CASE HISTORY

New Construction - DRIVECAST: Jersey Walks

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The Project:
South Wilmington Wetlands: New Construction to build an expansive man-made wetlands to protect the historic South Wilmington neighborhood of Southbridge (Wilmington, DE) from flooding.

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The Situation:
The historic South Wilmington neighborhood of Southbridge (Wilmington, DE) has been flooding during any major rain event for years. These floods have caused major destruction, property loss, eroded roadways, and caused significant damages across the southern section of the city. The City and Taxpayers would then, repeatedly, have to pay for the repairs of the infrastructure. 

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 The Solution:
The city worked with BrightFields, Inc. Environmental Services, Breslin Contracting & Diamond Materials to design a manmade wetland that not only offers a floodplain to save the southern end of the city but also creates a habitat for wildlife, recreation area for the residents. The result cleans up one of the largest brownfield[1] in the city.
It’s a 14-acre wetland park designed for stormwater management. It will also aid in the restoration and enhancement of the existing wetlands; creating a recreational area for the community.
 
One of the design features is the boardwalk. It’s designed to be ADA accessible and on grade with the pathway through the park. This pathway functions as a recreational path. It connects the historic neighborhood to commerce and jobs in other sections of the city previously not easily assessable.
 
Part of the construction of the wetlands was the removal of contaminated soils which had been dumped in the marsh for over a century. BrightFields, Inc. Environmental Services worked to ensure the safety of the natural habitat remained intact and was restored for the birds, fish and other wildlife.
 
The project will feature many walkable areas, it was aimed at making it ADA accessible throughout the park. Breslin Contracting built the new boardwalk and bridge, designed to handle the harsh weather conditions and water table of the local area. They chose multiple configurations of CHANCE™ helical piles.
 
A combination of SS5 battered piles and RS2875.276/203 round shaft helical piles were installed for the abutment & pier. Throughout the project they used combo piles consisting of SS175 square shaft to RS3500.300 round shaft material along with some SS200 material for the HW3 portion of the project. By relying on CHANCE’s extensive mix of materials, Breslin was able to install a boardwalk and bridge system that’s cost effective, with better longevity than alternatives and is up to the task of withstanding the natural elements and the wear and tear of recreational use: all while being environmentally safe.

They're committed to building a safe floodplain, wetlands and recreational area that will help South Wilmington restore their waterways to their natural beauty.
 
July 2020: Breslin added that the city will be bringing them back to add more boardwalk to this area. 

[1] According to the EPA, a brownfield is a property that may have hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants present.