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Yokely Levee Extension

APTIM's Waterways and Flood Control team provided design and engineering expertise to assist the St. Mary Levee District in coming up with a solution to protect Franklin, LA residents from future flood waters.

History of the Yokely Levee

After the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the United States Army Corps of Engineers was tasked with taming the Mississippi River with the Flood Control Act of 1928. The project to construct the world’s longest system of levees and flood control works was known as The Mississippi Rivers & Tributaries Project (MR&T).

Within this project, the Yokely Levee was constructed. Located near US Highway 90 in Franklin, Louisiana, the Yokely levee stretched from the Franklin Canal to Industrial Road. Over time, and through the long-term development of the area between Industrial Road and the Charenton Navigation & Drainage Canal, a gap in flood protection was realized.

Flood Protection Design and Engineering

The St. Mary Levee District retained the services of Miller Engineers & Associates, Inc., and a team of subconsultants including APTIM and GeoEngineers, Inc. to come up with a workable solution to close this gap in the flood protection while not adversely impacting industries in the immediate area. After many iterations, the Yokely Levee Extension Project was developed and designed.

  • The levee system consists of 4,145 linear feet of earthen levee and 820 linear feet of removal flood protection to an elevation of +10.5’ NAVD88.
  • The levee begins at the previous endpoint of the Yokely Levee at its intersection with Industrial Road. The levee traverses adjacent to the Charenton Navigation & Drainage Canal towards the North for approximately 0.77 miles before terminating near the BNSF Railroad at a natural ground elevation of +10.5’ NAVD88.
  • The levee alignment crosses through 2 Industrial ship builder’s yards. Within these yards, concrete footings with pipe pile supports and sheet pile seepage protection were constructed at grade. The construction at grade allows both shipyards to have full usage of their yards while the removable flood protection wall is not deployed.
  • The concrete footings were designed to have a 6’-8’ removable flood wall attached to them with relative ease in the short time leading up to a predicted storm surge. The foundations were placed with evenly spaced metal plates that have sockets for the bolts that hold down the removable wall’s vertical components. Aluminum stop logs with rubber seals are then placed between the vertical components to create a 6-foot to 8-foot surge protection wall. The removable walls can be deployed in a single day in the event of an anticipated storm surge.
  • The project began on November 1, 2021 and reached Substantial Completion on September 15, 2022.

APTIM’s Waterways and Flood Control Expertise

Our team of flood protection design and engineering specialists offers a comprehensive range of flood control, hurricane protection, coastal engineering, science and technology, as well as port and marine-related services. With approximately 250 employees worldwide, the team ranks among the largest science and engineering groups dedicated to supporting clients in the coastal, marine, mining, and energy industries. We are able to offer:

  • Earthen Levee; Civil Flood Protection Design
  • Ecosystem Restoration / Flood Control
  • Engineering During Construction
  • Flood Protection Structure Program
    • Floodplain Management
    • Flood Fighting
  • Impact Assessments, NEPA, and Permitting
  • Laser Scan and Drones
  • Monitoring and Compliance
  • Owners Representative
  • Planning, Design, and Feasibility Studies
  • Project Permits; Regulatory Process
  • Topographic and Hydrographic Surveys

APTIM. In Pursuit of Better.

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