Port of Alaska Dock Piling Fabrication

As of August 2020, T BAILEY INC. has supplied just over 4,300 LF of steel piling for the Port of Alaska dock project. The piling specifications have been:

  • Length: 120’ to 176’
  • Diameter: 48”
  • Thickness: ¾” to 1 ⅝”
  • Hardware: We welded 16 shear rings onto the interior of each pile. The shear rings were ¾” thick by 1 ½” wide. These were installed to help facilitate concrete pouring during construction at the dock.
120’ to 176’
Length
48”
DIAMETER
¾” to 1 ⅝”
Thickness

This is an ongoing project, driven by the need to replace a large dock at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage. An inspection revealed that the dock was suffering from structural failures, including cracked piling, and needs to be rebuilt. T BAILEY INC. was brought onto the rebuild project as a piling supplier. So far, we have completed phase 1 and scheduled to fabricate piling for phase 2 as well.

Due to the dock’s pivotal role in Port of Alaska’s operations, the failure and subsequent rebuilding of the dock have gained a lot of public attention. Because the failure was primarily due to cracked piling, we have been under heightened scrutiny by project leaders and owners. 

T BAILEY INC.’s ability to efficiently perform under high scrutiny and accommodate a high volume of third party inspections from Project Engineers, Contractors, and Owner reps are both testaments to our commitment to quality fabrication and exceeding the expectations of our customers. 

Phase 2 will include 144” diameter casing ranging from 1.5” to 2.25” thickness.

Since the start of our contract, the scope of work has remained fairly standard for a piling project. Nonetheless we at T BAILEY INC. take pride in putting just as much effort into the simple projects as we do the complex ones. 

Because this was such a high scrutiny project, our dedication to quality fabrication was appreciated by project leaders and recognized by the installation crews working directly with the piling we delivered. 

During the course of this project, T BAILEY INC. has delivered the following services and products: 

  • Design: The pilings were designed by the project’s engineer, but we supplied detailing and shop drawings. 
    • Fabrication: So far, we have fabricated just over 4,300 LF of piling.
  • Coating: Our in-house coating and paint shop is located on the same premises as our fabrication shop. We applied a plural-component polyurethane coating to the exterior of each pile, ranging from 38’ to 100’ per pile. 
    • Testing: T BAILEY INC.’s testing division provided a large portion of the Ultrasonic testing. We also partnered with an expert destructive testing firm for bend, tensile, and other destructive tests.
  • Delivery: Due to the size of the pilings (120’ to 176’ in length), we were unable to transport the piling with our own trucks. So, we partnered with a trusted carrier to help us deliver the piling the General Contractors dock in Seattle with a truck and rear-steering dolly. From there, the piling was loaded onto a barge and shipped to Alaska. 

Why T BAILEY INC. Was the Perfect Supplier for this Piling Fabrication Project

T BAILEY INC. has been recognized as the leading steel fabrication company in the Northwest since 1991. Since our inception, we have worked with projects across the west coast of the USA and Canada, including Hawaii and Alaska. Our long work history across the region has enabled us to partner with many of the leading general contractors and subcontractors in the industry. 

Our work experience helped us during this project, as we had already worked with all the general contractors on this project in the past. This made it easy for us to get right to work, as our leadership and the project’s leadership had already partnered together. 

Another advantage T BAILEY INC. brought to this project was the ability to maintain an open-door to project leadership throughout the duration of the fabrication process. Due to the high-profile nature of this project, we facilitated visits and inspections from the project’s engineers, project leaders, general contractors, and others involved in the dock’s construction. All of these authorities made multiple visits to our shop during production to conduct their own inspections, quality control checks, and to witness welding, testing, surface preparation and coatings.

This higher than normal level of scrutiny gave T BAILEY INC. the opportunity to shine under pressure and the project leaders, contractors, and engineers were very pleased with the workmanship and quality of the piling we supplied. 

A Piling Fabrication Company You Can Count On

T BAILEY INC.’s wide range of piling fabrication capabilities make us an asset to general contractors across the West Coast and Northwest. As a start-to-finish fabrication shop, we can manufacture, coat, and test piling all in-house. And the scale of our facilities gives us the ability to quickly scale to the project’s needs, meeting and often beating deadlines. 

To learn more about our piling capabilities and how T BAILEY INC. can help complete your project on schedule, contact our team today. 

What are you building?

We’re designed to perform custom fabrication of heavy structural and plate products, and can directly ship oversized loads via barge, rail, or truck to your location.

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