Corps News Report for Dec 9 IPET analysis

[Dick Pache]

News Release Release No. PA-05-16
For Release: Immediate
Contact:
Wayne Stroupe 601 634-2404
wayne.a.stroupe@usace.army.mil
Task Force Guardian 504 862-2159
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Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force – Repair Improvements for the New Orleans Hurricane Protection System

Washington (December 9, 2005) - Comprehensive analysis to determine exactly what happened in the New Orleans hurricane and flood protection system during Hurricane Katrina is the mission of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET). Established by the Chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the IPET is comprised of some of the nation’s leading engineers and scientists from government (federal, state and local agencies), academia and private industry.

The IPET analysis teams are all co-lead by representatives from independent organizations and personnel from the Corps. These experts will use some of the most advanced research tools, including laboratory testing and numerical and physical models, in their comprehensive study.

While the IPET’s primary focus is investigating the levees and floodwalls that overtopped or breached in order to provide answers for use in future New Orleans protection project designs, the task force is also providing preliminary observations from its own team members and from other engineering organizations for possible use in the rapid-paced repairs of Hurricane Katrina damage. These observations are being provided to the Corps’ Task Force Guardian, which is managing the repair of damaged levees and floodwalls, for possible inclusion in repair designs.

As part of this process, the IPET has reviewed the “Preliminary Report on the Performance of the New Orleans Levee Systems in Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005” that was prepared by jointly by an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) team and a National Science Foundation (NSF) team, which was primarily from the University of California at Berkeley. The ASCE/NSF report is publicly available at the ASCE web site, http://www.asce.org.

The IPET review provides Task Force Guardian with a simple statement of concurrence or non-concurrence and additional relevant discussion for each of the major findings in the ASCE/NSF report’s chapter eight, “Summary of Observations and Findings.” The additional discussion relates to the analysis being conducted by the IPET or others that would assist in applying the ASCE/NSF findings to the reconstruction of hurricane protection in New Orleans.

The IPET “Summary of Field Observations Relevant to Flood Protection in New Orleans, LA” was given to Task Force Guardian on Dec. 5. A copy of this IPET report will be posted on the IPET public Web site, https://ipet.wes.army.mil. Policy issues contained in the ASCE/NSF report will be considered in forums outside the IPET.

Based on its own preliminary observations in New Orleans and its engineering expertise, the IPET agreed with the majority of the ASCE/NSF report findings. The ASCE/NSF report findings include such actions as adding overtopping erosion protection on the land side of levees and floodwalls for scour protection, more robust designs for transitions between levee/floodwall sections (transitions from earthen levees, sheetpiles and/or concrete wall sections), inspection and repair as necessary of levee sections that may have been damaged but did not fail, using sheetpiles placed against the bridges at the north ends of the 17th Street and London Avenue canals to control storm and tidal surges, etc.

The IPET, ASCE and NSF data collection teams have previously shared their informal findings with Task Force Guardian for consideration in reconstruction operations. A number of these observations have already been implemented in the levee and floodwall repair efforts. The ASCE/NSF and/or IPET observations being included in Task Force Guardian projects include, but are not limited to, overtopping and scour protection being incorporated in all floodwall repair sections (Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, Gulf Intercoastal Waterway and Mississippi River Gulf Outlet), armoring and greater overlap in transition sections, and the previously completed (in October) installation of sheetpiles on the northern ends of the 17th Street and London Avenue Canals to control storm surge.

To ensure continued timely interaction between the IPET, Task Force Guardian and other Corps organizations, there are various official channels of communication, including weekly conference calls and liaison personnel between Task Force Guardian and IPET to facilitate interaction. Task Force Guardian has 20 people imbedded in the IPET process to assist with the development and application of lessons learned. There are also informal discussions that occur between the engineering and construction professionals involved with Task Force Guardian, IPET, and the other organizations.

To date, more than 235 boxes of design and construction records on the New Orleans hurricane protection system have been collected. These hard copy records are being scanned and digitized as rapidly as possible. All releasable documents from this effort are posted on the public Web site, https://ipet.wes.army.mil.

The IPET’s final report will be completed June 1, 2006. The IPET report and its facts will be validated by an ASCE External Review Panel. The National Academies is assembling a multidisciplinary, independent panel of acknowledged experts to review and synthesize the IPET and ASCE efforts. The National Academies panel will report its findings and recommendations directly to the Assistant Secretary Army for Civil Works in the summer of 2006. All of these reports will be released to the public.

http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/releases/Interagency_Eval.htm