By Karen Robes Meeks
Not all planned or maritime-related infrastructure improvement projects are being undertaken by port districts. In Hawai’i, a number of improvements have been embarked on by state and local governments, as well as other entities.
One company that’s helping develop a number of them is American Marine Corp., which is headquartered in the Aloha State and also has a large presence California and Alaska. Some of the various projects that AMC has been participating in include:
Repair Seal Team Delivery Vehicle Boat Ramp and Finger Pier
AMC has been working as a sub-contractor to International Construction, Inc. on a Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) project in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. The project involves the construction of a new boat ramp and finger pier to help meet the expanding needs of the U.S. Navy Seal teams stationed on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam.
AMC says that it plans to utilize a Watson EDT-7 hydraulic drill rig, its derrick barge AMC 160, and Delmag D36 diesel hammer to pre-drill and drive new concrete piles to support a new boat ramp and finger pier. After pile driving, the derrick barge AMC 160 in conjunction with AMC’s ADCI certified divers, will install underwater precast concrete pile caps, suspended slab, and boat ramp panels.
Pearl Harbor Sediment Remediation
AMC is working as a sub-contractor to Cape Environmental Management Inc. to place activated carbon (AC) on the sea floor under numerous piers and in open water areas of Pearl Harbor in an effort to encapsulate contaminates. Before any work was completed AMC needed to create a layout specific for each under pier and open water area. This was done in order to ensure project requirements of two-inch and one-inch application thicknesses.
AMC’s approach to disburse AC utilizes a blower machine placed on the barge and loaded via telehandler forklift into the blower’s hopper (2,500 pounds of AC). Deck crew then distributes AC under the pier into the desired square footage. In open water application, AMC devised a floating target box using HDPE piping and attached turbidity curtains to create a movable containment area while crew is applying product. To date, the project had applied roughly 3.9 million pounds of AC onto the ocean floor.
Port Allen Maintenance Dredging
AMC was contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct maintenance dredging in Port Allen, Kauai, Hawaii. The company used the derrick barge DB Seattle and the scows Pt. Vashon and Pt. Basalt to conduct the dredging. AMC dredged about 482,000 cubic yards over a 90-day period. The crews were working in two 12-hour shifts, seven days a week.
Waikiki Sand Replenishment
American Marine has been working as a sub-contractor to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. to pump in excess of 20,000 CY of sand from offshore of Waikiki Beach to a dewatering basin where Kiewit then distributed the sand on Waikiki Beach. AMC has utilized a newly purchased Damen DOP150 hydraulically driven dredge pump connected to an excavator with an AMC-designed jib.