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WRA Abstracts Accepted for Ports 2016.

Baltimore, MD – Wayne Chang, Siva Kesavan, Matthew McCarty, Patrick O’Brien, Thomas Ripley, Cameron Troxel, William Young, and Jeremy Schlussel submitted abstracts which were accepted for presentation and publication at the 2016 Ports Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Ports Conference is the preeminent event held by the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI), a semi-autonomous institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the country's oldest national engineering society. The conference is held only once every three years. A short description of each of WRA’s conference presentation is below.

Post Hurricane Sandy Beach Erosion Protection

William Young, Siva Kesevan and Wayne Chang’s presentation details the effects Hurricane Sandy had on the beaches in Delaware, including the beach adjacent to the newly constructed Charles W. Cullen Bridge, which stretches across the Indian River Inlet along Delaware State Route 1. It explains Delaware Department of Transportation’s (DelDOT) emergency plan which assembled a team of engineers and construction contractors to engage in emergency repair services to reestablish protection for the northern approach. The design and construction efforts will be of interest to conference attendees because it shows the speed at which a project can be planned, designed, and built when time is of the essence. 

A Case Study and Recommendation for Large Diameter FRP Monopile Dolphin Systems

Matthew McCarty, Patrick O’Brien, Thomas Ripley, and Cameron Troxel’s presentation discusses the recently completed study and design of first of its kind Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) pile dolphins at the Jamestown Ferry in Virginia. The Jamestown Ferry, along with a large portion of the United States ferry system, relies on timber pile dolphins for berthing operations. As ferry boats increased in size and environmental regulations tightened, the continued use of timber pile dolphins has become far less cost effective. As a result, ferry owners are seeking alternatives to timber piles.  Virginia Department of Transportation in conjunction with WRA developed a dolphin replacement program for the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry that utilizes composite materials to maximize lifecycle cost effectiveness and minimizes service disruptions while maintaining the safe operation of the ferry system. The program utilizes the latest FRP pile technologies, materials, and production capabilities. As a result, over 1850 fracture-prone timber piles will be replaced with 35 large-diameter FRP monopile dolphins, with an expected lifecycle cost equal to one-third of the cost of the current system.

Selection, Design, and Construction of Two Fender System Replacements: Case Study and Recommendations

Matthew McCarty and Jeremy Schlussel’s presentation discusses the study, design, construction, and lessons learned for two different bridge fender systems for the Virginia Department of Transportation. The design strategies for this fender replacement program, developed and implemented by VDOT, are complicated by low overhead clearance under bridge decks, need to maintain channel width, presence of large fast-moving vessels, and presence of underwater cables and obstructions at each site. Additionally, the fender solution being low-maintenance is a top priority. The case study will address the progression of the fender replacement from study through design and construction. 

Replacement of Mallory Pier at United States Merchant Marine Academy

Wayne Chang and Thomas Ripley’s paper focuses on the recently replaced Mallory Pier at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York, which had fallen into a state of disrepair and could no longer safely fill its role in USMMA’s training missions. It discusses the modernization of the Academy’s waterfront, in which a new pier was designed and constructed as one of the capital improvement projects implemented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD) under United States Department of Transportation. The paper details the scope of work, successes, and challenges encountered during the Mallory Pier replacement project from the study phase through construction completion in 2014.