Pointe-Du-Chene Wharf On Helical Screw Piles
After successive hurricanes destroyed two rebuilds of the decking at a popular tourist wharf, they needed a solution to survive the worst conditions.
Two Hurricanes Cause Double Trouble
With over 300,000 visitors a year, the Pointe-Du-Chene Wharf in Shediac is both a popular tourist attraction and important economic engine for the community. However, the ocean views that attract so many vacationers also deliver violent storms and hurricanes.
During a hurricane in 2021, vicious winds destroyed the extensive decking around the small shops at the wharf. This effectively shut-down large areas to visitors, causing hardships on business owners.
At the time, our team was contact about the possibility of using helical screw piles to repair and rebuild the deck. The decision was ultimately made to set the decks on concrete blocks to save money.
That choice would prove to be fateful when, in 2022, a second hurricane smashed into the wharf and again caused major damage to decking.
Before rebuilding a third time, it was clear the wharf needed a tougher foundation solution designed to defend against the worst conditions New Brunswick can face.
Tough Conditions Demand Precise Engineering Solutions
Through discussions with the engineering team and board of directors, the idea of using a helical screw pile foundation for the wharf decking was revisited. Our team was tasked with installing a test pile to determine what type of soil we were dealing with and what piles were appropriate.
Upon installing the test pile we discovered that beyond the first 5' to 6' of soil, we couldn't reach good bearing until 30' to 40' deep. While it would be possible to install all the piles to that depth, it would have been prohibitively expensive. Our client needed a different solution.
What if we only installed the helical screw piles into the first 4' of soil?
While not a typical installation depth for screw piles in New Brunswick, the engineers agreed it could work provided they knew the load capacities of the piles at such a depth.
So, we sent our team back to the site to perform resistance tests on screw piles. Based on this data, we were able to calculate the maximum load capacities of the piles before they would fail.
Armed with this crucial information, the engineering team crafted a foundation plan to suit the soil conditions and pile load capacities.
The ultimate solution was to install a total of 109 helical screw piles to an average depth of 4', then use cross-bracing in key locations to ensure strength and long-term performance.
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