Ohio Creek Watershed

Environmental resiliency project in Hampton Roads

Project Details

Market

Environmental Restoration

Location

Norfolk, VA

Project Partners

MEB, Bridgeman Civil, Inc., Lynnhaven Marine & Dock, Coastal Design & Construction and Parkway Grading

Construction Timeline

3 MW | 23 Acres

Our Scope

Site work supplier

Key Products

SRPE Pipe, 400EO Silt Fence and Gabion Baskets

About the Project

In January 2017, the City of Norfolk was awarded a $112 million federal grant from the National Disaster Resilience Competition to reduce flooding and improve public spaces in the Chesterfield Heights and Grandy Village Neighborhoods.
These two historic waterfront neighborhoods experienced significant tidal and precipitation flooding. The regular flood events had a significant impact on the community. There are only two roads that connect these neighborhoods to the rest of the city which makes travel difficult during flooding times. Additionally, shoreline erosion prevented recreational activity on the waterfront.
Through a combination of hardscape and natural landscape solutions as well as utility improvements, the resulting infrastructure is designed to protect this waterfront community from coastal erosion and improve the neighborhood’s connection to the City of Norfolk.

Utility Improvements for The Ohio Creek Project

Utility replacements and upgrades were an important part of The Ohio Creek Watershed project. Adding pump stations, rerouting stormwater lines, and upgrading water lines improved area drainage and overall neighborhood aesthetics.
Project utility improvements included two new pump stations, new sanitary sewer, 20,000 linear feet of replaced storm lines and 17,000 linear feet of upgraded waterlines.
In the pump station green space, Steel Reinforced Polyethylene (SRPE) was value engineered for Reinforced Concrete Pipe (RCP).

“The Ohio Creek Watershed project included the construction of Ballentine pump station. The RCP storm drain in the City roadways transitioned to 60” SRPE within the pump station yard. Roughly 220 LF of SRPE was installed for the pump station intake. The main advantage of using SRPE was how lightweight it is compared to RCP or ductile iron pipe. Production is increased installing SRPE because it has longer lay lengths and easily secured joints. It’s a good solution for durable drainage pipe to be installed in green spaces.”

Laney Ettel
Assoc. DBIA Project Manager
MEB

“Bridgeman Civil was contracted to install roughly 618 LF 30” and 36” SRPE (Steel Reinforced Polyethylene) Pipe at the Ohio Creek Project in Norfolk, VA. We have a very long history of installing underground utilities (water, sewer, and storm) in the Tidewater Area, however, this was our first time installing the SRPE Pipe Material. It is an amazing product. The SRPE material is significantly lighter than RCP even at more than double-the length [of RCP]. This allowed for easier installation and handling of the product. Also, given [SRPE’s] length of 20-feet, it cuts down on the rigging and laytime associated with 8-foot length RCP. From a material standpoint, it is my belief that this material will have a service life that far surpasses the performance of RCP.”

TJ Starkey
Project Manager
Bridgeman Civil, Inc.

Gabion Baskets for Coastal Protection

Gabion Baskets were used for coastal protection in several areas of The Ohio Creek project.
A wall of gabion baskets created a costal protection flood berm that spanned over 300-linear feet.
According to Laney Ettel, MEB Project Manager, “These gabions were included in the design of this berm due to the limited space/width available to install the flood protection in this area. They were placed on the roadway side of the berm to act as a retention wall for the berm fill used behind them.
Gabions were also installed at the Ballentine & Hayes Creek pump stations. In this application, The Gabion Baskets created a gravity retaining wall which is a permeable and flexible coastal protection wall. Maccaferri’s double twisted woven steel wire mesh Gabions accommodate large differential settlements without rupturing or unzipping. Both Galvanized Gabion Baskets and Polymer Coated Gabion Baskets were installed at Ohio Creek.