Major Milestone Achieved on Port of Beaumont Main Street Terminal 1

A major milestone has been achieved on the Port of Beaumont (Texas)’s Main Street Terminal 1 project — driving the last concrete pile after a year-long process. The milestone was recently commemorated with an event attended by officials from the Port of Beaumont, general contractor McCarthy Building Companies’ employees and trade partners.

McCarthy’s project scope includes demolition of a collapsed dock structure and construction of a new general cargo dock with a roll-on/roll-off terminal. The original dock collapsed in 2012, requiring McCarthy to demolish the entire dock, removing all timber piles and collapsed concrete dock structure that was in water, which has zero visibility. An unmanned hydrographic survey vessel was used to assist in the identification of the underwater dock debris; divers and cranes removed all remaining debris.

The new dock is 1,200 feet long and 130 feet wide, with a larger section in the middle measuring 152 feet wide. Its construction consists of 548 concrete piles, cast-in-place concrete caps and beams, pre-case concrete deck panels and a concrete topping slab. The piles are 30 feet by 30 square inches and 90 feet long, with 55 piles measuring 140 feet long. Due to the nature of existing underwater obstructions, multiple piles had to be shifted, requiring probing each time.

Piles were driven using a 440 ton crane and barge, D-100 Diesel Hammer and a 40-by-40-foot floating steel template. The concrete piles provide a corrosion-resistant foundation for extended resiliency, as well as a final concrete topping slab using synthetic concrete reinforcing fibers. In addition, welded-steel wire mesh was used for added resiliency.

The new fender system includes an energy-absorbing component to reduce loads on the dock, which will extend its useful life. McCarthy self-performed all concrete and pile installation, as well as utility installation including water and sewer.

The Main Street Terminal 1 project is the largest of the 20 projects on the Port of Beaumont’s 2022 Capital Improvement Program. Work on the Main Street Terminal began in February of 2022, with total completion scheduled for mid-2024. Once complete, the project is expected to increase the port’s general cargo handling capacity by more than 15%.