Unique projects require unique solutions – as the Defence Construction Canada team working on the Jetty NJ project at CFB Halifax learned.
In 2015, crews were preparing the seafloor for blasting and caissons that would support the new 247-metre-long jetty, when the top layer of silt and SAR (Sodium Absorption Ratio) was identified as a contaminated material. While the designation was a challenge—the bigger challenge was the fact that there is no disposal site in Nova Scotia that could receive the contaminated materials.
"An alternative plan had to be developed," said Dean MacMullin, DCC Coordinator, Construction Services.
MacMullin joined the project in April 2016, about the same time the contractor started constructing a protected containment berm to store the materials. The berm offered a temporary holding area for the materials, allowing excavation to continue while the material was collected and then transported to an approved site.
The hiccup didn't dampen the spirit of the team, said MacMullin, who has a lot of praise for his DCC colleague Brian Leonard, plus the experts from the contracting team of Dexter Construction Co. Ltd. and McNally International Inc., along with engineers from Wood PLC.
The finished jetty is 13 metres deep and includes a large apron for the Royal Canadian Navy's new Harry DeWolf-class patrol vessels. These Artic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) are expected to begin being delivered later this year.
Seeing the $98.5-million project finished and being a part of the ribbon-cutting celebration was a good cap to what was a good project overall.
"I was very fortunate. I enjoyed the team, and it was a pleasure to work on this important project for the Navy," said MacMullin.