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Plaquemines Parish, LA |
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| Unit |
F-3315 and F-4315 |
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| Project |
Levee elevation |
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When traditional earthen levees are well established, they are effective and permanent. However, surge (caused by seasonal storms and hurricanes) means that these historic defenses can be overwhelmed by the sudden increase in water levels.
The solution is simple: make the levees higher. Well, that’s easier said than done; raising levees, using traditional earthen methods, is an enormously time-consuming and expensive exercise. In addition, the time taken for growth of vegetation, whether cultivated or natural, to secure the earth lift can also mean that the additional defense remains ineffective for several months.
Lifting of levees is where HESCO Concertainer products come into their own. The speed with which huge sections of earthen levees can be raised makes Concertainer units unrivaled as additional defense.
When storm and hurricane alerts build, the response to them must be swift, economic and viable. The project at Plaquemines Parish, LA, is a prime example of this use of the Concertainer system. Undertaken in 2008, over five miles of earthen levees were raised by three to four feet, in preparation for Hurricane Gustav.
Once the threat has been met, both residents and wildlife must live side by side with the installation. In project after project, HESCO Concertainer has shown that it is quickly concealed by the spontaneous growth of grasses and other plant life. This process can even be accelerated by adding organic material to the units, to promote growth of natural plants.
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Main picture
A levee-lift project at Plaquemines Parish, LA.
Left
Within a year of installation, the units were almost completely covered by natural plant growth – essential for integration with the landscape.
Below left
Installation of the Plaquemines Parish levee lift in 2008. |
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