New York State Thruway - Erie Canal

Axial and Laterally Loaded - Skin Friction

The New York State Canals, a division of the New York State Thruway, rehabilitated the Erie Canal, in a program focused on making the Canal more user friendly for pleasure craft. This program included the construction of additional pier and docking facilities. Flint, Allen, White & Radley PC, of Henrietta, NY designed the dock facility at Brewertown, at Lock E-23. Construction and pile driving was performed by Slate Hill Contractors.

The design was challenged by unique subsoil conditions. The drivable soils were only 20'-25' in depth before rock was encountered. Though the soils were stiff enough to support the finished structure there was concern that ice would heave the piles out of the soil and ruin the structure in the process. The unique skin friction capability of the roughened surface on the Lancaster pile was the best selection, in order to stay with traditional designs and within budget. The Lancaster piles were produced with a roughened surface over the bottom 25' of the pile for ultimate skin friction capabilities. The top of the pile was produced with a smooth slick surface to allow the ice to slide up and down the pile, minimizing the likelihood of the pile heaving up with ice movement. Three cold winters have passed and the engineering team is able to report to the owners, that the structure is in good shape without any movement of the piles.

Roughened Surface Provides Skin Friction

Canal House, Brewerton Lock

Pile Being Hoisted Into Leads