PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The widening and deepening of the 51-mile long Houston Ship Channel (HSC) involved the dredging of 60 million cubic yards of new material with an estimated 190 million cubic yards of dredged material to be deposited over the 50-year life of the project. Part of the project involved developing a technically and economically feasible environmental restoration plan that used the dredged material from the HSC. The approved plan included establishing 4,650 acres of intertidal marsh in the Galveston Bay section, restoring an island in the Bayou section, creating an 8-acre bird island habitat in the Bay section and the creation of a berm for fish habitat in the offshore section of the HSC.

GBA SERVICES
Developed and evaluated beneficial uses of dredged material including saltwater marsh creation and restoration, creation of oyster reefs, shoreline protection, boater destinations (anchorages) and bird island creation and restoration

Developed engineering and environmental criteria for the creation of an intertidal marsh

Established environmental requirements, planned and supervised hydrographic and topographic surveys, performed circulation and sedimentation studies, and carried out geotechnical investigations

Calculated quantities of new work and maintenance material

Determined dredged material types and distribution, equipment requirements and the effect of transport on dredged materials

Coordinated the design effort with the USACE, performed independent technical reviews of the design plans and specifications produced by the USACE for dredging of the channel, provided inspection services at the beneficial use sites and monitored the development of the beneficial use sites

Performed hydrographic, topographic and geophysical surveys of channel reaches and beneficial use placement sites

Participated in management of project construction

AWARDS
Honor Award from the American Consulting Engineering Council for Fostering Excellence in Engineering Design on the Project - Dredged Materials and Environmental Resources for the Port of Houston Authority’s Ship Channel Modernization Project.