We worked in designing the new Steel Sheet Pile Wall, including the relocation of fire protection lines, site lighting, and the installation of a new Marine Facility Office. We prepared a series of Design Basis Memorandums (DBMs) for review by Dow Chemical Company staff in order to solicit input and agree on a course of action for each major design element.

The new Steel Sheet Pile Wall was about 340-feet-long, and the steel sheet pile ranged from about 30-feet-long (in an area of shallow bedrock) to over 50 feet-long (where bedrock sloped steeply toward the Thames River). In addition to the Steel Sheet Pile Wall, about 20 linear feet of seawall was repaired (north end) and riprap armor stone was re-built (on the south end). The Steel Sheet Pile Wall was anchored to a new H-pile supported concrete dead-man anchor system using 1.75-inch-diameter tie rods.

Based on recommendation, the new Steel Sheet Pile Wall was coated (the sheets were coated at the mill) with an epoxy paint system. In addition, a passive cathodic protection system, consisting of sacrificial aluminum anodes, was installed after the steel sheet pile were installed. If properly maintained, the combined paint and cathodic protection system will extend the service life of the Steel Sheet Pile Wall from about 20 to 25 years to at least 50 years.

We provided periodic inspection during construction, which included vibration monitoring during anchor pile installation adjacent to several large steel raw material tanks, and troubleshooting as required. One issue that arose was the presence of subsurface obstructions along one segment of the new Steel Sheet Pile Wall and anchor wall. Based on these obstructions (e.g., old timber piles, old timber crib wall), some re-design was required, but the project was completed within the budget established.

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