The board of commissioners at the Port of Beaumont in Texas, USA, approved a $57.3 million financial injection for a project that would boost the port’s general cargo handling capacity by 15 percent. Under the Phase II of the Main Street Terminal 1, McCarthy Building Companies have been hired to demolish a failed dock structure and construction of a new general cargo dock.

The Main Street Terminal 1 project, funded in part by 2017 General Obligation Bonds, a 2019 U.S. DOT BUILD grant, and Port revenues, is expected to be complete by June 2024.

“This project has been a labor of love. With more than ten years invested in engineering the project, optimising the design, securing grants, and gaining final approvals, it’s incredibly rewarding to see it move forward,” said port director Chris Fisher. “With the additional capacity, we will be able to more fully serve existing customers and welcome new customers.”

The new dock will be 1,200 feet long and 130 feet wide (365.7 metres long and 39.6 metres wide), with a larger section in the middle measuring 152 feet wide (46.3 metres). Its construction will consist of concrete piles, cast-in-place concrete caps and beams, pre-cast concrete deck panels, and a concrete topping slab. McCarthy is self-performing all concrete and pile installation, as well as utility installation including water, and sewer.

“This project represents an evolution in marine construction, as evidenced by the Port’s existing wharves,” said director of engineering Brandon Bergeron. “Since the port is over 100 years old, we have docks constructed of timber, steel, and concrete, and this project represents the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art advancements in marine engineering design and construction techniques. The Main Street Terminal I project is ushering the port into a new era of development.”

For the construction of the new dock concrete piles that provide a corrosion resistant foundation for extended design life and resiliency will be used. Additionally, a final concrete topping slab will be constructed using synthetic concrete reinforcing fibres, as opposed to traditional welded steel wire mesh. This reinforcing material will provide a corrosion proof surface, which will slow deterioration, and a new fender system that includes an energy-absorbing component to reduce loads on the dock.

Port of Beaumont‘s Main Street Terminal 1 project is the largest of the 20 projects on the port’s 2022 Capital Improvement Program. By the third quarter of 2022, it is anticipated that more than $100 million in new projects will be underway, including three new docks and a new rail interchange track.