As you may be aware, Louisiana’s coastal landscape is washing away at an alarming rate; more than a football field is lost every hour to the Gulf. Home to half of the country’s oil refineries, miles of pipelines that serve 90% of the Nation’s offshore energy production and 30% of the Nation’s total oil and gas supply – the landscape on which all this is built is washing away.
This innovative modular wall system is proving to be a strong contender in the fight to stop the rapid erosion of Louisiana’s marsh lands.
Although there are numerous forces that have led to the catastrophic level of destruction of Louisiana’s shorelines, a major force at play is wave action. Desperate to slow the rate of land loss, in 1997, Louisiana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Service (DNRCS) started a research program focused on the development of a retaining wall type system that would stop the rapid loss of Louisiana’s marsh lands.
Numerous systems were developed, studied, and tried by Louisiana’s DNRCS between 1997 and 2012 but none were found to be a viable solution. In 2012, a team from Washington State submitted a concept for a buoyancy compensated erosion control module. The modules were installed along a 500’ section of wetland along with several other systems being tested.
No marina is immune from the possibility of a fire. The risk of fire is just as real for a high-end megayacht marina as it is for a small, modest one. The key for marinas is to minimize their exposure to fire and the chance of it spreading through the facility by utilizing good management of fire safety.
Marina fires can be difficult and dangerous to fight; the real opportunity to minimize loss lies in prevention.
There are a number of precautions a marina can take to greatly minimize their overall risk; however, no matter how gallant the efforts a marina may still one day find itself in the midst of a fire.
Response time, training, and infrastructure are three things that will dramatically impact the outcome of a fire and the level of damage incurred. Boat fires can be extremely hazardous. The materials and gases most vessels put off when burning are very harmful and cause the fire to burn extremely hot. Ask any firefighter what you can do to diminish the chance of a fire going from a single alarm fire to a multiple alarm fire, and he will say engage in proper pre-planning activities and training sessions.
Train your staff how to respond and encourage your local fire department to come out to your facility. These two things will greatly impact the response time and allow your staff and local firefighters to arrive on the scene with a sense of know-how, confidence, and a game plan.
The unique berth at D44 in Long Beach, California, designed in partnership by Seabulk, world leader in solutions for the marine bulk industry, and Bellingham Marine, world renowned marina builder, was developed in response to a need for an environmentally friendly, low cost berthing system designed specifically for the docking of Panamax-class, self-discharging bulk carriers.
Concrete buoyancy floats by Bellingham Marine support a stiff arm berthing system, designed for bulk carriers, at Berth D44 in Long Beach
The berthing system developed by the team includes two stifflegs supported by match-cast, post-tensioned floating concrete platforms. The legs position the self-unloading bulk carrier and provide a load path to bearing walls at the top of the bank. The legs also support a walkway for vessel line handling and pilot access to the buoyancy float.
Polaris Materials, President and CEO, Herb Wilson reported the ship’s pilot and crew were impressed by the strength of the stifflegs and how easy line handling was at the new berth. Polaris Materials is the parent company of Eagle Rock Aggregates.
“The stiffleg system utilized at D44 delivered ship berthing and mooring at a fraction of the cost of a conventional pile supported facility,” shared, Mark Mattila, Vice President of Ports and Marine for Seabulk. Additional features and benefits of the system include minimal overwater coverage, pre-fabrication of components for quick and easy marine installation, and it’s environmentally friendly.
Post the name of your favorite marina project on Bellingham Marine’s Follow & Comment LinkedIn post for a chance to win Bose Headphones.
Looking for ways to get professionals within your industry talking and sharing their views and opinions on different social media platforms? Bellingham Marine’s recent campaign on LinkedIn, which is running May 22nd – June 21st is designed to do just that. In it’s Follow and Comment LinkedIn campaign, Bellingham Marine is asking for followers on LinkedIn to share their favorite Bellingham Marine project and to share why it’s their favorite.
For individuals not familiar with the company’s past projects, a list of past projects can be viewed on Bellingham Marine’s website.
Participants will be rewarded by being entered into a drawing for a chance to win a pair of Bose Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones.
As a leader in the marina industry, Bellingham Marine uses social media platforms to foster relationships and growth within the industry.
Incredible surroundings, increased economic wealth, and a safe and secure social environment make South Korea an intriguing market for the boating and marina industries. During the last decade, a great deal of effort has been placed by the government as well as private investors on improving the region’s boating infrastructure.
State-of-the-art concrete docks at Wangsan Marina in Incheon, South Korea, are setting a new standard for marina development in the region.
Marina Development in Asia
However, the country’s weak sailing culture and lack of experience in the construction and management of modern boating facilities has been a major hurdle in moving the industry forward at a faster rate. Albeit slow, progress is coming. The opening of Wangsan Marina, a contemporary boating facility in Incheon, South Korea, is opening the door to boating for many Koreans who did not have the opportunity before. Prior to the opening of Wangsan, there were no large scale marinas in or around Seoul’s major metropolitan area. With 266 moorings and a dock facility on par with the world’s most modern marinas, Wangsan is expected to have a major impact on the market and be a key force in setting a new standard for boating facilities in South Korea.
The concept for Wangsan Marina was to build a start-of-the-art competitive sailing venue for the 2014 Asian Games that could later serve as a public marina with amenities and services that would cater to domestic as well as international boaters.