The massive redevelopment of the Grand Bahama Shipyard has officially culminated in industry-wide recognition, shifting from an ambitious vision into an award-winning operational reality as 2026 draws to a close. Moving far beyond initial projections, this fast-track design-build expansion successfully established the premier Caribbean hub as the largest cruise ship repair facility in the world. The complex project required navigating active shipyard logistics, tight marine traffic lanes, and unpredictable hurricane seasons while injecting an estimated $350 million annually into the regional economy and generating over 1,000 full-time jobs for Bahamians. This historic maritime transformation is now complete, marked by the arrival of the record-breaking 2XL floating dry dock structure, which was transported in a single piece onboard the heavy-lift ship Boca Vanguard and floated directly into its permanent mooring. 

Orion Marine Construction Bahamas, LLC and Orion Engineering were chosen to spearhead this ambitious maritime expansion due to a legendary century-long corporate legacy of delivering complex marine infrastructure on time and within budget. Celebrated for their elite marine and civil engineering capabilities, the Orion team designed and constructed a pile-supported finger pier, four dry dock mooring dolphins, and 14 pile-supported access structures while managing the dredging of 500,000 cubic yards of material. Faced with a remote island environment where redundant fleet assets or replacement parts were entirely unavailable, Orion carefully sequenced operations to maintain continuous production. Their expert engineering team even devised an innovative buoyancy-assisted tandem lifting method using a temporary pile plug to submerge and upend massive piles, keeping extreme 85-ton loads safely within the capacity of their onsite crane fleet and earning Orion Marine the prestigious 2026 Pile Driving Contractors Association Project of the Year Award. 

To anchor this record-breaking infrastructure into changing subsurface layers, Orion Marine partnered with International Construction Equipment, Inc. to rent a high-performance deep foundation fleet capable of driving steel pipe piles measuring up to 84" in diameter and over 120' in length. As originally highlighted in the ICE® Grand Bahama Shipyard job story in 2025, the crew first deployed the high-efficiency ICE® 130C Vibratory Hammer to rapidly advance the heavy steel through loose sandy soils, utilizing its massive 415 tons of driving force and a maximum frequency of 1450 vpm. Because the vibratory system faced intense pressure variables and harsh Caribbean temperatures, ICE® relied on ultra-durable Hydrauli-Flex™ hydraulic hoses to ensure seamless fluid transfer and precise control without risking project downtime. Once the piles reached underlying bedrock, impact driving operations transitioned to the heavy-duty ICE® D-100 Diesel Hammer paired with rigid ICE® 98" OS Leaders to seat the piles into hard limestone. This powerful diesel hammer delivered an incredible impact energy of up to 258.7 kNm per blow, holding strict placement tolerances of plus or minus 1" while a Saximeter monitoring system tracked hammer strokes to verify stable rock-bearing installation. 

The resounding success of this monumental shipyard expansion brings immense pride to the local community, with Grand Bahama residents celebrating a secure economic future filled with sustainable, high-skilled career opportunities. International Construction Equipment, Inc. extends its deepest appreciation to the visionary professionals at Orion Marine for trusting our cutting-edge foundation technology to anchor a new era of global maritime excellence. Congratulations on winning this award! 

Learn more about the ICE® D-100 Diesel Hammer, ICE® 130C Vibratory Hammer and assortment of ICE® Leads & Spotters

Media Contact-       
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA       
Vice President 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc    
The Hose Company   
Office - 704-821-8200       
Email - marketing@iceusa.com/info@hydraulichose.com