Post-Katrina Terminal Rehab Prepares Way for Growth

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi, causing extensive infrastructure damage. After the storm, the Port of Gulfport Restoration Program (PGRP) was established to enable restoration of public infrastructure and publicly-owned facilities damaged or destroyed by Katrina. One critical component of this program was to upgrade the existing 3,700 linear feet of wharf at the Port's West Pier to provide new 100-foot gauge crane rails. The West Pier's primary functions have been to serve limited trade with Central America and accommodate bulk and break bulk cargo transport. The existing West Pier wharves consist of multiple construction types, including two concrete pile-supported wharf structures and cellular cofferdam structures faced with a tied-back, king pile wall. A challenge facing the West Pier Wharf Upgrade design was to develop a configuration that could be adapted to the various wharf construction types. This paper describes the alternatives analysis process along with specific design challenges encountered during this crane rail upgrade project. This rehabilitation will allow the Port to diversify the use of the facility and increase the potential cargo throughput while protecting its current investments.