Sheet Pile Wall Used for Storm Protection at Elba Island Liquefaction Facility

Savannah, Georgia

History

Five miles downstream of Savannah, GA, sits Elba Island, home to a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) import terminal. LNG is a highly compressed form of natural gas and is used for shipping, via ocean vessels or trucks. The terminal on Elba Island was built by Sonat, Inc. for its Southern Natural Gas division. The Elba Island facility was in operation from 1972 to 1980, when LNG shipments ceased.

In 2000, permission was received to renovate and recommission the facility. Kinder Morgan, one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America is building a new, two-phased project called the Elba Liquefaction Project, which will add liquefaction and export capabilities to the existing LNG terminal.

Problem

The plant, located near the Port of Savannah, required storm surge protection. Historically, storm surges in the area have caused damage, shutting down the Port of Savannah and its surroundings.

Solution

The Industrial Company, a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, was awarded the contract for this multimillion dollar project. They partnered with Nucor Skyline to develop and install a steel sheet pile wall to help protect the plant from flooding.

Nucor Skyline used AZ 26-700 sheet piles in lengths of 50-60’ for this project. The piles were driven to a retained height of 10’ and the top 20’ were coated to extend the life of the piles. Additionally, fully coated HP14 x 73 and HP14 x 89 were used as a waler system for the sheet piles.

Due to the limited staging area on the site, this project called for materials to be delivered the day of installation. On most days, The Industrial Company was able to drive 3-4 truckloads of product. Nucor Skyline met the challenge of real-time coordination between trucking partners, coating facility, and contractor to make this project successful.

Project Partners

Owner
Kinder Morgan – Houston, TX

General Contractor
The Industrial Company, Marine and Heavy Civil – Savannah, GA

Products

Sheet Pile: AZ 26-700 @ 50 and 60 feet  (5,000 tons)
H-Pile: HP14 x 73 and HP14 x 89
(2,000 tons)

Project Time Frame

September 2016 to May 2018