20160311 - Port Dalhousie Media Briefing.ppt · Port Dalhousie Media Briefing Thursday, March 17, 2016. 2 Background • Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) owns the small craft harbour

Port Dalhousie

Media BriefingThursday, March 17, 2016

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Background• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) owns the small craft harbour

facility at Port Dalhousie including the Port Dalhousie Marina, Lakeside Park, and the Port Dalhousie Yacht Club

• All of the DFO holdings are leased and managed by the City of St. Catharines

• The Port Dalhousie facility is considered non-core– DFO’s mandate primarily focuses on the needs of commercial fish harvesters

• Port Dalhousie is included in DFO’s list of harbours to be divested

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History of the Piers• The Piers were originally constructed in 1840s as the northern terminus of the

Second Welland Canal• The channel was made deeper for the Third Welland Canal and the piers were

likely rebuilt in the 1870s• The piers consist of timber cribs filled with rock and a concrete mass on top.

– The original concrete deck were added in the 1900s– The West Pier is 600m and the East Pier is 700m

• In 1993-1995, substantial repairs were made to the east and west piers• Various concrete deck repairs and rehabilitations have taken place over past

30 years

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Engineering Investigations (2014)• In the fall of 2014, DFO commissioned a condition assessment of the

existing piers on both sides of the harbour entrance• Advanced age of the piers and recent minor repair work to the concrete

deck of the east pier were two determining factors• The condition assessment was undertaken by AECOM and consisted of a

general inspection of the piers, above and below water, a geotechnical investigation of the site and, as appropriate, recommendations for use restrictions and/or required repairs to the piers

• A dive inspection was initially planned, but suspended due to unsafe conditions

• A side scan sonar was completed in fall of 2014 instead that provided underwater pictures

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Engineering Investigations (2015)• A condition assessment of the remaining DFO owned structures was

undertaken in the summer and fall of 2015, to determine if there were any additional areas of concern

• An hydraulic analysis on the impact of all the rehabilitation methodologies for the piers was completed in the fall of 2015– Analysis examined the water levels in the channel and potential

upstream flooding during high water events • The results of the above investigations were finalized in January/February

of 2016

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Results of Inspections• The initial investigation showed severe deterioration of the substructure of

the piers, the extent of which was unforeseen• The condition assessment recommended that both piers be completely

restricted for vehicular access and boat mooring and that large sections of the piers be barricaded to pedestrian access

• Side scan sonar revealed areas where the timber facing is completely missing and the rock has spilled out, leaving nothing supporting the concrete deck

• The condition assessment on the remainder of the site identified a few areas of concern: the East Concrete Wall, the Southwest Wall and the Lakeside Park Wharf

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Healthy Pier vs Unsafe PierTypical Section Where Timber

Facing has Fallen Away

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Typical Wharf Section

Healthy Pier vs Unsafe PierTypical Section Where Timber

Facing has Fallen Away

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Typical Wharf Section

Side Scan Sonar Showing Failed Cribs

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Failed Crib – East Side of West Pier

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Outcome of Engineering Results• In the interest of public safety, sections of the piers were barricaded to

pedestrian access and the mooring cleats were removed• The barricaded portions of both the east and west piers will remain closed

to the public as long as they pose a safety risk• Temporary repair options for the piers were explored, but none could

guarantee public safety• Vehicles will be prohibited within 6m of the wharf face on the East Concrete

Wall, the Southwest Wall and the Lakeside Park Wharf• An inspection of the East Concrete Wall, upon which the fuelling station

sits, will be completed in April/May to determine if further deterioration has occurred– Rehabilitation of this area was recommended within one year

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Long Term Repair Options• Three repair methodologies were identified:

– Encapsulation with Rock Fill Stabilizing Berm (RFSB)• Theoretical life expectancy would be 100 years (concrete deck ~50 years)

– Partial Decommission and Conversion to Breakwater (BW)• Theoretical life expectancy would be 100 years, with limited future maintenance

costs

– Encapsulation with Steel Sheet Piles (SSP)• Theoretical life expectancy would be 50 years

• The rehabilitation of the piers could involve a combination of any of these three options.

• The hydraulic study determined that all repair options are viable

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Encapsulate in Rock Stabilizing Berm

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Port Maitland Marina

Decommission Pier

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Wiarton Marina

Encapsulate in Steel Sheet Piles

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Port Maitland Marina

Comparison of Methodologies

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Methodology Pedestrian Use

Boat Mooring Channel Flow Constriction

1. Encapsulation with Rock Filled Stabilizing Berm

Full Use Maintained

No Usage 25%

2. Decommission Pier No Usage No Usage 25%

3. Encapsulation with Steel Sheet Pile

Full Use Maintained

Full Use Maintained 2%

Project Cost and Community Consultations• The cost to repair the piers only has been estimated between $23M and

$33M, depending on the type of repairs undertaken to the piers; these are Class D estimates only

• This cost far exceeds the level of funding that is available within Small Craft Harbours’ annual operating budget

• The Department is working collaboratively with the City of St. Catharines to assess repair options, taking into account the results of the recently completed hydraulic study.

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada is committed to remaining open with the public about the small craft harbour facility at Port Dalhousie and recognizes its significance to the community

• Community consultation is being planned for the near future

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