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RESTORATION PROJECT PRESERVES LANDMARK
AND ENSURES CONTINUED SAFE NAVIGATION OF DELAWARE PAY
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Constructed in 1914, the Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse in the Delaware
Bay was the first all-concrete structure to be built in open water
in the United States. When the U.S. Coast Guard retained Duffield
Associates to evaluate the condition of several lighthouses in the
Delaware Bay, the Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse exhibited signs of severe
deterioration as a result of its years of service in an aggressive
marine environment. Because the lighthouse is a historically significant
structure and functions as a primary aid to navigation in the Delaware
Bay, the rehabilitation project required preserving the historic character
and developing a design that functions under modern specifications.
The solution proposed by Duffield Associates was awarded the Consulting
Engineers Council of Delaware's Grand Conceptor Award for Engineering
Excellence.
After performing sampling and evaluation complicated by the remote
location of the lighthouse, the Duffield engineering team prioritized
repairs based on severity of deterioration, structural significance
of the affected area, and available construction funding. Due to variable
severity of deterioration, a spectrum of concrete repairs was required,
ranging from surface reconditioning to complete demolition and structural
replacement. In designing each proposed repair, Duffield's team of
structural and materials engineers made efforts to closely match the
form and material of the original construction. Duffield Associates'
rehabilitation and structural restoration of the Brandywine Shoal
Lighthouse represents a comprehensive, diverse utilization of modern
methods of concrete repair under difficult conditions at an open water
location.
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