Task Order No. 43

United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Vicksburg District

Plaquemines Parish, LA  

ECM performed preliminary and final engineering design and prepared complete Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) for this $48 million flood risk reduction project under a five-year, $90 million (fees) IDIQ contract as part of the ECM-GEC Joint Venture. Serving as Managing Member of the JV, ECM successfully managed 98 Task Orders issued under the contract. This project, Task Order No. 0043, involved the design of the West Bank Mississippi River Levee – Phase II (Empire to Buras reach, NOV-16) in Plaquemines Parish for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Vicksburg District, in support of the Hurricane Protection Office (HPO). The project was a critical component of the post-Hurricane Katrina Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS).

NOV-16 included the enlargement of approximately 6.7 miles of existing levee. Improvements required raising the levee to the authorized elevation of 17.5 feet, including overbuild allowances to accommodate future fill shrinkage and foundation settlement. ECM’s design included levee enlargement, wave berm construction and armament, rock riprap placement, demolition of existing floodwalls, deep soil mixing, and relocation of the Highway 11 levee crossing in accordance with LADOTD requirements. Additional features included new levee access ramps and relocation of water, sewer, and electrical utilities within the new right-of-way. ECM also coordinated with private entities for the relocation of petroleum and natural gas pipelines affected by the project.

Design development included comprehensive review and evaluation of hydraulic data, geotechnical investigations, soil borings, flood elevations, topographic and hydrographic surveys, and right-of-way mapping. ECM prepared a Preliminary Design Report (PDR) and Design Development Reports (DDR), supported by detailed engineering analyses. Geotechnical evaluations performed in coordination with subconsultants established shear strength and settlement parameters and included slope stability, settlement, and seepage analyses.

All design elements were completed in accordance with the latest HSDRRS Design Guidelines and USACE standards. ECM also developed and implemented a Design Quality Control Plan (DQCP) in compliance with the HSDRRS Quality Management Plan. The project received an “Exceptional” performance rating from USACE.