Flint was a sponsor of the II Effyia Engieering Workshop “Minining & Geosynthetics: A safe, efficient and sustainable way”. The event brought together: +200 professionals (tickets sold out). +70 reference companies and institutions in Brazil and the world.
Flint Technical Geosolutions is a sponsor of the II Effyia Engineering Workshop, “Mining and Geosynthetics: A safe, efficient and sustainable way” on June 18th!
Flint Technical Geosolutions will be presenting “Innovative Use of High Strength Woven Geotextiles in the Safe Closure of Sludge Lagoons.” The following Flint USA team members will be at the event presenting:
Steve Kretschman*, Julie Kucera, Albert Burger and Jaryd Brenden
The project involved the construction of a revetment in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, USA, required to protect a home and associated infrastructure from erosion. The revetment consisted of installation of 2,317 TITANBags®, five feet wide and ranging in length from 10 to 15 feet.
The project consisted of the construction of a revetment in the town of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, to protect a home and associated infrastructure from being lost due to erosion. Since conventional hardened structures, such as a seawall or sheetpile, could not be permitted by the state regulatory agency, the only viable solution that could be permitted was the use of a soft structure utilizing modular, hydraulically-filled sand containers with self-sealing fill ports proposed by the designer. The revetment consisted of installation of 2,317 TITANBags®, 5 feet wide and ranging in length from 10 feet to 15 feet. The geotextile fabric utilized for the TITANBags® featured an innovative rip-stop weave that prevents a damaged area of the fabric from spreading, as well as being of a sand color to blend in with the beach environment. The container fabric also permitted a higher than normal water flow rate permitting substantially faster filling times, thereby reducing installation duration.
Tubbs Inlet is subject to natural migration to the east and west in response to the geomorphology of the flood and ebb tidal deltas. Since a channel relocation in the 1960’s, a sand spit has been steadily enlarging and growing from the shoreline in Sunset Beach to the east, and toward the town of Ocean Isle Beach. This enlarging sand spit allowed the flood tide delta to build in a manner whereby tidal flows into and out of the tidal prism were directed
closer to the Ocean Isle Beach shoreline. As the area for tidal flow had narrowed, an increasingly deep tidal channel with high water velocities was formed, concentrated directly along the shoreline of the west end of Ocean Isle Beach, then about approximately 7 feet from homes, utilities and a street. The client requested an immediate solution for shoreline erosion protection to prevent the undercutting of a previously installed sand container revetment by
the east side of the rapidly migrating tidal channel, and to eliminate the risk of losing his home and critical infrastructure.
The specified erosion protection design was significantly different from that which is normally addressed with sand filled geotextile containers. With the deep tidal channel having migrated completely onto the shoreline of the property, and with water depths of the up to 22 feet immediately adjacent to the previously installed revetment, the design had to address extreme erosive forces that were ongoing daily.
Anticipated construction methods could not be pursued since no work area existed beyond the toe of the previously installed sand container revetment that had eroded away by the time construction could be initiated. Nearly the entire area beyond this revetment was now part of the deep tidal channel. This necessitated a significant alteration of the design and construction
methodology. An anti-scour apron had to be manufactured to larger than normal dimensions so that it could be carried beyond the bottom of the adjacent deep tidal channel. Methods for placement and securing the anti-scour apron at the bottom of the tidal channel had to be altered as well, enabling it to sink as designed and protect the sand container revetment from
being undercut by the tidal channel as it continued to migrate inland and deepen.
Integral to a successful sand container revetment is an understanding of how the revetment will shift when subjected to the ongoing erosive effects of
ocean waves and currents. The success of the revetment requires a design for the placement of properly sized sand containers in an arrangement that will resist random shifting of the containers within the revetment.
Several obstacles complicated the design and construction of the project. First, a permit by the state regulatory agency would only be issued if one could demonstrate that the property was under imminent threat, meaning that an erosion escarpment lies within 20 feet of the foundation of the structure to be protected. Secondly, state regulations only permitted sand container or sandbag structures of no more than 6 feet in height and a 20 ft. base width.
Eventually, a variance was issued permitting a base width of 58 feet and a not to-exceed height of 12 feet NAVD.
Additionally, this project required the integration of the sand container revetment with an existing stone revetment. The erosion protection needed to be continuous, requiring the sand containers at the end of the revetment to be placed immediately adjacent to the stone. The challenge was to find a solution where the sand container geotextile material would not be compromised by contact with the stone as ocean forces caused both the containers and the
stone to shift in place. This problem was addressed by the selection of a unique Flintex™composite fabric to function as a cushioning layer at the interface.
Once the sand container revetment was completed, sand was spread on
top of the structure to provide UV protection for the sand containers. Salt tolerant vegetation will be planted to stabilize this sand cover, encourage sand accretion and improve aesthetics of the site.
The design and construction of the TITANBag® revetment proved to be a huge success by sufficiently stopping the migration of an ocean inlet. Infrastructure, including structures, utilities and a road were protected and remain intact and functional. To our knowledge, this innovative technique had never before been attempted in such an extreme environment and should have broader applications as an alternative to stone jetties and groins.
When considering the eminent loss of the client’s home, as well as adjacent structures and infrastructure that were at risk of being lost due to erosion, savings as a result of this project are estimated in excess of $10 million.
The Fort Pierce City Marina was severely damaged when Hurricane Francis moved through the central east coast of Florida in 2004, so the project team knew that a stronger, more resilient design was required for the reconstruction.
Located in sensitive coastal habitat, the design also needed to avoid impacts to existing resources and address regulatory constraints on filling open water.
Numerical hydrodynamic and physical modeling tools were used to optimize the structural/functional performance while maximizing the environmental enhancement of the project.
Going beyond just avoiding impacts, the project creates 13 acres of nature-like breakwater islands with more than 21 acres of environmental enhancements including oyster habitat, mangrove plantings, dune grass plantings, seagrass habitat improvements, and shorebird nesting habitat. These biologic elements tie in with the rock of the rubble mound islands to create a system that will become stronger over time.
The project is also recognized for its beneficial reuse of dredged material: all of the sand for the construction of the large dune-like island was dredged from existing navigation channels (30,000 cubic yards) or reclaimed from dredged material management areas (120,000 cubic yards).
Flint’s Julie Kucera co-taught “Designing for Coastal Protection, Beneficial use of Dredged Materials and Sediment Dewatering with Geotextile Tubes” at the Dredging 2015 Conference in Savannah.
Event Details:
Location: Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A.
When: October 19-22, 2015 | Where: Hyatt Regency
website: http://pianc.sites.usa.gov
This award winning project use TITANTube® dewatering tubes. It is listed as ENR Midwest Best Projects 2015:
In spring 2010, an oil pipeline burst, discharging more than 800,000 gallons of oil into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River. The remediation of the Morrow Lake and Delta areas began in 2014.
The project employed more than 30 dredges, barges and other pieces of heavy equipment—along with approximately 10,000 linear ft of dredge pipe—within a 327-acre operational area accessed through one entry/exit point. To minimize traffic, crews utilized remote-operated booster pumps, which reduced the labor requirements and associated support equipment. Post-dredging surveying confirmed that remedial action levels were achieved.
Click HERE to read the full article
A stacked sand-filled geotextile tube structure was specified to form the perimeter of Tern Island with the interior filled with sand. From this island, groins constructed of sand-filled geotextile tubes as a core for the structures project outward. These tubes were installed on top of stone-filled marine mattresses that served as a foundation layer, as well as offering scour protection. Over the geotextile tubes, thicker stone-filled polymeric mattresses were installed as an intermediate armor layer to minimize the overall stone thickness required. Ultimately, a final layer of large armor stone was installed over these mattresses to provide additional protection from a storm surge. The peninsula that projects from the mainland was constructed in a similar manner.
Since the tubes were filled with unwashed quarry sand, a geotextile composite fabric was initially specified to contain the sand fines and reduce potential turbidity, as well as to provide high UV resistance. The geotextile fabric was sand color to blend in with the environment should it become exposed.
In 2014, hurricanes Fran and Jeanne inflicted substantial damage to the Ft. Pierce Marina’s inner docks and caused the complete loss of its outer docks. The client desired a design to provide hazard mitigation against future storm events as well as environmentally enhancing the Indian River Lagoon.
Rather than use a composite geotextile at a significantly higher cost for constructing the geotextile tubes, an innovative woven geotextile was approved as an alternative since it met the specified turbidity criteria, had significantly higher UV resistance than that of the composite fabric, and had a high angle of friction permitting the tubes to be stacked while minimizing the possibility of slippage.
Because the tubes were an integral structural component of the island system, extensive consideration was given to the integrity of the geotextile fabric and seams. This design improved on the design of similar, but much larger, projects previously constructed in the Middle East.The innovative fabric used to construct the geotextile tubes proved to be an ideal alternative to the geotextile composite originally specified at significantly less cost to the owner. Only minimal turbidity from the tubes was observed and no tube slippage or construction damage to the tubes was encountered.Although on a smaller scale, this artificial island system is the first project in Florida to replicate the natural barrier islands along the southern Atlantic coastline of the U.S. A waterfront mosaic was created with the structures having varying heights and widths, all while protecting the marina—its primary purpose. Additionally, this innovative green project permits habitat and recreational activity to coexist in the environment. It provides hazard mitigation against future storm events, as well as enhancing the Indian River Lagoon. Mangroves and coastal dune vegetation were planted to stabilize the islands and provide additional habitat. Oyster shells and lime rock were used at lower elevations to promote the establishment of oyster beds, bottom communities and other essential fish habitats.This is an innovative project that will enhance tourism, fishing, birding, as well as promoting interest in downtown development. Because it provides excellent storm protection as well as being habitat driven, it is a win/win for all parties involved.
Deer Island is a 3.5-mile long spindle-shaped island located just off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi. The island is owned by the State of Mississippi and is part of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) Coastal Preserves Program. One of the aims of the MDMR program is to preserve and restore Mississippi’s coastal ecosystems to perpetuate their natural characteristics, features, ecological integrity, social, economic, and aesthetic values for future benefit. As one of the most important properties in the Coastal Preserves Program, the restoration of Deer Island has received considerable interest. The Deer Island Restoration Project is part of an on-going, multiple-project, joint effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mobile District, the MDMR, and local environmental groups to restore Deer Island to its 1850’s footprint.
Though much of Deer Island endured through catastrophic storm events over the last century including Hurricanes Camille, Ivan, and Katrina, the storms destroyed forested areas, significantly eroded the sandy shoreline, and left elevations too low to support marsh vegetation. The primary objective of the Deer Island Restoration Project was the restoration of marsh along the Mississippi coast for environmental benefit. Through creative thinking, innovative design concepts, and collaborative partnering, the USACE, MDMR, and local stakeholders, also identified several other objectives for the project. Together, the project team and stakeholders developed a plan that would deliver economic and social benefits as well.
The Deer Island Restoration Project included the filling of the west end breach, the restoration of the southern shoreline, and strategic vegetation plantings. Approximately 1.95 cubic yards of hydraulically-dredged material from a nearby borrow site were utilized to fill the west end breach and restore the southern shoreline. Over 300,000 plants were planted on the island and, currently, another 325,000 plants are being planted. Importantly, the project included the construction of a 1 million cubic yard capacity lagoon specifically designed for the beneficial use placement of fine-grained dredged material from Federally-authorized navigation channels. 170,000 cubic yards of dredged material were placed in the lagoon in October 2011.
The principles and practices used for the Deer Island Restoration Project provide significant environmental benefits for the region, as well as protection for the City of Biloxi from storm events, recreation opportunities for people, and hard-to-come-by economically feasible
and environmentally acceptable beneficial use opportunities for dredged material. The project is a credit to the USACE Mobile District, the MDMR, and the stakeholders whose efforts yielded such diverse and important benefits.
Full article, click here
Most of the muck is gone from Wares Creek in Bradenton and officials from the city and federal government are pleased with how the first major phase of the creek clean-up project progressed.
But looking out over the creek that runs through the heart of downtown Bradenton, resident Cody Giltner said he does not see much that was changed by the main dredging portion of the nearly $52 million project that is among the largest creek restoration efforts in the region’s history.
“For $51 million, you’d think they would have done the other side of the Manatee Avenue bridge,” said Giltner, who has lived on Virginia Drive West near the creek for two years.
Still, Giltner and others say the creek is clearly deeper and flowing more, with less muck visible at low tide. “Removing the mud makes it less of an eyesore,” he said.
Plus, he admits, the dredging caused less trouble than he first feared. “I expected a lot more noise and a lot more smell,” Giltner said.
But City Councilman Patrick Roff said he is happy with the progress that has been made, and he notes that more work to improve the creek, including removal of overhanging trees and other impediments, will be done soon.
The dredging is finished, and those giant bags on the south side of Manatee Avenue West that are filled with sediment eventually will be gone. Manatee County owns the land, there, said Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston.
The $51.7 million project was long a dream of city officials because of flooding in the area during heavy rains and due to the mucky, clogged look of the creek.
The dredging company rose to the occasion, Roff said.
For full article: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120813/ARTICLE/120819869/0/fast