Extensive monitoring in Balsfjord
Cautus Geo monitors pore pressure, anchoring and the environment at Bergneset harbour.
12. 12th November 2025
Written by Rino Andersen
Bergneset harbour is the third largest port for goods in Troms County. Its capacity is to be increased. This summer, Cautus Geo started installing a lot of equipment.
Bergneset harbour is owned and operated by Balsfjord municipality. A new 80-metre quay is being built. It will all be completed in January 2027.
The port at the heart of the Balsfjord is one of Northern Norway's largest harbours. The annual cargo volume is between 500,000 and 600,000 tonnes. The current quay length is 132 metres. Capacity is occasionally overloaded. The NOK 400 million expansion includes both quay and storage.
In front of schedule
Repstad Anlegg is the main contractor for quick clay stabilisation, backfilling and dredging. Despite the demanding ground conditions, normal harbour activities, and working closely with the cornerstone company Cargill, which produces fish feed, and regular calls and traffic to Bergneset Pukk & Grus, Perpetuum, Senja Avfall and other local companies, progress is good.
- The work has gone smoothly. "We've used a bubble curtain during jet peeling. This has safeguarded ship traffic and normal harbour operations while protecting against sediments," says Thomas Gran-Henriksen of Repstad Anlegg.
Lots of instrumentation
Cautus Geo has installed 11 pore pressure gauges at various depths below the seabed. In addition, two vertical inclinometers have been established to fit the anchoring towards land.
Turbidity meters have been installed in the sea. This is to ensure that particles from the backfilling work do not spread into the fjord without triggering the alarm.
- Monitoring is automatic and continuous. If set values are breached, an alarm is triggered by SMS and e-mail," say project managers Mathias Skaar Strand and Anders Brekkenes (turbidity) at Cautus Geo.
Data can be read in real time in Cautus Web.
Necessary security
The ground conditions are demanding. In 1988, a major quick clay landslide occurred in the area.
- The client has set strict requirements. That's why we have established good routines with our own manual measurements using a total station. In addition, automatic systems from Cautus Geo continuously monitor pore pressure, settlement points and turbidity. We want it to be as safe as possible," says Gran-Henriksen.
An alarm is triggered if changes occur. It is set up for both developers and contractors.
- If an alarm is triggered, we must stop work and assess the situation and possible measures. We have a good set of rules for this. So far, everything has worked very well and without problems," says Gran-Henriksen.
Equipment in the monitoring system:
- Pore pressure gauges - 11 in different depths under the seabed
- Vertical inclinometers - 2 of up to 15 metres in the transition between land and sea
- Turbidity meters in sea - 4 pcs, including reference meter
- CL3 loggers and Campel loggers
- Cautus Web - insight solution including real-time analytics and alert and alarm system
