CLAS – International Expertise in the Construction, Inspection and Certification of Breakwaters
Independent Expertise in Breakwaters Built with Artificial Concrete Armour Units
For more than three decades, CLAS – Concrete Layer Assistance & Survey (formerly IDMer) has supported breakwater construction, rehabilitation and assessment projects worldwide.
Expertise in Highly Interlocking Single-Layer Artificial Concrete Armour Unit Systems
CLAS is a fully independent company, recognized for:
– the technical rigor of its operations;
– its expertise in the installation methods of highly interlocking single-layer artificial concrete armour units;
– its experience in technical assistance, underwater inspection and certification of port and maritime structures.
Technical Assistance, Underwater Inspection and Certification
CLAS stands out through an operational approach based on on-site technical assistance, underwater inspection and the certification of port and maritime structures.
Its engineers, inspectors and professional divers operate directly on construction sites, both on the surface and underwater, to ensure control of installation operations, compliance with geometric tolerances, and the quality of interlocking of artificial concrete armour units.
Our History and Our Mission
Excellence, transparency and innovation are at the core of CLAS’s DNA.
CLAS is committed to:
– contributing to the long-term durability of maritime structures;
– supporting high standards of quality in construction execution;
– transferring recognised best practices in construction;
– and providing sustainable technical support for maritime infrastructure in demanding environments.
Each mission is driven by a clear objective:
to contribute to the delivery of reliable, compliant and durable breakwaters, based on modern single-layer, highly interlocking artificial concrete armour unit technologies.
International Experience with Artificial Concrete Armour Unit Systems for Breakwaters
With more than one million artificial concrete armour units installed, inspected or assessed, CLAS has developed unique experience across the main armour unit systems used worldwide for port, industrial and energy-related maritime structures.
Expertise and Certification of Complex Port and Maritime Structures
CLAS also intervenes in the context of technical and judicial expert assessments relating to maritime breakwaters built with artificial concrete armour units, in particular in cases of structural defects, armour layer failures, or incidents occurring during operation.
Some prestigious examples:
Expert assessments of damaged breakwaters.
Judicial expert assessment of the armour layer of the ZIFMAR breakwater – Sète (France), 2004.
Armour layer expert assessment – Das Island (Abu Dhabi), 2012.
Findings and analysis of damaged armour units, 2018.
Certification of the quality of numerous structures, including the Kuantan breakwater in Malaysia, providing 4,500 meters of armour layer certified as a CLASS A BREAKWATER in 2019 by CLAS.
Construction works of the Kuantan breakwater in Malaysia.
Awarding of the CLASS A Breakwater certificate to IJM-CHEC for the excellent work carried out with full-time technical assistance from CLAS.
A CLAS inspector overseeing the placement of armour units on the Kuantan breakwater in Malaysia.
Emergency placement of artificial concrete armour units on the breakwaters of the major Port-La-Nouvelle construction project, in collaboration with BOUYGUES.
The CLAS diver guides the crane movements to achieve perfect interlocking of the armour units during the Port-La-Nouvelle project in 2022.
CLAS divers installed the 2,000 artificial concrete armour units of the offshore breakwater at Port-La-Nouvelle in just two months, in 2021.
Installation of artificial concrete armour units from a barge on the Port-La-Nouvelle construction site in 2022.
Technical support provided to NMDC for the construction of the armour layers of the breakwaters protecting the seawater intake structures of the BARAKAH nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi, involving the placement of 110,000 CORELOC armour units.
CLAS experts trained the divers in the safe use of excavators for the placement of CORELOC armour units on the BARAKAH project in Abu Dhabi.
Underwater inspection of CORELOC armour unit placement by divers on the BARAKAH project in Abu Dhabi.
Training of divers in the installation of CORELOC armour units on the BARAKAH project in Abu Dhabi.
Independence with respect to trademarks and usage rights
CLAS operates with complete independence in its assistance, inspection, expert assessment and certification missions related to maritime breakwater armour layers.
Within this framework, CLAS does not act as a designer, manufacturer, or holder of intellectual property rights relating to the artificial armour unit systems implemented by third parties on the projects concerned.
When projects involve systems covered by a trademark or usage rights owned by third parties, CLAS intervenes exclusively as an independent technical service provider, at the request of the project owner or the contractor, within the contractual framework defined between the parties concerned.
Scope of Our Interventions
CLAS acts as an independent technical service provider, delivering on-site operational services tailored to the technical, regulatory and contractual requirements of maritime projects, including:
– training of site teams in safety rules and in the installation methods of artificial concrete armour units;
– continuous technical assistance on site, both at the surface and underwater, provided by qualified professional divers;
– control of implementation and compliance with geometric tolerances, including underwater checks by direct visual observation;
– underwater inspection of structures under construction or completed, carried out by diving teams integrated within CLAS;
– certification of execution quality based on factual findings established on site, both above and below water;
– independent expert assessment of structures, conducted free from any conflict of interest.
Hyperbaric Works and Inspection by Certified Professional Divers
CLAS has its own teams of professional divers and is certified for hyperbaric works, in accordance with the regulations currently in force.
This operational capability enables CLAS to intervene in contexts where the presence of divers is explicitly required by contracts, technical specifications or safety constraints, and to provide a level of direct control particularly well suited to maritime structures built with artificial concrete armour units.
CLAS is a company certified for Hyperbaric Works by a COFRAC-accredited body.
All of its divers are also IMCA and HSE certified, in accordance with the highest international standards.
A Philosophy Based on Services and Results
CLAS’s services are based on an approach focused on operational services, aimed at providing concrete support to site teams and securing the final quality of the structures.
These services are billed on a daily or per-mission basis and are based on an obligation of result, covering safety, compliance of execution, quality of placement, and the achievement of the contractually defined operational objectives.
Our Commitment
CLAS’s philosophy is based on four fundamental principles: independence, rigor, results, and economic performance.
Our objective is to contribute to the delivery of durable, compliant, and safely executed maritime structures, while ensuring full operational control of the construction site and of the armour layer installation.
Thanks to a rigorous organization, continuous on-site presence, and proven procedures, operations become smoother, safer, and more efficient.
They provide companies with operational reliability, reduced risks, compliance with schedules, and improved project profitability, regardless of the armour unit system implemented.
Our Services – Assistance, Supervision and Certification
CLAS intervenes at all stages of the project, from the initial training of site teams through to the final certification of the structures.
Our consultants notably provide:
– training of personnel in safety rules and installation techniques;
– technical supervision during the construction phase;
– quality control of the underlayer, bedding layers, and armour layer;
– validation of compliance in accordance with CLAS Certification standards;
– issuance of the CLASS A Breakwater certificate, attesting to the observed level of execution quality.
BREAKWATER SOLUTION™: A Structured Technical Approach
The BREAKWATER SOLUTION™ concept, developed by CLAS, brings together all the technical, documentary, and methodological elements required for the construction of high-performance maritime breakwaters, using armour units falling within the industrial public domain, in compliance with contractual requirements and established engineering best practices.
Why trust CLAS to accelerate, secure, and successfully deliver your maritime breakwater projects?
The success of an armour layer built with artificial concrete units depends not only on the quality of the design drawings and training, but also on the ability to intervene effectively on site when conditions require it.
CLAS supports site teams directly on the construction site, both at the surface and underwater.
Our inspectors and professional divers are trained in hyperbaric safety, placement methodology, and the operational requirements of maritime projects.
This organization makes it possible to reduce uncertainties, improve production continuity, secure the quality of interlocking, and achieve verifiable execution compliance.
Key Figures
– More than one million artificial concrete armour units installed, assessed, and certified by CLAS worldwide;
– Over 50 projects completed across four continents;
– 30 years of combined experience in the installation of highly interlocking armour units;
– A recognized presence on some of the most emblematic projects, including Khalifa, Dung Quat, Bastia, Constanza, Argelès, Dakar, Port-La-Nouvelle, Kuantan, and many others.
An Independent and Neutral Approach
CLAS operates in complete independence and maintains no capital, commercial, or contractual relationship with trademark holders or license vendors.
Our mission is to guarantee the quality of execution and technical compliance of the structures, independently of any brand, supplier, or usage-right considerations.
This neutrality forms the foundation of the trust placed in CLAS by project owners, engineering consultants, and maritime construction companies on demanding international projects.