Project Overview
In order to protect an important natural resource, legislators created the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The School Ship Dock and Fishing Pier concept was part of the initial master plan for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Gateway site. The boardwalk style fishing pier extends 740-feet into the Detroit River providing fishing opportunities that were previously reserved for personal watercraft. The project was initially bid and due to the underwater work components associated with the original design, the bids came in substantially above the available construction funds. Wayne County Parks retained Hamilton Anderson and NTH to deliver engineering suggestions to develop a revised design that would maintain the approved and funded concept and allow for construction within budget and schedule constraints.
Working with staff from E.C. Korneffel Company, the HA/NTH team re-engineered the fishing pier to eliminate the need for divers and extensive underwater construction efforts, utilize more conventional construction processes and materials and develop a design that was not only more buildable by more contractors but also significantly more cost effective.
Client Benefit
With the modifications to the design, the construction costs were reduced by over 22-percent without compromising the original design intent, the footprint or look of the proposed Boat Dock and Fishing Pier. In addition, the design team reviewed and accepted several alternatives that were submitted, providing additional savings to the project. NTH’s re-engineering eliminated underwater efforts, creating a design that was easier to build, able meet schedule restrictions, and saved $1,000,000.
