Hurricane Protection
- St. Bernard Parish – Quality Assurance Survey of LPV-148
St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
the challengeThe Bioengineering Group was contracted by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Hurricane Protection Office (USACE-HPO) to perform Quality Assurance survey activities of the Chalmette Loop Levee Reach (LPV-148) in St. Bernard Parish, LA. LPV-148 is a levee segment located between Hwy 46 and Caernarvon Floodwall between Station 1118+00 and 1552+60. Two additional features are noted along this reach: St. Mary's Pump Station and Creedmore Drainage Canal. Hurricane protection for St. Mary's Pump Station consists of a concrete T-Wall, which directly ties into the levee. The Creedmore Drainage Structure consists of two elliptical pipes running from the protected site to the flood side underneath the levee. The quality assurance survey activities were utilized by the USACE-HPO to validate quantities reported on the construction contractor's invoices prior to payment.
the interdisciplinary approachThe project was comprised of a quality assurance survey of the existing ground previous to construction of the levee on LPV-148. The responsibilities of the Bioengineering Group team included assimilating the survey data taken by a third party survey team into the design template using AutoCAD Civil 3D, and review of the construction plan set. Subsequent to developing the template, volumes were calculated utilizing the end area method. The survey was performed as a quality assurance measure to be compared against the contractor's in house survey data from which payment was contrived. The Bioengineerin Group construction management team and civil engineering design staff performed these real-time quality assurance tasks while in the field.
the resultsQuality assurance surveys during construction and validation of final quantities upon completion of construction ensure timely execution of levee construction activities and accuracy of as-built construction plans. The Bioengineering Group provided quality assurance survey support for the HPO effort to restore current authorized flood protection levels to the St. Bernard Parish Chalmette Loop Levee Hurricane Protection System. The Quality Assurance Survey validated the volumes of material utilized in the reconstruction efforts associated with the LPV-148 levee. The Bioengineering Group has established a firm working relationship with the USACE-New Orleans District HPO construction management team and contracting officers. These proven relationships have translated into the meeting of the aggressive construction schedule deadlines established by the district. Effective construction management ensures that the authorized flood protection levels have been restored within the congressional mandated deadline of June 1, 2011.