McCarthy Completes Pile Drive on Port of Beaumont Main Street Terminal

McCarthy Building Companies has achieved a major milestone on the Port of Beaumont’s Main Street Terminal 1 project – driving the last concrete pile after a year-long process. The milestone was commemorated with an event on July 13^th attended by officials from the Port of Beaumont, McCarthy employees, and trade partners.

McCarthy’s project scope includes demolition of a collapsed dock structure and construction of a new state-of-the-art general cargo dock with a roll on/roll off terminal. The original dock collapsed in 2012, requiring McCarthy to demolish the entire dock, removing all timber piles and collapsed concrete dock structure that was in water which has zero visibility. McCarthy used an unmanned hydrographic survey vessel to assist in the identification of the underwater dock debris and used divers and cranes to remove all remaining debris.

The new dock is 1,200 feet long and 130 feet wide, with a larger section in the middle measuring 152 feet wide. Its construction consists of 548 concrete piles, cast-in-place concrete caps and beams, pre-case concrete deck panels, and a concrete topping slab. The piles are 30×30 square inches and 90 feet long, with 55 piles measuring 140 feet long. Due to the nature of existing underwater obstructions, multiple piles had to be shifted, requiring probing each time. Piles were driven using a 440 ton crane and barge, D-100 Diesel Hammer, and a 40×40 foot floating steel template. The concrete piles provide a corrosion-resistant foundation for extended resiliency, as well as a final concrete topping slab using synthetic concrete reinforcing fibers. In addition to welded steel wire mesh for added resiliency.

The new fender system includes an energy-absorbing component to reduce loads on the dock, which will extend its useful life. McCarthy self-performed all concrete and pile installation, as well as utility installation including water and sewer.

The Main Street Terminal 1 project is the largest of the 20 projects on the Port of Beaumont’s 2022 Capital Improvement Program. McCarthy began work on the Main Street Terminal in February of 2022, with total completion scheduled for mid-2024. Once complete, the project is expected to increase the port’s general cargo handling capacity by more than 15%.