The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, will replace the stem (the portion that is above ground) for a 50 ft section of floodwall along Hayne Blvd. on the New Orleans Lakefront after a preliminary inspection identified materials that were performing below the design standards. The work will be performed at no additional cost to the government.
“ When our inspectors identified a monolith that did not meet our criteria, it was an easy decision to have the section replaced,” said Col. Rick Hansen, commander of the New Orleans District . “ When it comes to storm damage risk reduction, we are going to err on the side of caution every time.”
Prior to the Corps’ final inspection, concrete that appeared to be flaking was identified near the base slab. Subsequent analysis indicated that the floodwall stem was structurally sound and provided the 1 percent level of storm surge risk reduction but that the outer 2-3 inches of concrete had not set properly. The Corps made the decision to replace the section because this concrete could impact the wall’s long-term durability.
“ Before the Corps accepts any work as completed, we conduct a series of inspections to ensure the work meets design standards,” stated Chris Gilmore, senior project manager for the Corps . “ We have inspected all other features of this contract, as well as reviewed the daily construction logs, and have not identified any other issues.”
The floodwall section to be replaced is at 7816 Hayne Blvd. The Corps is currently coordinating with the contractor to establish a schedule for construction of the new floodwall stem. Current estimates are that work will take less than two months to complete. During the floodwall replacement, traffic along Hayne Blvd. will experience some minimal impacts.
The Corps will coordinate with the City of New Orleans and notify the public once the extent of these impacts is fully known.
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Press Release, November 19, 2013