CORP of Engineers Mat Casting Yard Protection Levee
St. Francisville, Louisiana
Levee Overtopping/Demonstration Project
The New Orleans Corps of Engineers placed Shoreblock SD on the levee surrounding their mat casting facility located on the Mississippi river as a test section. This test section by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District in St. Francisville, La was to evaluate constructability, vegetative characteristics, potential maintenance issues and ultimately erosion control on future levee armoring projects.
Because ACBs have, through extensive, full scale testing at Colorado State University, proven to have superior performance characteristics in extreme hydraulic conditions, the articulating concrete block (ACB) mats were selected as a test product. In addition to it's superior hydraulic performance, the open cell ACB provides for vegetation without compromising maintainability – three primary considerations for the planned levee armoring applications.
Subsequent to the establishment of vegetation and successful execution of planned maintenance investigative activities, the Mississippi River achieved above normal flood stages overtopping the containment levee for three hours at the demonstration site, exposing the Shoreblock mats to substantial overtopping flow. "We are very satisfied with how well the matting has held up under the extreme weather conditions and flooding that have since occurred on the levee," stated Bruce Harrel of B&P Enterprises and Resource One Nursery.
This test will assist the CORP of Engineers to evaluate the use of ACBs for armoring including plans to prevent levee failures in Southern Louisiana.
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Project Team Members:
Owner:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – New Orleans District
Engineer:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – New Orleans District
Contractor:
B&P Enterprises
Resource One Nursery
Technical Description:
Product: 4.75OC ACB
Area: 10,000 sf
Installation Date: October 2007
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Four month vegetation
Three hour overtopping
After three hour overtopping
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