PORT'S CONTAINER YARD

Eustis Engineering recently completed geotechnical engineering services on a Port of New Orleans project. The project will improve the 22-acre container yard at the port's Milan Street Wharf.  The new concrete yard will include a heavy duty pavement for truck traffic near the entrance of Tchoupitoulas Street and Napoleon Avenue. It will also include rigid pavement to support cargo containers, gantries, and fork lifts that will transport the containers and other heavy equipment.

Heavy truck traffic traverses the terminal near Milan and Napoleon Avenues. The terminal runs along the Clarence Henry Truckway inside the Port of New Orleans.   Rail lines form the northern border of the site. A floodwall forms the southern border.

Eustis Engineering was a subconsultant to Waldemar S. Nelson & Co., Inc., an engineering firm with whom we have a long history working on many Port contracts.

For the project, degraded asphalt paving will be demolished and removed, and paving base and subbase materials will be excavated. Approximately 22 acres of 18-in. thick concrete will be placed. Also planned are a new drainage system, electrical and water supply and distribution, and high mast lighting.  The high mast lighting will be supported by drilled shafts having a minimum diameter of 36 inches necessary to accommodate the mast base plates.

After the field exploration and soil testing were completed, Eustis Engineering performed analyses including recommendations regarding the possible use of a cellular confinement system for the project.  Recommendations also included site preparation and construction, a discussion of deep foundations, estimates of allowable soil bearing values, and estimated settlement of pavement due to sustained container loading.

After our services were complete, the Port requested additional review of the pavement section for the container yard.  After reviewing projects performed for the Port of New Orleans with similar pavement recommendations, Eustis Engineering offered an alternate base course.  Eustis Engineering also made recommendations for pipe bedding to support a 48-in. diameter reinforced concrete pipe.

Our personnel performed nearly 650 hours of service on the project. While design of the project is complete, construction is on hold.