HUGH K.
LEATHERMAN
TERMINAL
Innovative methodology by Insight Group
saved money, improved constructability
and helped the schedule for this South
Carolina-based infrastructure project
The South Carolina Ports
Authority is currently building
the only permitted new container
terminal on the U.S. East and Gulf
Coasts. The Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal
is a state-of-the-art, three-berth container
terminal and is one of the nation’s largest
port expansion projects. At full build out,
the terminal will consist of more than 280
acres and will double the container capacity
of the Port. Since receiving the permit
approvals in 2007, the Port has completed
demolition, site preparation, containment
wall construction and design activities for
the first phase of the terminal. Phase One
construction of the terminal began in June
2019 and includes the construction of the
site improvements, buildings and canopies,
the two bridges for site access, the wharf,
associated dredging and the purchase of
five ship-to-shore cranes and 25 rubbertired
gantry cranes. Phase One of the terminal
is expected to open in 2021. This article
specifically addresses the test pile program
and production pile installation for the 12
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
buildings and canopies, which was completed
in November 2019.
The site for the new terminal is alongside
the Cooper River at the southern end
of the old Naval Base in North Charleston,
S.C. The site history includes area used as
airfield during WWII, dredge spoils and
Naval Complex. Multiple rounds of soil
borings and cone penetration tests were
performed to map the subsurface conditions.
The site is underlain by variable
subsurface conditions.
In general, the soils consist of a surficial
layer of uncontrolled fill, extremely
soft dredge spoils and soft marine clays,
the thickness of which varied from 20 to
70 feet. These soft soils were underlain
by an overconsolidated calcareous clay
known as the Cooper Marl Formation.
This forms the bearing stratum for deep
foundations in the area. Typically, in
the Charleston area, the Marl surface
is relatively flat. However, at the Hugh
Leatherman Terminal site, the depth to
the Cooper Marl changed across the site
Submitted by Insight Group
Photos: Insight Group
Parker Marine’s pile driving equipment
www.piledrivers.org PILEDRIVER | 59
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