Remediating a Tower Foundation in the Middle of the Ocean

53

foot

Bay of Fundy Tides
1

Crumbling tower foundation
25

+

Added lifespan

problem

A transmission tower on a tiny uninhabited island in the Bay of Fundy showed severe deterioration.

Corrosion had reduced the anchor cross section by over 50% and the grout pad supporting one leg had washed out causing the leg to drop, buckling the bracing on two faces of the structure.

The island nearly disappears at high tide, leaving no stable work area and routinely submerging the base in salt water. The tower was at risk of collapse, threatening power to remote communities.

solution

Varcon designed and supervised emergency repairs to stabilize the structure, then designed a plan for full refurbishment.

Footings were concrete encased and the structure modified to bring primary components above the high tide mark. Engineering and contractor teams worked in close coordination to ensure concrete delivery to the challenging location was successful. Varcon provided engineering design, on site quality control, and support throughout the project.

outcome

A potentially catastrophic failure and expensive service interruption were avoided.

The tower was fully stabilized, and rehabilitated with a 25+year service life. Follow up inspections have confirmed the performance of the repairs and ongoing monitoring will ensure continued performance in this uniquely challenging environment.

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