Climate-related extreme tides and storm surges routinely impact boatyards and marinas in the Chesapeake Bay. Recently, 222 Severn/W&P Nautical cut the ribbon on a new innovative floating pier designed for water levels well above those brought by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. In case other marinas and waterfront property owners could benefit, the company has made its calculations, data sources, partner list, and logic available for them to leverage.
“After living through the extraordinary storm surge delivered by Hurricane Isabel in 2003, and knowing sea levels are rising, we set out with our partners to make a dock that would withstand a more extreme storm surge if it were to happen in 2037,” says 222 Severn/W&P Nautical co-owner Cardie Templeton. “We’re sharing our logic, decisions, and list of partners in case any of this can help others in their resiliency efforts. The stronger our collective infrastructure, the healthier our maritime industry will be and the more we can all enjoy the water and feel encouraged to save the Chesapeake Bay.”
The design choices made for the new pier include:
- Floating Dock System rather than fixed.
- Levitating Gangway Attachment: A levitator attachment allows the land end of the gangway to rise up with the tide and the dock a total of 4 feet above the bulkhead.
- High Electrical Platform: The lowest electrified point is 2.5’ higher than required by code, accomplished using an access ladder rather than traditional stairs.
- Extra Long Feeds: Electrical conduit and water lines from the bulkhead are long enough to safely reach both the highest and lowest water levels anticipated in the calculations.
- Very Tall Anchor Piles: Piles are 3’ higher than the dock deck during an extreme flood to accommodate 2’ waves.
“We are grateful to everyone involved for seeing this project through to completion and thereby creating a model that shows how maritime businesses can protect waterfront resources. I also want to thank our tenants and neighbors for their patience during construction.”
