Thursday, June 18, 2015

THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE COLLAPSE OF THE EASTPORT PORT AUTHORITY BREAKWATER PIER IN MAINE WAS THE FAILURE OF THE LATERAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM DUE TO THE STRUCTURE’S LONG-TERM DETERIORATION.















 A 200-foot section on the western side of the Eastport breakwater pier in Eastport, Maine, collapsed about 0200 local time on December 4, 2014, damaging several vessels that were moored alongside. No injuries and minor pollution were reported.

Pier Collapse

The collapse occurred on the original 1962 structure at the southern end on the west face at low tide on a calm, clear night. About 20 vessels were moored to floating docks alongside the pier, and several broke free from their moorings after the section collapsed and were recovered. Three vessels docked closest to the collapsed section sustained substantial damage. A Ford Ranger pickup truck parked on the pier fell onto one of the boats and then into the water and was partially submerged. 

Just before 0200 on the morning of the collapse, a caretaker living on board the schooner Ada C. Lore, which was docked directly to the west of the affected section of the breakwater, was awakened by noises coming from the breakwater pier. He went up on deck to investigate and noticed the inner portion of the breakwater was bowing outward toward his vessel. 

He went below deck to retrieve his pet dog and a few belongings before departing the vessel. When he came back on deck, he heard a loud crash as the inner portion of the breakwater pier collapsed onto the Ada C. Lore and other moored vessels. 

As a result of debris falling onto the vessel, he fell backwards and injured his ankle. He noticed the port quarter of the vessel was covered with rubble. A power pole had fallen onto the Ada C. Lore, and the vessel was listing severely to port. When the owner arrived, he and others began clearing debris from the vessel, and the vessel was then moved to another pier across the harbor. The caretaker was taken by ambulance to a hospital for evaluation. He received an x-ray and was advised he had no fractures and did not require further medical treatment.

The Eastport Port Authority’s security camera system captured the event from four locations. Power poles over the affected area slowly began leaning away from the pier as the sheet piles peeled away and then suddenly fell onto the moored boats when the structure gave way. Power poles, steel sheet piles, debris, and solid fill landed on the boats and fell into the water. Several vessels broke free from the pier. 

Due to the debris in the water, US Coast Guard Station Eastport small boats that were docked inside the breakwater pier were unable to respond to calls until the waterway was cleared the following day. Coast Guard Station Jonesport assumed temporary duty during this time.

Affected Vessels

The Ada C. Lore was a wooden schooner used for whale watching tours. At the time of the collapse, it was secured to a floating dock attached to the pier port side-to. A post accident survey found extensive damage. 

The wooden fore and mainmasts, gaffs, and associated standing rigging were torn off and damaged beyond repair; about 50 feet of the aft port quarter rail and associated stanchions were torn off the side of the vessel; the trunk house and all associated structural components were crushed about 4 feet into the deck; the aft deckhouse interior and all electrical and engine panels were destroyed; and the bowsprit was lifted out of its chocks. 

Two holes were found on the main deck, and the main deck was reported to be leaking significantly. The vessel was declared a total constructive loss. The vessel was sold with the intention of repairing and bringing it back into passenger service.

The Double Trouble 2 was a privately owned 45-foot-long fiberglass fishing vessel. As a result of the pier collapse, it sank to the windows of the shelter deck and the engine room flooded. The vessel was recovered, revealing extensive damage. The A-frame used for scallop dragging was bent and damaged beyond repair, and the deck below it was fractured. The aft starboard quarter of the hull was significantly damaged; the cap rail was torn off from the deckhouse to the stern, and the hull was split at the stern. 

The trap hauling system was torn off the starboard side, the deckhouse was fractured and two windows were broken, and the door was torn off. The Double Trouble 2 was also declared a total constructive loss.

The Medric II was a multipurpose work boat constructed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)that had been tied up to the floating dock alongside the bulkhead. The vessel was used for tending salmon farm pens, transporting cargo, surveying, and transporting local pilots to and from vessels. When the pier collapsed, the Medric II was hit by the pickup truck, and large sections of sheet pile, stone, gravel, and a light pole fell across the wheelhouse. 

The Medric II was completely submerged but was recovered later that morning and taken ashore.  An inspection revealed a 12-inch hole through the bottom of the hull from a power pole, more than a dozen fractures in the bottom, a broken pontoon, and a dislodged transom. 

The vessel was observed to be distinctly hogged(curved upward)in the center, which indicated a major structural failure. The wheelhouse was also completely destroyed. The two outboard engines were hit by the falling truck and debris and then forced to the bottom where they lay submerged for hours. Gasoline from the tanks below deck leaked out and damaged the Styrofoam flotation located inside the hull. This vessel was declared a total constructive loss.

Probable Cause

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the collapse of the Eastport Port Authority breakwater pier was the failure of the lateral restraint system due to the structure’s long-term deterioration.