Vinyl Sheet Piling Helps Revitalize Waterfront Area
After Hurricane Katrina devastated its waterfront and downtown area, the city of Bay St. Louis, Miss., embarked upon a multi-year municipal harbor and pier project designed to spur economic development and increase tourism. The project includes four piers with room for a fifth, approximately 168 boat slips, a fuel dock, convenience pavilion, parking, restrooms and a harbor master facility. Thousands of feet of ShoreGuard vinyl sheet piling from Crane Materials Intl. (CMI) was used for the project.
Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, Bay St. Louis is home to more than 10,000 people. The city offers pristine beaches, a pedestrian bridge with an art walk, restaurants, shops and beautiful water views. Like several other Gulf Coast cities, Bay St. Louis experienced extensive damage after Hurricane Katrina. Once recovery efforts were underway, the city assembled a local business group—the Bay Area Recovery Team —to find opportunities that would enhance the visitor and citizen experience. After assessing various options, the team decided that a downtown harbor would be the biggest asset to the city. Dale Partners Architects P.A. in Biloxi, Miss., was enlisted to create a feasibility study and provide all architectural services as well as MEMA/FEMA coordination. Gulfport, Miss.,-based Brown, Mitchell & Alexander Inc. (BMA) have served as the project’s engineers and overseen the design and construction of the harbor. The new harbor creates a waterfront gateway for the Bay St. Louis downtown district. The harbor is connected to a recreational fishing pier and the downtown boulevard provides access for both tourists and residents to the new development. The first phase of construction began in November 2012.
The design included approximately 1,100 linear ft of CMI’s 22-ft ShoreGuard 950 vinyl sheet pile, which was used as a breakwater on the North side (lee side) of the new harbor. Though a thinner ShoreGuard profile was originally specified, BMA project engineer Jason Chiniche worked closely with CMI Regional Sales Manager, Steve Williams, and the general contractor, Brett Audibert, with Slidell, La.,-based Gill’s Crane & Dozer Service to determine the benefits of a larger profile. The SG-950 was ultimately selected for its high design strength, durability, performance and sustainability. Unlike traditional construction materials such as wood or steel, ShoreGuard is corrosion resistant, UV resistant and impervious to marine worm damage. In fact, ShoreGuard has been optimized over decades using CMI’s XCR Manufacturing Technologies. Vinyl sheet piling is also lightweight and easy-to-install, saving time and money on-site. Chiniche noted that using ShoreGuard the installation of the wall was “much cleaner and faster.”
Working with CMI and BMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was able to install several thousand feet of 16-ft long SG-625 at the toe of the seawall. In addition to providing extra structural support, ShoreGuard incorporates the company’s patented I-Beam Lock Technology, which enhances the lock integrity and seam reliability of the sheets. This technology helped protect the seawall from damage due to wave erosion from Hurricane Isaac, which recently hit the Bay St. Louis area.
Gulfport, Miss.-based Simpkins & Costelli, Inc. is serving as the project’s structural engineers. The Bay St. Louis Municipal Harbor and Pier project is slated to be complete in the spring of 2014.
Source: Crane Materials Intl.