fully supported by both the Nigerian Federal Government and the Lagos State Government. It was designed to provide the space and infrastructure to house 250,000 people and become the workplace for a further 150,000. “Eko Atlantic is restoring the Lagos coastline off Victoria Island to where it was a hundred years ago,” said, the Managing Director of South Energyx Nigeria Limited, Mr. David Frame, who noted that had it not been for the sea wall Victoria Island could have faced catastrophic flooding from ocean surge three times.
Dando 3000, Eko Atlantic City, Nigeria

Protected by the sea wall, land reclamation work is already on track to create solid foundations extending over ten square kilometres. Eko Atlantic is evolving rapidly from a visionary design concept into reality with major routes in the new city and bridges already in progress. Clearly, thorough and reliable ground investigation was vital to underpin the success of the project and to this end the developers trusted in the tried and tested Dando 3000 Mk 2 to conduct the site investigation.

The versatile Dando 3000 MK2, one of wide range of Dando’s geotechnical drilling rigs, has proved itself eminently suitable for the drilling of soft to medium formations. With its straightforward cable percussive technique belying its high levels of performance, the machine is used for site investigation on construction projects worldwide and South Energyx Nigeria find the rig ideal in carrying out continuous sampling tests to determine the underground conditions and formations under which all the bridges will be built.

Another Dando 3000 MK2 with an optional hydraulic rotary attachment for coring and rotary drilling has recently been commissioned and is currently conducting soil Investigation and piezometer boreholes. Performing percussion methods SPT and U4, the Dando rig has been drilling a 55m borehole per week in clay and sand formations and the client, who is anxious to reduce down time to a minimum, is full of praise for the sturdy Dando rigs. It is of note that the client has recently ordered a further two very comprehensive rig and tooling packages from Dando.

South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, was created to oversee the planning and development of Eko Atlantic, its managers and consultants bringing a wealth of experience to the creation of Eko Atlantic.