Marinas

Glovers Wharf, Recreational Marina & Commercial Marina

gzadan — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 20:12:01 +0000

Glovers Wharf, Recreational Marina & Commercial Marina gzadan Mon, 08/24/2020 - 16:12

The City of Beverly, Massachusetts owns abutting waterfront properties at Glovers Wharf, Ferry Landing, and the Commercial/Harbormaster facilities in Beverly Harbor. GZA provided engineering services for the planning, evaluation, permitting, and design, as well as construction support services for various floating dock systems, timber pier, concrete and steel wharf, bulkhead, backland, and dredging.

Challenge

The City was looking to maintain, repair, and improve their facilities in Beverly Harbor. Work proceeded in two phases as grant monies became available.

Solution

Phase I improvements were completed in 2011 at Glovers Wharf and a portion of Ferry Landing. This included replacement of the deteriorated pile supported Glovers Wharf, granite block seawall repair, steel sheetpile bulkhead replacement, a new 1,500 square foot section of transient docks, and replacement and reconfiguration of the recreational marina. The new transient docks consisted of a pile-anchored, concrete floating dock system. Due to variability in the shallow bedrock, GZA worked with the contractor to determine the necessary rock socket lengths for each pile. Water use regulations at the time necessitated design of a bottom-anchored system for the 5,300 square foot concrete floating dock system for the recreational marina. Also, 270 linear feet of seawall and shoreline bulkhead were replaced with a steel sheet pile bulkhead. The bulkhead was designed as a cantilever wall; however, the shallow bedrock limited toe embedment within the Ferry Landing and necessitated a design change during construction. Approximately 115 linear feet of bulkhead was adjusted to a tie-back system using a steel sheet pile deadman. Access to the recreational marina was provided via the transient docks with ADA compliant gangway access.

Within Ferry Landing, maintenance and improvement dredging were completed. As part of the water quality certification, air monitoring of hydrogen sulfide gas during dredging and pH adjustment of the dredged material during dewatering were required. GZA coordinated with the contractor to comply with regulatory requirements

Phase II included the replacement of the remaining transient floating docks and replacement and reconfiguration of the Harbormaster and Commercial Marina facilities. The systems consisted of 10,400 square feet of concrete floating docks with guide piles. As was the case during Phase I, rock socket lengths were adjusted at each pile location.

Benefit

City facilities were enhanced and upgraded to improve services to users.

Design, permitting, and construction support
Replacement of wharf, seawall, bulkhead, recreational marina, transient floating docks, and harbormaster/commercial marina
Air and pH monitoring during dredge dewatering
Seaport Advisory Council grant through the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

Water

Waterfront and Coastal Engineering

Brown and Howard Wharf Marina

gzadan — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 17:32:44 +0000

Brown and Howard Wharf Marina gzadan Mon, 08/24/2020 - 13:32

Brown and Howard Wharf extends from historic Thames Street into Newport Harbor in Newport, Rhode Island. The original solid filled stone seawall wharf was built in stages over 100 years ago and was most recently used as a small marina consisting of watercraft vessel storage during the winter or vehicular parking during the summer, dingy dockage, and fueling station.

Challenge

A new development consisting of three multi-story condominiums, a new boat house, a new pile supported marginal wharf, and a full-service marina were proposed for the site. The site is underlain by miscellaneous loose fill over the old organic harbor bottom. The development was originally designed using pile foundations with structural beams and slabs. The high foundation costs prompted a search for alternatives.

Solution

GZA investigated several ground improvement techniques to solve the problems and to allow for the safe construction of the building foundations. To use shallow foundations, the loose fill had to be densified in place. Excavation and replacement of unsuitable materials would require a large-scale earthwork operation, with deep excavations extending well below high tide. A combination of Deep Dynamic Compaction (DDC) and Vibratory Probe Compaction (VPC) were used to densify the fill soils in place and surcharging was used to consolidate the underlying organic soil. In addition, GZA recommended the use of a base reinforcement design for the subgrade soils located directly below the proposed foundations since the foundations were constructed 4.5 feet below high tide. The base reinforcement served as a working mat during construction and helped to limit differential settlements between columns. The reinforced mat allowed construction equipment to work on the site even when the subgrade was below the tidal level.

The new steel sheet pile bulkhead was designed such that the anchor rods were located below the new building foundations. The base reinforcement mat was located just above the anchor system to afford some level of protection for the anchor rods. The use of alternative ground improvement techniques for shallow foundation and slab on-grade construction instead of pile foundation and structural slabs provides a cost-effective solution to the client.

Benefit

The goals of the development program were met with an improved and cost- effective foundation design.

Innovative and cost-effective approach to remediate loose urban-fill for support of shallow foundations
Use of geogrid reinforced stone subgrade to float shallow foundations over soft soils
Design of steel sheet pile bulkhead to allow buildings to be constructed over the anchor system
Cost-effective design

Water

Transportation & Infrastructure

Waterfront and Coastal Engineering

Massachusetts Office of Fishing and Boating Access Projects

gzadan — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 16:23:29 +0000

Massachusetts Office of Fishing and Boating Access Projects gzadan Mon, 08/24/2020 - 12:23

Challenge

The Massachusetts Office of Fishing and Boating Access (OFBA) manages several boat launch ramps throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These facilities are located in varying shoreline locations, including rivers, lakes, bays, lagoons, and harbors. Maintenance and upgrades are required.

Solution

Over the past twenty years GZA has been retained to provide professional engineering services to the OFBA for the reconstruction of existing boat ramp and construction of new boat ramps at various locations throughout the state, including Plymouth Harbor Boat Ramp, Plymouth; Falmouth Inner Harbor Boat Ramp, Falmouth; Lagoon Pond Boat Ramp, Tisbury; Pease Park Boat Ramp, Fairhaven; Holland Boat Ramp, Holland; Otis Boat Ramp, Otis; Connecticut River Boat Ramps, Easthampton; Gill Boat Ramp, Gill; Winthrop Town Landing Boat Ramp, Winthrop; Town Bathing Beach Boat Ramp, Hingham; and Lake Congamond Boat Ramps, Southwick. In light of the sensitive environmental setting of these projects, GZA has strived to incorporate best management practices and low-impact development measures.

Benefit

Design efforts on these projects focuses on providing an improved boater-friendly facility, but also one that is ADA accessible to the greatest extent possible.

Retained by OFBA for boat ramp projects for over twenty years
In-house knowledge to successfully complete all components of public boat launching facilities
In-house design of waterfront and upland components of boat launching facilities

Water

Waterfront and Coastal Engineering

Cape Ann Marina

gzadan — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 12:55:35 +0000

Cape Ann Marina gzadan Thu, 06/11/2020 - 08:55

Challenge

Cape Ann’s Marina Resort offers waterfront accommodations, restaurants, spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and event venues, as well as the Cape Ann Marina for boat dockage, fueling and storage. The facility is located on the Annisquam River near mile marker one of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. With increased occurrences of flooding during Nor’easters and King Tides, GZA is providing phased improvement projects integrating natural hazards mitigation planning and flood mitigation measures that are aligned with the marina’s long-term business plan.

Solution

Since 2003, GZA has provided engineering services to Cape Ann Marina. Our multi-year services began with a maintenance dredging project and continued with reconfiguration, inspection, and repair designs for the marina facility, piers, and shoreline retaining structures. Experiencing the impacts of increased flooding from Nor’easter storms and exceptionally high tide events, the owners of Cape Ann Marina have retained GZA to assess the impacts of climate change to their business from extreme flooding events and sea level rise. To begin preparing for these increased impacts, current and planned routine maintenance and repair projects are now integrating resilient design and flood mitigation measures.

Benefit

Integrating flood resiliency into asset management allows Cape Ann Marina to be proactive on addressing physical and transitional risks associated with climate change while investing in incremental capital improvements for its long-term sustainability.

Phased capital improvements for resiliency to natural hazards
Maintenance dredging
Inspections of waterfront structures
Design and repair of waterfront structures

Water

Waterfront and Coastal Engineering