U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shores up a piece of American history

By Mr. Clem Gaines and Ms. Cynthia Mitchell (USACE)September 22, 2014

Fort McHenry seawall straightened and strengthened
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A 430-foot section of the Fort McHenry seawall is now straight and strengthened thanks to a Corps of Engineers project. Daily tidal pounding, severe storms that flooded the area and the mid-Atlantic region weather extremes cracked some granite slabs,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Corps greets public at Star Spangled Spectacular
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Corps greets public on the Linthicum survey vessel
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Crew members aboard the Linthicum survey vessel explained their mission to the public while docked at Pier 3 during the Sept. 10-16 Star Spangled Spectacular event in Baltimore Harbor. More than 6,000 visitors boarded the Reynolds debris vessel and t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Corps greets public aboard the Reynolds debris vessel
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Small Craft Operator Joe Huber explains ship operations to a visitor during the Open House on the Reynolds debris vessel during the Sept. 10-16 Star Spangled Spectacular in Baltimore Harbor and at Fort McHenry. More than 6,000 visitors boarded the Re... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Corps greets public on the Reynolds debris vessel
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Survey Technician Brian Retz explains ship operations to visitors during the Open House on the Reynolds debris vessel during the Sept. 10-16 Star Spangled Spectacular in Baltimore Harbor and at Fort McHenry. More than 6,000 visitors boarded the Reyno... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Baltimore District issued a $46,000 contract to a Maryland firm, Consolidated Construction and Engineering, this spring for unique and precise repairs to a 430-foot section of the seawall. Those repairs included pouring and smoothing cement mortar between and under granite slabs that had become loose as well as repositioning slabs so the wall was straight.

"The last time the seawall underwent any level of rehabilitation was in the summer of 1982," said Earl Wilson, facilities specialist. "The seawall is repaired every 30 to 50 years, but extreme weather conditions and storm surges over time can accelerate the need for repair. There were several broken capstones and the alignment of the wall was severely out of shape. We're adding a concrete curb on the backside to in order to prevent damage from vehicles and snowplows."

Corps experts attribute the walls' deficiency to a number of factors. First, the brackish water in the harbor, a combination of salt and fresh water, combined with the daily 12-to-18- inch tidal action during the last few decades caused portions of the seawall to deteriorate, break and become unsteady and unsafe. To address that damage, new granite slabs were cut and brought in from a quarry in Indiana.

Another cause for the walls degradation is linked to extreme weather in the mid-Atlantic region. The freezing winter conditions can take a toll on the wall, and powerful storms from the Atlantic -- like those experienced in Sept. 18-19, 2003, from Hurricane Isabel -- often cause damage in front and behind the seawall.

Beyond its historic importance, the seawall provides strength and support for the nearby area where the Corps has maintained missions for almost 90 years. The Fort McHenry property serves as home to a fleet of Corps boats that survey nearby federal channels and remove navigation hazards.

"The debris vessel Reynolds constantly removes a variety of navigation obstructions, large and small, to keep the federal channel safe and open for commercial and personal navigation in Baltimore Harbor," said Kevin Brennan, chief, Operations Division navigation section. In addition, the survey vessel Linthicum conducts hydrographic surveys of the federal channels in the harbor and Chesapeake Bay."

The Corps' property is also is the location of their soils lab, where geotechnical engineers evaluate material for design and construction purposes.

The repairs to the seawall were completed just in time for Baltimore's Star Spangled Spectacular, a free festival that celebrated the 200th anniversary of our National Anthem.

Commonly acknowledged to be the "birthplace" of the National Anthem and Star Spangled Banner, Fort McHenry was the focal point of the weeklong celebrations.

The fort hosted a number of special events and activities, including a series of interpretive programs and commemorative ceremonies. Both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden took part in Spectacular events at Fort McHenry.

A special exhibition for the bicentennial featured the original manuscript of Francis Scott Key's poem "The Defense of Fort M'Henry", inspired by Key's experience of watching the flag rise over the fort after the Battle of Baltimore in 1814. The poem was later set to music, and Congress made it the official United States national anthem in 1931.

The festivities were not limited to Fort McHenry. The Port of Baltimore hosted over 30 naval vessels and tall ships from the United States, the United Kingdom, and five other countries, all saluted by cannons at Fort McHenry on their way into the Inner Harbor.

Amongst the visiting ships were two Corps of Engineers vessels: Reynolds, a debris removal vessel, and Linthicum, a hydrographic research vessel. The vessels provided free public tours for 6,000 visitors over the course of the event.

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