Ft. Pickens Road already washed over by Ida

[jhayes75]

I just called the park before reading your recent post and I was told the campground would be closed for at least 6 weeks. The road was said to have about 3 feet of sand on it. We might have to replan Jetty Fest.

 

[mike_s]

. We might have to replan Jetty Fest.

well that is the cool thing about calling it "Jetty Fest" (because you can easily move it to another jetties up/down the beach.)

 

[wjefferis]

I just called the park before reading your recent post and I was told the campground would be closed for at least 6 weeks. The road was said to have about 3 feet of sand on it. We might have to replan Jetty Fest.

Today is only Nov 11, They will hopefully have enough time to clear things out by then. If not, I guess we could always go to Panama City :cool2:.

 

[scubadog1969]

where at ? St Andrews?

 

[mike_s]

below story from this link. If you click on the link, it has security cam footage in the story showing the waves hitting the pier and flipping the deck panels.
http://www.wkrg.com/hurricane/article/ida_damages_gulf_state_park_pier/518507/Nov-11-2009_11-03-pm/


Ida Damages Gulf State Park Pier

November 11, 2009 -


GULF SHORES, Alabama - When engineers rebuilt and re-opened the pier at Gulf State Park this summer, they touted it as "hurricane proof"...able to withstand a category 3 hurricane. But Mother Nature had other ideas when Tropical Storm Ida made landfall. The storm damaged the pier, blowing away dozens of 300 pound wooden deck panels. Railings and the pier's plumbing system were also damaged.


"It's frustrating," says Gulf State Park Asst. Supt. Trey Myers. "Especially to have a storm this late in the season. 20 foot waves crashed into the pier, totally engulfing it."

The wall of water tossed around the wooden deck panels like toys. Park officials closed the pier. It could be two or three weeks before the structure re-opens.


Ida wasn't a problem for much of the Gulf Coast, but don't tell that to park officials who still can't believe another storm damaged the pier. Hurricane Ivan wiped out the structure years ago.

 

[OysterBoot74]

As a structural engineer, insert nasty comments here grin, I feel like they should be happy that the structure responded the way it did. There may be a little give and take on this type of design. You may get a little more superficial damage as a result of a weaker storm but the repair bills after a major wave event are much, much nicer than with older designs. I look at that video and I think "victory". lol.

 

[Hetland]

As a structural engineer, insert nasty comments here grin, I feel like they should be happy that the structure responded the way it did. There may be a little give and take on this type of design. You may get a little more superficial damage as a result of a weaker storm but the repair bills after a major wave event are much, much nicer than with older designs. I look at that video and I think "victory". lol.

While not an engineer of any sort, I was thinking the same thing. Why would you call them "sacrificial panels" if you didn't expect them to fail at some point? Whenever Captain Kirk went into a hostile location, he always made sure there was someone wearing a bright red shirt standing next to him (and a little in front). It's always wise to have potential failures built into your plan

 

[mike_s]

As a structural engineer, insert nasty comments here grin, I feel like they should be happy that the structure responded the way it did. There may be a little give and take on this type of design. You may get a little more superficial damage as a result of a weaker storm but the repair bills after a major wave event are much, much nicer than with older designs. I look at that video and I think "victory". lol.

well we've had docks ruined before by floods and waves ....and that was inland and not ocean waves. The waves would bash the dock when the water was up and cause the deck to pull up on the pilings...

so having panels that flip out and don't hold the wave pressure make perfect sense. Otherwise it would remove the entire deck, which would be VERY costly and time consuming to rebuild.

much easier to fix some plumbing and conduit and railings that to completely redo the structural support system with an entire deck getting blown out.

 

[OysterBoot74]

No doubt. As it is, they have to hire someone to inspect the structure and then most likely a plumber, an electrician and a carpenter for a week or so of work (all of which can probably do their work fromthe existing structure). Going the old design route, they'd additionally be contracting with an enigneering firm to design concrete repair requirements or redesign/construction and then all the mess that shakes out of that including marine construction equipment, yadda yadda yadda. They did good.

 

[mike_s]

I wonder if they can take the 'panels' and put them on a steel wire leash?

that way they can move upwards when a wave hits it, but not be blown by the waves 'down the pier", into the buildings, rails, etc...