KINGS BAY EXPLOSIVES HANDLING WHARF INSPECTION

The Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in southeast Georgia is home port for U.S. Navy Fleet ballistic missile nuclear submarines armed with Trident missile nuclear weapons.

The base has two Explosives Handling Wharves (EHW1 and EHW2).  These wharves are used to berth submarines and to load/unload weaponry.   The buildings are enormous, measuring nearly 530′ long, by 240′ wide and 140′ tall and are composed of steel space frames with metal siding and metal roofs.

This project entailed an engineering study of the EHW2 cover and structural support system, the exterior building envelope, and the bridge crane rail system to assess the extent of corrosion and corrosion damage, and to determine the adequacy of the building envelope and structural coating systems.

A 135 foot manlift was used inside the building, where possible.  Areas unreachable by the manlift were accessed using rope.  Adapted rock climbing, and rappelling and ascending techniques were used to perform hands-on evaluations of various structural members and on the outside of the building envelope to access the roof gutters and downspouts.