DRP supports Pearl Harbor Memorial Restoration
DRP is supporting the restoration of Pearl Harbor’s historic Battleship Row. We are honored to provide petrographic services in support the Concrete Preservation Institute Foundation’s (CPI) training programs on the repair, maintenance, and stewardship of the historic Battleship Row Fleet Mooring Quays at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.
December 7 marks the anniversary of one of the most seminal events in both American and world history. On that date in 1941, the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack upon the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. This attack led directly to the United States’ official entry into World War II and its later emergence as a global superpower in the decades that followed.
A total of 2,390 American service members and civilians were killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor, with almost half perishing aboard the USS Arizona. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the creation of the USS Arizona Memorial in 1958 to commemorate their loss and in 1962 construction was completed on the now-iconic memorial built over the hull of the sunken USS Arizona.
The Project
In 2008, the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument was created encompassing historic sites associated with the attack located along the southeast side of Ford Island, including three pairs of reinforced concrete structures known as quays, or fleet moorings. Designated as Mooring Quays F6, F7, and F8, the structures were originally used to secure the naval vessels that were moored along Battleship Row. The mooring quays served a pivotal role in the post-attack rescue and massive salvage effort during the following year. Over 75 years later, they stand quietly defining Battleship Row along with the USS Arizona Memorial and are beginning to suffer from deterioration and deferred maintenance.
Shortly after the creation of the 2008 Monument, an initial condition assessment indicated the need for further assessment and repair. In 2016, the National Park Service partnered with the Concrete Preservation Institute (CPI) in a five-year agreement to repair the quays.
DRP’s Work
In the summer of 2019, CPI contacted DRP to provide petrographic services for assessing the condition of the concrete in the quays and to evaluate the efficacy of a previously installed coating system. Two cores were provided from the top of the slab and from the side wall of one mooring, both outside the zone of obvious fire damage. The results of our investigation based on these two samples showed that the concrete material is in surprisingly good condition, with a crack in the second sample indicating deterioration or damage in that location likely made worse over time as a consequence of marine attack.
“It is really exciting not only to work on a concrete structure of such a historical significance, but to also be part of a team that serves the public good,” said David Rothstein PhD, PG, FACI, President of DRP. “Everyone at DRP is impressed by CPI’s efforts to provide direct assistance to the National Park Service in assessing the integrity of their assets. Even more significantly for us, CPI helps veterans by providing opportunities to obtain training in the concrete repair industry.”
“DRP’s trusted and advanced technologies allowed for robust data to be included in the Historic Structures Report, providing detailed information on the current status of these historic structures. Additionally, the DRP team expressed support of CPI’s training program for soon-to-be-veterans and were great people to work with.” -Tanya Komas, Ph.D., Pres. & CEO of CPI Foundation.
About the CPI
CPI is a public/private partnership program working with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Interior, and with industry companies across the country. The program benefits the United States and its taxpayers by combining the strengths and needs of three national concerns: our military veterans, our infrastructure, and our national parks. CPI completes construction, repair, deferred maintenance, and safety/access projects in national parks and public lands while helping avoid potential military-to-civilian transition pitfalls by offering career preparation and placement and hands-on training for active duty military service members as they complete their service and transition to civilian careers.
