Among these systems are numerous jetties and dikes protecting Texas and Louisiana coastlines which are critical to community and state economies as they support commercial maritime traffic, tourism and recreational activities.
Conti Federal performed this design-build project to repair major jetty and dike systems in six locations along the Gulf of Mexico: Galveston, Freeport and Brazos Island Harbors, Matagorda Ship Channel, Sabine-Neches Waterway and the Texas City Dike. The team performed a survey at each location to determine if stone was recoverable before commencing construction and worked closely with United States Coast Guard to monitor Maritime Security levels for active traffic.
Using excavators stationed on barges 2-3 miles off-shore, Conti Federal recovered and placed new stone in 100 linear-foot segments. This ensured the smaller base stone of the jetties was sealed with cover stone before work crews moved to the next section, reducing the risk of newly placed stones being washed away by swells. Conti Federal also conducted detailed surveys using Real Time Kinematic sonar equipment to confirm quality stone placement and repairs. In addition to the logistic difficulties of excavating from a barge, Conti Federal continually battled the weather, and flooding of the Mississippi River made coordinating stone shipments difficult.
The team completed the project 18 months ahead of schedule.
Key features of the project included:
Engineering News-Record awarded this project the Best Water/Environmental Project of 2015 in the Texas and Louisiana region.
