Navy Starts Tests of New Pier That Could Be Future Wave
Developed by Berger/Abam Engineers Inc. Federal Way, Wash., the 50-ft by 100-ft section is a test for a new 1,300-ft-long floating, double-decked pier, dubbed MHP. It was constructed over eight months in nearby Tacoma by Concrete Technology Corp. for the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center. The pier is intended to be repair-free for 100 years, twice as long as a typical pier.
Virtually every detail found in the larger pier was incorporated in the test section. It was towed 1,200 miles to San Diego in mid-September for tests of fendering, bollards, deck capacity and mooring system. "The MHP concept promises to reduce the ownership costs to the Navy of its waterfront infrastructure while enhancing ship support," says Preston S. Springston, NFESCs MHP project manager. "Construction and ocean tow delivery of the MHP test bed is a significant step forward in the Navys ongoing evaluation of the readiness of mod-ular, floating structure technology for implementation as general purpose berthing piers."