McLaughlin & Harvey at Port of Dover: marine works and pavement notes for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
McLaughlin & Harvey has been appointed to the Port of Dover’s new project contractor framework after completing the western docks revival project this summer with Boskalis Westminster. The previous scheme involved major marine and civils works to reconfigure the western docks, providing new berths and cargo-handling capacity to relieve pressure on existing ferry infrastructure. Framework status positions McLaughlin & Harvey for further quay, terminal and landside upgrades at one of the UK’s highest‑throughput roll‑on/roll‑off ports, with implications for heavy marine piling, ground improvement and port pavement design.
Technical Brief
- Framework appointment enables direct call-off for future marine civils without separate OJEU tendering.
- Port setting implies aggressive chloride exposure, driving robust concrete durability and reinforcement detailing requirements.
- Brownfield dock reconfiguration demanded careful tie-ins to existing quay structures and live services.
- Framework status positions McLaughlin & Harvey for repeat-use of temporary works, plant spreads and marine equipment.
- Similar UK ports are increasingly using multi-year frameworks to de-risk procurement for phased quay upgrades.
Our Take
The new Port of Dover frameworks extend a relationship in which the McLaughlin & Harvey–Boskalis Westminster JV has already delivered the £53m Western Docks Revival Stage 3B, so the client is effectively locking in a team with recent, site-specific marine and reclamation experience.
Across our infrastructure coverage, McLaughlin & Harvey now appears repeatedly on complex UK schemes (Rolls-Royce Derby and Bristol facilities, NHS diagnostic centres, and Dover), signalling that the contractor is positioning itself as a go‑to Tier 1 for technically demanding, security‑sensitive and public‑sector backed projects.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Construction
Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.


