To increase the port’s general cargo handling capacity by more than 15%, this project included the demolition of a failed dock structure and construction of a new state-of-the-art general cargo dock. This is the largest of 20 projects under the Port of Beaumont’s capital improvement program.

The original 100-year-old dock at the Main Street Terminal collapsed in 2012, with the original concrete slab sliding into the water due to steel pile corrosion. Most of the concrete structure was submerged 40 ft underwater, with near-zero visibility. The contractor first needed to remove everything directly on and just below the subsurface mudline before installing the new dock in the old dock’s footprint, where underwater obstructions would have hindered pile-driving installation.

Divers and an unmanned survey vessel surveyed the underwater area and identified obstructions. Then, crews used custom field fabricated punches and demolition tools to break up debris into manageable pieces before removal. A custom fabricated 40-ft pile with a steel tip helped the team strategically break up the old dock without creating excess debris underwater.

Photo by McCarthy Building Cos.

To minimize divers’ exposure to hazards, especially given the zero visibility conditions and the unstable structure, the team strategically drove steel pipes at key points along the collapsed structure to prevent shifting during the selective demolition process.

The small congested site made crane maneuvering and access difficult, so piles were brought in via water and pile-driving proceeded during night shifts. Pile refusal criteria had to be carefully considered, as this was not a normal pile-driving project. Challenges also arose with batter piles and monopiles due to access issues and shallow water. To avoid breaking piles on unknown buried structures, the team preprobed pile locations to identify obstructions and worked with the owner to either remove the obstructions or reconfigure the pile layout.

For the new dock, crews installed 548 concrete piles, each 30 sq in. by 30 sq in., the majority of which were 90 ft long, with 55 extending out to 140 ft. The team also installed 24 100-ft steel batter piles on a 1.5:1 slope pitch and a 78-ft by 180-ft steel monopile. Using driven concrete piles was a strategic decision, prompted by the failure of the original steel piles due to erosion and the challenging geotechnical site conditions.

Photo by McCarthy Building Cos.

According to McCarthy Building Cos., the project required 243,555 worker-hours to complete, with the team achieving a final total recordable incident rate of zero.

The project team adopted a motto of Take Pride in Safety and began each week with members of every crew discussing specific actions they had taken during the previous week that exemplified this motto. Additionally, foremen from different tasks and areas of the jobsites were included in weekly safety walks to provide fresh perspectives and foster healthy competition as they aimed to maintain the cleanest and safest work areas.

Working around the project’s numerous challenges, the team completed the terminal dock five months ahead of schedule in April 2024.