The Cherry Estates mobile home community located on the south end of Pine Island in St James City, Florida, was in need of a new seawall solution for its canal system.
The aging canal system runs north to south and is crossed by seven streets running east to west. In each of these seven sections, the roadway continues over the canal but piping underneath the road enables water to flow through.
These canal bridges support a major traffic artery, so Lee County needed to update the bridge walls with strong, modern, and long-lasting materials to serve those traveling in and out of the Island’s Cherry Estates community.
A Failing Canal Seawall System Gets an ESP EverComp Rebuild
In each of these seven “bridge” sections, the seawall had fallen into serious disrepair and the tunnels running underneath the roadway was rusting and not adequately facilitating tidal flows in the canal. Fish and other habitats were deteriorating.
Our EverComp Series 47.5 (spec sheet) was selected for the job given the material’s resistance to corrosion, strength, and longevity. The project required 1,450 linear ft. of EverComp sheet piling, sized in a combination of 19 ft, 17 ft, and 6 ft EverComp sheet pile lengths.
Seawall Anchors – Superior Strength for the Long Haul
To ensure the new EverComp canal seawall would stand strong for decades
to come, large Chance Helical Anchors were chosen to anchor securely under the roadway and were also incorporated into the roadway’s new concrete cap. The concrete cap itself was formed around a rebar cage structure for added strength and durability.
The Right Contractor for the Job
The job to install this new seawall and pipeline system was put out to competitive bids in the SW Florida market. A total of eleven qualified bids came in and ultimately Kelly Brothers Marine Construction was selected as the marine contractor for the Cherry Estates project.
Owned and operated by Dean Kelly, Kelly Brothers won the job based in part on their extensive experience, having the barges and other equipment for the job, and also their familiarity with Everlast Synthetic Products.
Working with our seawall engineering team to develop a plan, Kelly was able to pitch a faster and cheaper seawall installation that would result in a longer-lasting seawall compared to his competitors.
Project Challenges Overcome
The presiding challenge of the installation process was straightforward: keep traffic flowing throughout the installation. The Kelly Brothers delivered on that requirement, installing the new seawall with minimal disruption without loss of use of the bridge for the duration.
They also tackled a less conventional challenge— how to replace the rusting pipe under the roadway with a large polyethylene version. To accomplish this, the new pipe was pulled through the existing rusted pipe from one end to the other. The ends were then walled off by the installation of the new EverComp composite piling.
Kelly Brothers then sent a diver into the water to drill 36-inch holes in the EverComp sheets using an air-driven saw. The pipe ends now opened, water in the canal was once again free to move from section to section, improving the health of the waterways.
Not Exactly a Knife Through Butter
ESP composite piling is made of a hard fiber-reinforced plastic material built for durability and strength. Cutting it, particularly in water and without heavy equipment, is a real challenge. As a result, the attempt to saw through our product ate up new and perfectly sharp saw blades in seconds. The crew was constantly running out in search of new blades during this process. Ultimately the tenacity and patience of the cutting team (and lots of sharp blades) lead to a successful outcome and water was able to flow from one side of the canal to the other.
Learn How Everlast Can Help Win Your Bid
To complete this project, Everlast provided the materials and know-how to replace eight bridge walls and the surrounding support walls. Our partners, the Kelly Brothers, were able to complete construction amid serious challenges without disrupting traffic. Together, we did it on time without going over budget.
Everlast works with contractors to flexibly adjust terms and conditions to get the final contract. If you need flexibility and innovation to win the bid and deliver on your next project, get in touch with us.
For shots of our other vinyl and composite sheet piling products in place, check out our projects page. For detailed projects, check out some of our featured case studies! Receive a free estimate today.
Below are some of the images of this canal bridge wall project!
