IDEAS INTO REALIT Y
Underwater Inspections
About BergerABAM Founded in 1951, BergerABAM gained worldwide recognition for pioneering work in prestressed concrete design. In 1988, BergerABAM formed an affiliation with the Berger Group Holdings, Inc. (BGH) affiliated companies, establishing one of the largest consulting groups in the world. As a member of BGH, BergerABAM became a part of a global team of resources located throughout the United States and over 50 foreign countries. Today, BergerABAM offers services nationally and internationally in • Structural Engineering • Civil Engineering • Planning • Environmental Services
Underwater Inspection BergerABAM maintains a fully equipped diving team of experienced engineers who complement our engineering services. Observations of actual conditions are quickly and accurately communicated within the same engineering group, ensuring efficient and effective response to clients’ underwater structural problems. Our engineer-divers often follow a project from the inspection phase into the design of any required remedial measures. We offer the following services. Routine (Condition Survey) Inspection Structural Repair or Upgrade Design Inspection Construction Inspection (New and Repair) Post-Event (Emergency Response) Inspection Photographic and Video Documentation Nondestructive and Partially Destructive Testing Asset Management Upgrade/Modernization Design
Commitment to Safety BergerABAM emphasizes a proactive approach to safety with zero tolerance for accidents or personal injury. Each diver and tender is an experienced professional with advanced safety training and an excellent safety performance record. All underwater inspection operations are conducted under applicable provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (29 CFR Part 1910) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (EM 385-1-1). Safety requirements in these regulations are supplemented by our in-house Standard Diving Procedures Manual that is reviewed and updated regularly. Our engineer-divers have completed a customized commercial dive training program to receive internationally recognized commercial diving certifications. All members of our team receive continuing dive and safety training above and beyond industry requirements in order to maintain team continuity and a high level of proficiency.
Asset Management Maintenance of waterfront infrastructure is often performed in a reactive rather than proactive manner. By systematically managing the maintenance process with regular periodic inspections, owners of these expensive and difficult-to-replace assets can save significant money and minimize prolonged downtime for major repairs. The safety and continued functionality of these assets are ensured, and informed decisions can be made with regard to maintenance and replacement. BergerABAM’s practice of providing engineer-divers to perform underwater inspections augments the ability to identify a concern before it becomes a problem and facilitates the development of a practical solution for rehabilitation, repair, or retrofit of damaged or deteriorated structures.
Our Engineer Dive Team The BergerABAM engineer dive team comprises licensed structural and professional engineers and construction specialists. Every team fielded for underwater inspection typically has two or more licensed engineers present, physically performing and overseeing the inspection work. Our engineer-divers are capable of quickly determining load paths, identifying changes from record drawings, diagnosing failure modes, and evaluating the structural significance of field observations. We routinely perform underwater inspections of piers, wharves, seawalls, bulkheads, bridges, floating structures, marinas, and other waterfront-related facilities. We are capable and experienced with safely diving in an array of conditions, including remote locations, swift currents, limited or zero visibility, deep water, and beneath ice.
Emergency Response With a centrally located in-house team of engineer-divers and equipment, BergerABAM is able to quickly mobilize for emergency requests for underwater inspections. Our strategic location allows for rapid shipment of our containerized equipment to anywhere in the world on short notice. Our depth of experience enables us to select and assemble the right team and the most efficient combination of equipment to perform each inspection in a safe and timely manner.
Global Experience For over 35 years, BergerABAM’s strategically located engineer dive team has mobilized globally to provide inspection services and has done so with zero accidents.
Inspection Methodology Inspections are typically performed using the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Standard Practice Manual No. 101, “Underwater Investigations,” as a guideline for inspections of marine structures. Recently, the ASCE Standard Practice Manual No. 130, “Waterfront Facilities Inspections and Assessment,” has been added, which provides additional inspection and assessment guidelines and methodologies, including both underdeck and above deck features. When required, we tailor our inspection approach to accommodate specific owner requirements. Our decades of experience in underwater inspection provides us the knowledge base to not only perform inspections to meet ASCE and owner guidelines, but to tailor our inspections to deliver the best inspection methods and procedures for structures and conditions not covered by these guidelines. For bridges, inspections are typically performed using National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidelines. Similar to our inspection of marine structures, we tailor our inspection approach to accommodate specific owner requirements. Most of our dive team members have completed multiple NBIS-FHWA inspection training courses and are qualified team leaders.
Equipment and Diving Platforms BergerABAM owns, operates, and maintains the diving equipment necessary to meet logistical and accessibility challenges of our clients’ requests. Our diving platforms include a custom-designed 26-foot aluminum landing craft specifically for our diving operations, dive trailer, and portable dive-station equipment, allowing us to perform underwater inspections anywhere, including remote locations with difficult access. We are capable of mobilizing a team of engineer-divers using surface-supplied air or scuba equipment, whichever best meets the needs of the inspection safely and efficiently. Each of our diving platforms is capable of supporting either mode of operation. We maintain underwater still cameras and video cameras with or without audio to document observed conditions to better relate our findings to the client. Even in low-visibility water, we are able to document damage using our clear water camera boxes.
Upgrade/Modernization Design BergerABAM provides upgrade and modernization design of waterfront, marine-related facilities, and bridges ranging from small marinas to major port developments. By incorporating in-house engineer-divers from the initial underwater inspection through development of contract documents and support of construction, BergerABAM is able to provide a seamless project from start to finish.
“Engineer-divers from BergerABAM provided underwater inspection services over a three-year period to the Navy for a $138 million aircraft maintenance facility, including inspection of over 900 prestressed concrete piles and 1,500 linear feet of steel sheet pile walls. Their efforts included documentation of pile installation damage and monitoring of all pile repair efforts. All of BergerABAM’s work was excellent and provided the services the Navy needed to ensure the pier was ready for service and that any deficiencies by the construction contractor were documented/tracked through repair.”
Matt Butler, Design Manager U.S. Navy
Contact Joe Stockwell, PE Vice President 206/431-2300 joe.stockwell@abam.com
Scott Branlund, PE, SE Senior Project Manager 206/431-2300 scott.branlund@abam.com
888/600-2374
www.abam.com