East Garden Grove-Wintersburg Channel from the Bolsa Chica Tide Gates to Warner Avenue

Project Location:

In the city of Huntington Beach between Pacific Coast Highway and Warner Avenue

Project Description:

The $42.5 million flood control improvement project utilized a double row of steel sheet piles and soil cement mixed columns (inserted between the sheet piles) to form structurally sound flood control levees in a seismically active area over liquefiable soils subject to tidal influence set within a highly sensitive and publicly active coastal environment.

Project Justification:

This project was challenging in many aspects. 

1.  Newport Inglewood Fault Zone:
The project’s existing earthen levees cross over the Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone (considered to be one greatest seismic threats in Orange County) and sits atop liquefiable soils capable of over six feet of lateral spreading during a major seismic event.

2.  Tidal Influence:
The East Garden Grove-Wintersburg (EGGW) Channel is subject to tidal influence with several feet of water in the channel at all times regardless of storm activity.  The surrounding residential neighborhoods sit at about 0.0 to 1.0 mean sea level (msl) and the channel levees rise up to ten (10) feet higher than the surrounding street and property grades.  During a major seismic event, the existing levees could catastrophically collapse and inundate the surrounding homes even on a sunny day.

3.  Flood Capacity:
The existing channel was constructed to convey runoff from approximately a ten (10)-year storm event (2,980 cfs).  The project required a design to convey the 100-year storm event, over three times the original design capacity (9,300 cfs).  This required constructing new more structurally sound levees and widening the channel by fifty (50) feet within the existing right of way.

4.  Sheet Pile Wall Construction:
As described above, OCFCD needed to triple the flood conveyance of the existing earthen trapezoidal channel.  Detailed hydraulic modeling indicated that this could be accomplished with a vertical wall facility with an invert approximately fifty (50) feet wider.  Since the channel invert was subject to as much as seven feet of tidal influence and poor soil conditions, traditional concrete construction was problematic at best.  Sheet pile construction allowed OCFCD: to keep heavy construction equipment out of the channel; no widespread dewatering was necessary; low load bearing soils were not a problem for the cantilever sheet pile design; sheet piles could be driven all year around (even in the winter) because all the equipment sat up on the existing levees outside of the channel’s flood conveyance; and the proposed method of sheet pile installation was embraced by the environmental regulatory agencies as the preferred method of construction.

Since the project was being constructed in a highly corrosive marine environment, OCFCD first considered the use of PVC or fiberglass sheet pile.  Since soil mixing was proposed between two sheet pile walls that would form the outer limits of the new levees, it was perceived that the lower structural capacity plastic sheet piles would perform adequately in combination with the soil cement.  OCFCD staff quickly determined however that even though the finished product would likely be structurally adequate, the plastic piles would likely fail during the construction process.  Forty five (45) foot long plastic piles could not be reliably driven to depth within the given construction tolerances.  The plastic piles would not be able to support loading from the proposed Giken Reaction Base pile driver, and the plastic piles could not be counted on to take the proposed stresses estimated for the soil cement mixed columns if installed directly adjacent to plastic channel walls.

So, OCFCD decided on marine grade A690, 60 ksi steel sheet piles that would easily take the anticipated construction loads.  A corrosion study accomplished by a corrosion engineering firm confirmed that the proposed piles would meet OCFCD’s design criteria of a 75-year design life, and that the design life could be increased by the use of a properly designed cathodic protection system beyond 75 years.

5.  Use of newer technologies for OCFCD channel construction:
During the preliminary design of the project, the facility suffered severe erosion and damage during storm activity in 2005.  An interim repair project to fortify the damaged levees was planned shortly after the winter storms, but the repair project became bogged down during the environmental regulatory process.  The condition of the levees became such a concern that the Orange County Board of Supervisors felt it necessary to declare a local emergency for the project on October 16, 2007 to facilitate timely public bids and acquire emergency environmental permitting. 

A.  Sheet piles were installed utilizing a GRB or Giken Reaction Base pile driver which could drive piles even on a failing levee.  The GRB has a very small environmental footprint because the driver sits atop the already driven sheet piles which helped convince the California Coastal Commission to issue an emergency Coastal Development Permit for the emergency work.  This was the first use of a Giken GRB on the West Coast of the United States.  The emergency project was completed by March 2008.  A sizeable storm in late 2008 tested the emergency project which held with no problems.  It was assumed that without the emergency sheet pile installation, OCFCD would have suffered a catastrophic collapse of the levee system and inundated hundreds of nearby residents.

The experience with the Giken pile driver during the emergency project led OCFCD to utilize the same technology for the larger levee improvement because: the Giken driver had little to no vibration during driving that would cause an issue with the underlying liquefiable soils and high groundwater; the driver sits on top of the sheet piles and places no bearing on the levee in areas where the levee cannot support traditional construction loads; and the driving method is significantly quieter than traditional installation techniques which was a tremendous benefit due to the project’s close proximity to adjacent homes which also sit on liquefiable soils.  The construction activity incorporated as many as three (3) Giken drivers at one time to drive 15,645 channel feet of 40 - 45 feet long, A690 marine grade steel sheet piles or approximately 22.1 million pounds of steel pile for the project.

B.  Due to the site’s close proximity with the Newport-Inglewood fault zone, underlying liquefiable soils, and potential for over six feet of lateral spreading during a major seismic event, OCFCD staff utilized the method of soil cement mixed columns to stabilize the liquefiable soils within and under the new levee.  The concept of “bend but don’t break” was the theme for the design.  The levee may experience some minor damage but not a catastrophic breach during a major seismic event.  The design incorporates three (3) foot diameter soil cement mixed columns arranged in a hexagonal pattern between two sheet pile walls.  The hexagonal shape was chosen for ease of construction (to reduce the number of columns directly adjacent to the sheet pile walls) and uniform densification of the soil mass between the sheet piles.  The soil cement mixed columns extend vertically from just below the surface of the levee maintenance road down forty (40) feet to a non-liquefiable soil layer. 

The channel was also being widened by fifty (50) feet which meant the width of the levee had to be narrowed to fifteen (15) feet and moved much closer to the homes.  The resulting drainage flow path through and beneath the levee was also significantly shortened.  The very low permeability sheet pile and soil cement mixed columns combination lengthened the groundwater flow path to approximately pre-existing conditions.

6.  Regulatory Permit Issues and Public Sentiment:
As previously stated, the emergency project encountered difficulty in obtaining environmental regulatory permits due to the project’s close/adjacent proximity to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve (BCER) and a California Coastal Commission designated Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) which contained State and Federally listed endangered species.  These difficulties carried over to the larger levee improvement project.  Numerous meetings were held with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, EPA, US Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly Fish & Game), California Coastal Commission (CCC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, California State Lands Commission (SLC), and city of Huntington Beach.  Several grass roots environmental organizations were also initially opposed to the project due to its perceived association with an adjacent and highly controversial residential development project by Shea Homes.  Over five years of negotiations were required to eventually acquire all the necessary environmental permits to construct the project including: numerous public outreach meetings, extensive biological monitoring, eelgrass surveys, caulerpa taxifolia surveys, salt marsh vegetation transplants, etc.

Due to demands made by these regulatory agencies, the length of the project was increased by 4,700 feet to fortify the southerly EGGW channel levee east of the residential neighborhoods and provide increased flood protection to the BCER.  The increase in project footprint required OCFCD to redo the CEQA and restart the CEQA regulatory clock.

7.  Right of Way Acquisition:
Right of way needed to be acquired for the project to facilitate construction from the California State Lands Commission, city of Huntington Beach, and the adjacent Shea Homes development.  The acquisition of this right of way also required its own biological assessment, CEQA documentation and was required to be included in the Coastal Development Permit issued by the CCC.

8.  Public Trail Issue:
The EGGW Levees were used by adjacent residents as an unofficial trail to access the BCER outlooks and trails although the crumbling levees were not an authorized or safe public access.  The project incorporated a public access ramp and public trail feature to facilitate safe public coastal access in and around the BCER.  The project essentially became a new public trail that linked the easterly BCER trail system to the westerly Inner Bolsa Bay and Outer Bolsa Bay trail system and BCER Outlook areas.  OCFCD only possesses a flood control easement on the property.  The underlying fee owner of the right of way is the SLC, so OCFCD had to execute a long term lease agreement with the SLC to operate a public trail on the levee which will be operated and maintained by OC Parks.

9.  High groundwater:
Groundwater flowed from beneath the channel to the surrounding area and occasionally from the surrounding area to the channel.  Hydrogeologic studies performed showed that the proposed sheet piles and soil cement columns would likely disrupt the natural flow interaction between the channel and adjacent near surface groundwater aquifers.  A concern that blocking the groundwater flow could lead to subsidence or differential settlement of adjacent structures or cause soggy backyards had to be mitigated.  Therefore, the design incorporated an underground groundwater cistern along the entire length of the levee where the sheet pile/soil cement columns were installed.  The cistern would be monitored and either capture excess groundwater or be filled with water to supplement dropping groundwater readings to mimic natural groundwater flow.  An extensive groundwater well network and monitoring system was also put in place for the project and constantly monitored before and during the levee construction activity (and into the future as well).  In addition, an adjacent ground movement monitoring system was also put in place and monitored/surveyed on a regular basis during the construction activity.

10.  Project Low Impact Development BMPs:
The cistern also doubled as a project structural BMP to infiltrate and capture storm water from the 85% storm event.  Other BMPs on the project included: Filterra Tree in Box Units, vegetated swales planted with Leyland Cypress trees, fiber rolls, and drop inlet skimmer/filter boxes on the maintenance roads.

The project is the largest, most expensive flood control project solely financed by OCFCD.

Special Circumstances:

The project completed against many other worthy projects and was awarded a $5 million Prop 84 Local Levee Critical Repair Grant from the California Department of Water Resources.

The project allowed OCFCD staff to form beneficial relationships with many design consultants and construction firms during the design and construction of the project:

Design:
OCFCD/OC Public Works – Flood Control Design staff received assistance from the following individuals/firms:

OC Public Works – Construction, Regulatory Permits, and Real Estate staff
Gary Medeiros, Bon Terra Consulting
Mike Carter, Blue Iron
Dr. Juan Baez, Advanced GeoSolutions
Heyward Baker, Inc.
Earth Mechanics, Inc.
Johan Gunther
Jeff Wykoff, and
Takefumi Takuma, Giken America
Lan Weber, WRC

Project Attachments:

Other Firms that were involved with this project included:

Design:
Coastal Resources Management, Inc.
URS
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Hushmand and Associates
Earth Mechanics Inc.
Geopentech
Remedial Construction Services
Exponent
Shea Homes
Pacific Soils
Hunsaker and Associates
Skyline Steel
L. B. Foster

Construction:
OC Public Works – OC Construction
General Contractor: Reyes Construction, Inc.
Martinez Steel Corp. (Gen Contractor Sub for Structure/Rebars)
Advanced Weldtec, Inc. (Gen. Cont. Sub for Stud Welding)
Forkhert Engineering and Surveying, Inc. (Gen. Cont. Sub for Surveying/Const. Assessment Survey)
Sub-Contractor: Solis Group (Labor Compliance Plan Implementation) 
Sub-Contractor: Chambers Group (Environmental, Biological Survey) 
Sub-Contractor: Hayward Baker, Inc. (Soil Cement Mixing)
Sub-Contractor: Geosyntec Consultants (Soil Mix Testing and Monitoring)
Sub-Contractor: Blue Iron, Inc. (Sheet Pile Driving)

Award Citation::

The $42.5 million flood control improvement project utilized a double row of steel sheet piles and soil cement mixed columns to form structurally sound flood control levees in a seismically active area over liquefiable soils subject to tidal influence set within a highly sensitive and publicly active coastal environment.

Suggested Award Summary:

The $42.5 million flood control improvement project utilized a double row of steel sheet piles and soil cement mixed columns (inserted between the sheet piles) to form structurally sound flood control levees in a seismically active area over liquefiable soils subject to tidal influence set within a highly sensitive and publicly active coastal environment.

The project utilized many different technologies to construct a structurally sound levee within a very adverse project site, such as: soil-mixed columns in a hexagonal pattern to optimize the space between the sheet piles and mitigate liquefiable soils; Giken Reaction Base Sheet Pile Drivers that utilize the press-in method rather than vibration or pounding, Grade A690 Marine Grade Steel to mitigate steel corrosion for the sheet piles; stainless steel rebar for retaining walls under two major traffic bearing bridges; soil nail shoring during construction activity; hydrogeologic and ground motion monitoring before, during, and after sheet pile driving; and, the utilization of and underground infiltration cistern that doubles as a groundwater regulator as well as a project Low Impact Development (LID) BMP for the project.

Project Awards

Burris Pump Station Project, Phase 1 Skimming the Waters of Newport Habor Sunset Ridge Park Lake Forest Sports Park Coyote Creek Class I Bikeway The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) Corona del Mar Water Transmission Main Santa Ana River Interceptor (SARI Line) Relocation Project State Route 57 Northbound Widening (Central Phase) 20 Story Office Tower and 8 Story parking Structure @ 650/670 Newport Center Drive Tustin Ranch Road Extension Balboa Boulevard Beautification Park Place SR 57 Widening North Segment Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) Irvine Regional Park Maintenance Building Replacement Project Sand Canyon Avenue Grade Separation SR-57 Improvements Newport Forcemain Project Emergency Roof Stabilization, Tustin Hangar 1 Lower Santa Ana River Reach 9 Phase 2B Project Newport Beach Civic Center & Park City of San Clemente Recycled Water Expansion Project Groundwater Replenishment System Initial Expansion Cerritos Avenue Reconstruction and Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project Bristol Street Improvements Phase II New Ocelot Exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo Newport Beach's Harbor Litter Removal Project Brookhurst Street Widening Project I-5/SR-74 Interchange Improvement Project Oso Creek Multi-Use Trail PCH/Del Prado Street Improvements Marina Park Newland, Edinger, and East Garden Grove Wintersburg Storm Channel Confluence System Gobernadora Multipurpose Basin Lincoln Avenue Widening over the Santa Ana River Gilbert Street Improvements LAGUNA BEACH FESTIVAL OF ARTS FAÇADE/ENTRANCE PROJECT ALEGRE AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS Cow Camp Road Design – Phases 1A & 1B West County Connectors Project Waste to Energy - Bowerman Power Project Glassell Yard Campus Stormwater Low-Impact Development Retrofit Project Esencia, Rancho Mission Viejo Irvine Boulevard Pedestrian Bridge Orange County Water District La Palma Groundwater Recharge Basin Stanton Central Park Jeffrey Open Space Trail Emerald Bay Entrance Widening Peters Canyon (Wash) Channel Water Capture and Reuse Pipeline Project 91 Express Lanes Pavement Rehabilitation and CMS Replacement Memory Lane Park, Santa Ana La Pata Extension Project SR-91 Westbound Widening Newport Beach Country Club Clubhouse 400 Spectrum Center Drive Soil Nail Wall Myra 3 Stormwater Pump Station Sunset/Huntington harbour Dredging and Waterline Project Huntington Beach Senior Center In Central Park Newport Boulevard Widening Crown Valley Park Channel Entry Improvements Anaheim Convention Center Betterment VII Mackay Park Tesoro Zone II and Zone B Water Facilities Park Avenue Bridge over Grand Canal I-5/La Novia Roundabout Dairy Fork Wetland and Habitat Restoration Jeffrey Road Park n' Ride Lot Expansion Project Tustin-Rose Grade Separation Project, Part of the OCTA OC Bridges Grade Separations Program Argyros Girl Scout Leadership Center Wagon Wheel Creek Restoration and Stormwater Management OCTA OC Bridges Program ABC Green Home 3.0 Project Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts Grounds Renovation Ortega Highway Emergency Repair Project The Tracks at Brea Baker Ranch City of Buena Park Fire Station No. 61 Arlington Drive Bioswale & Dry Weather Diversion Project Altair Irvine Village Pond Park/Veterans Park Renovation Mid-Basin Injection: Centennial Park Agua Chinon Corridor Tarbut V’ Torah Phase III & Phase IV Rancho Mission Viejo Joint-Use Pavilion I-5 HOV Improvement Project between Avenida Pico and Avenida Vista Hermosa Orange County Great Park Sports Complex Crawford Canyon Road Drainage Improvements & Reconstruction South Cove Development Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena Lido House Hotel Broadcom Corporate Campus (now FivePoint Gateway West Orange County Water Board Feeder No. 2 Relocation Newhope-Placentia Trunk Sewer Replacement Project State College Boulevard Grade Separation Los Patrones Parkway Rancho Mission Viejo Multipurpose Path Urth Caffe - Orange Environmental Nature Center Preschool Building 16

Candidate Awards

Natalie A. Meeks, P.E. Tasha M. Kamegai-Karadi Yazdan (Yaz) T. Emrani, P.E., Byron Tobey, PE, QSD, LEEP AP Eric Walker Gidti Ludesirishoti Victoria Pilko Pratanu Ghosh Steven R Marvin Phil Jones, PE Joshua Nelson, PE Victor Aguirre Kenneth H. Rosenfield, PE George A. Jurica, PE Tom Bogard Ravi Shah, PE, QSP/QSD Amy Choi, EIT Elizabeth Ruedas, EIT, ENV SP Mujahid Chandoo Roxanne Follis Amir Aghakouchak, Ph.D., M-ASCE, P.E. Fred Minagar Jeffrey Okamoto, PE Harvey Gobas Chloe Gharios Kevin Onuma, P.E. Ryan Chamberlain Dr. Adrian Moore Michael Pierce, A.M.ASCE Remi Candaele, PE, MS, QSD/QSP, M.ASCE Thomas A. Broz, P.E., S.E, F.ASCE Karen Cervantes, S.M.ASCE Isamar Escobar, A.M.ASCE Kevin Kondru, P.E., M.ASCE Douglas J. Johnson, P.E., M.ASCE Jeremy Redman, PhD Christopher Haire Mojgan Hashemi, P.E., M.ASCE OC Report Card Executive Committee Steven J. Huff, P.E., M.ASCE William Bennett, P.E., M.ASCE Bruce Phillips, P.E. Brad Dybel, PE Bryant Wong Gyssela (Jazzy) Quinabo, E.I.T. Nestor Godinez, PE Professor Joel Lanning Elizabeth Ruedas Dave Lowe Wei Koo Bill Lawson Amber Ganapathy Bob Kallenbaugh State Senator Josh Newman Gary Urban Dr. Sudarshan Kurwadkar Clint Isa, PE Jason Fix, PE Chirath "Chuck" Karunathilake Amber Shah Ashlyn Alexander John C Hogan Marionne Lapitan Dr. C.T. Bathala, PhD, P.E. Kevin Du Mont, P.E. Ziad Mazboudi, P.E., D.WRE, MBA David Frattone, P.E. Lisa Bartlett Jennifer Bohen Gyssela (Jazzy) Quinabo, E.I.T. Adeleine J. Tran, P.E. Jared Lindo Janelle Gonzalez Marionne Lapitan, E.I.T., ENV SP Chirath "Chuck" Karunathilake Gabreelle Gonzalez, P.E. George A. Jurica, P.E. Jeff Braun, P.E. Representative Harley Rouda Jeremy R. Squire, P.E. Kathereen Shinkai, P.E. Mobility 21 Douglas J. Sereno, P.E., F.ASCE Dr. Lisa Star, Ph.D., P.E. Lisa M. Penna, P.E., F.ASCE, QSD Michael A. Kraman, P.E. Tapas Dutta, P.E., F.ASCE Raul Omar Rodriguez Mathew Picardal Darlyn Hernandez Keenan Do Guillermo Medina Jesse Bennett Rob Himes Jennifer Marks Andrew Oshrin Sam Ali Stephanie Wiggins Patrick Tierney, P.E. Rudy Emami
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