Marine Engineers Consulted
To be proactive I have engaged with 2 different Marine Engineering companies to get their review of our current situation as well as realistic solutions for our seawall
Many of you are aware I have a “No confidence” in the current contractor. A rudimentary background on them I could not find one seawall they ever built, (if they could show that I would welcome to see successful result), plus I could only find where one of the engineers background is in geotechnical and asbestos abatement, if they could show structural marine experience I would welcome that too.
The last meeting I specifically acquiesced that they would say piping did not exist if they admitted that the previous CDD hired expert saw it happen, instead we had a dog and pony show, whereas somehow they proved themselves right to my fellow board members because “they said so” fine, did we really expect anything less? no… and of course they would defend their position and nothing less considering the nearly $43.8 grand a month we are paying them…..,
Billing> Aug 20 – Sep 23– 69.4K — Oct 24 – Nov 18 — 34.6K — SEP 24 – Oct 21 –29.7K — DEC 31 – Jan 27 — 41.5k
Oh and I asked the Marine Engineer I spoke with for his over site costs…he ball parked it at $12 to $15K max. (things that make you go hmmmmm)
either way neither side can categorically prove it either way without any testing….. so moving on…
I specifically asked them about their drawings.
Now here is an area that is absolute, if an engineering drawing says to do ‘X” you do X, if the contractor cannot do X then he must go back to the engineer for a redesign. I specifically asked about their drawing for the 2 to 1 slope as shown on the riprap extending from the wall into the canal towards the boat lifts.
A 2 to 1 means a 4 foot rise to a 8 foot length, that relates to a 90 degree triangle, which translate to a 26.5 degree angle. However I pressed them that our canals are not on right triangles, they are at 95 , 100 to 110 degrees or more. USING the LANGAN DRAWINGS and in keeping with their 2 to 1 slope and their required plus 4 elevation to maintain the safety factor to keep the wall arrested…..their words!!
Extrapolating the actual degrees of the slope of an scalene obtuse triangle using the angle where the wall meets the canal bottom and in order to keep a 2-1 ratio based on plus 4 rise
at 95 degrees the rocks must come out to 10 feet
at 100 degrees = 12 feet
at 105 degrees = 17 feet
I don’t need to go on to show the boat lifts will be encroached
Their response was— it won’t go past 8 feet, OK no problem, lets use their claim of 8 feet….but wait! that then that does not meet the 2 to 1 slope, the answer I got was “its close” ( hear the meeting for yourself), so here is the definition of “close”.
the angle at plus 4 going out only 8 feet creates these real angle of repose below (Remember a 2 to 1 ratio is 26.5 degrees)
at 95 degrees- 30.5 degrees
at 100 = 35
at 105 = 38
at 110 = 42
These are not 2 to 1 ratios, the steeper it gets the more likely hood of sloughing, especially since our canal bottoms are so soft.
So which part of their professional engineering drawings does a contractor use? The 2 to 1 angle of repose or the only 8 feet out?
I took these drawings to a Marine Engineering and Construction firm, they told me we are in trouble and we will be back here in short order repairing all of this Why? Because our canal bottoms are so soft there is no way it will hold the rocks back, (which are they not there to hold the wall up? it is what we were told right??) The marine Engineers told me if you dare to use riprap that a geotech style woven type of fabric along with a toe at the base of the rocks is required, the cloth wraps the first set of rocks and holds them from sinking too much, the toe holds them from sloughing into the canal.
Keep in mind this is only 1 issue, but it is a big one, we still have other issues which I spoke with the Marine Engineer about, like environmental (Mangroves, No you just can’t kill them and not expect a hefty fine) and Permit issues.
Is that all Tim? Nope, I asked them to give us A REAL solution and they are working on drawings that I plan on bringing to the table for a proper Engineering Peer review that is way overdue. Why? Because I want to save Mira Bay from these outrageous costs now and into the future.