Å®ÓÅÒùÍÞÅàѵӪ

REVITALIZING A CENTURY OLD STRUCTURE

Durocher Marine has successfully installed a new steel sheet pile wall and concrete cap structure in the Cleveland Harbor, enclosing a portion of the existing break wall that dates back to the 1800’s.   The dated structure composed of wooden timbers, stone, and concrete has served as a barrier between open Lake Erie waters and the busy commercial and recreational harbor for over 120 years.

INSIDE THE PROJECT

Construction on the Cleveland Harbor break wall began in 1827 and took nearly half a decade to complete. Over the year’s repairs have been made to stabilize the break wall, but with the rising water elevations and failing timber foundations, it was required that the break wall be rebuilt. Upon receipt of funding the US Army Corps of Engineers contracted Å®ÓÅÒùÍÞÅàѵӪ Industrial to complete the 400 ft reconstruction. The work includes driving steel sheet pile around the existing concrete break wall, backfilling the sheets with stone, and installing a new 2-foot concrete cap. The construction will result in a very modern, up to date steel sheet pile wall that will serve the community for a long time. 

Preliminary surveys showed that the failing timber foundation was worse than expected. Upon evaluation, portions of the wall were shifting which would have caused obstructions when installing the new sheet wall. In response, Å®ÓÅÒùÍÞÅàѵӪ proposed a change order to make the wall one pair of sheets wider allowing for no obstruction which prevented additional change orders during the construction process and an overall better product at the end of the job.

WHY IT MATTERS

Over the years Lake Erie has exerted heavy wave and ice energy on the wall, pushing, pulling, and twisting the materials out of alignment.   Special care, planning, and precise positioning of equipment and new materials was critical to avoid potential underwater conflicts, including a 3,100 square foot exclusion zone with unidentified historical structures requiring preservation.

The protection of Cleveland’s commercial ports, and safe access to the Cuyahoga river system for transportation of commodities amounts to tens of millions of tons in cargo per year, which is critical to the local, regional, and the global economy.

BEYOND THE PROJECT

Å®ÓÅÒùÍÞÅàѵӪ has consistently performed work for the USACE for decades and continues to provide quality work on America’s marine infrastructure in a safe and effective manner.  This project is another example of our ability to meet and exceed challenging requirements in the marine industry.