LACO conducted a two-phase project for Pacific Lumber Company which involved redesigning the new Scotia mill’s stormwater management and discharge, as well as a study of the new mill’s log decks where the company stores its lumber and raw materials in the flood plain of the Eel River.
Our engineering team also designed and managed the construction startup of a berm to protect the mill’s raw and finished goods in the event of a 100-year flood. We used HEC RAS modeling to predict flood levels, and hydraulic analyses were conducted to develop berm design criteria, erosion protection requirements, and stability under a variety of flow and loading conditions. This created a design that addressed environmental and hydrologic concerns while protecting the mill’s valuable inventory.
Throughout this project, we provided the following services:
- Engineering & design
- Geotechnical exploration
- Hydraulic analysis
- Topographic surveying
- Impact and cost analysis
- Flood risk assessment and mitigation
- Creation of construction contract document
- Construction startup
- Materials testing and special inspections
- Permitting
- FEMA flood elevation certifications
This project was unique in that our team maximized the use of onsite materials to build the berm. We utilized demolished concrete from the original mill to armor the slope, resulting in minimized offsite transport costs.
