Concrete Admixtures - Project Profiles:
Johnnie Mercer's Fishing Pier

Project: Johnnie Mercer's Fishing Pier
Location: Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
Products: ADVA® Flow Superplasticizer , DCI® S ; Daratard® 17 ; and Darex® II AEA®
Concrete Supplier: S&G Prestress Company, Wilmington, NC
Contractor: Atlantic Diving & Marine Contractors, Inc., Wilmington, NC
Specifier: Criser & Troutman Consulting Engineers, Wilmington, NC
Architect: George Alsina

The Project: This historical wooden pier served as a well-known navigational landmark and town meeting place for 60 years prior to its destruction by a series of violent hurricanes in the mid-1990's. After a period of reconstruction, it reopened in May 2002 as the first public concrete fishing pier along the coast of the Carolinas. The old pier is now reinforced by solid and symmetrical rows of concrete piles, the largest weighing 27,000 pounds and measuring 66 feet long and 20 inches wide, and planted firmly 25 feet into the ocean floor.

The Challenge . . .

North Carolina was once known for its traditional and picturesque wooden piers, often extending up to 1,000 feet into the ocean to allow for optimal fishing and breathtaking vistas. Unfortunately, these piers have not held up well in an area of the country deemed "hurricane alley". Since 1996, one-third of North Carolina's fishing piers have been forced to close in the aftermath of a series of destructive storms. Nevertheless, the current owners of the old Johnnie Mercer's Fishing Pier were determined to rebuild the pier. They needed a solution that would address the challenge of continuous corrosion by the ocean and the ability to withstand fierce storms, while keeping the project within a reasonable budget.

The Solution . . .

For this complex project, the Wilmington-based firm S & G Prestress Company selected Grace admixtures ADVA® Flow Superplasticizer , DCI® S , Daratard® 17 , and Darex® II AEA® , known for their high strength and durability characteristics, corrosion resistance, ease of placeability, and protective air-entraining properties. These qualities were specifically needed to provide optimal strength and protection in such a damaging storm and saltwater environment. The design of the reconstructed pier and use of these materials presented an innovative and economical solution to a set of constructibility challenges, while at the same time addressing the severe issue of exposure and vulnerability to the elements. The reconstruction of the old Johnnie Mercer Pier will enable the thousands of fisherman, tourists, and locals who visit the pier each year to continue to safely enjoy the historic structure and the ocean access it provides.