Through the Deck and under the Crane at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, MD

Marine structures are typically built with a fifty-year service life and must withstand some of the harshest environments. A portal crane and its substructure comprising Crane Runway 5 at the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland, situated along Arundel Cove is an example of one of these structures. In 2017, during a routine inspection of Crane Runway 5, significant amounts of fill loss were noted through a small gap in a steel sheet pile bulkhead. This finding initiated a series of special inspections and a deep dive into the history and design of the structure. The results of the special field investigation pointed to an overloaded structure which required a new design to support the facility’s loading conditions. This paper discusses the work performed during the field investigation and design under the direction of USCG Civil Engineering Unit Cleveland.